I love this time of year! The weather is getting cooler. Leaves are changing colors. Kids are back in school (well, not mine!) The streets are quieter - empty. The holiday season is on its way. Sweaters, hats and scarves are starting to appear. Living where we do in California, our summers are HOT! Many days topping 100 degrees; a dry heat that just seems to scorch all things in its path. (We are lucky to know several people with a pool or we might melt!) The cooler climate of fall is a welcome change.
As mentioned in a post last year about summer - I love all the seasons. Every one of them brings change.... and for me, each one brings a new appreciation for God's creation. I LOVE the autumn colors - reds, oranges, yellows, browns, purples. Neighbors are decorating for Fall. Kids are getting excited about Halloween and are starting to plan their Christmas lists. Nights are much cooler, so we bunker down under blankets reading a chapter book together, playing a game or watching a movie. I've started baking again, since we don't have to worry about heating the house with the oven. I can make soups and stews and other "warm your insides" comfort food that I love! I start lighting candles and we have a fire in the fire place with hot chocolate. Kids' soccer season is winding down. It's a time of change. We also go through seasons in our lives; and it is with these seasons, periods of change and of self renewal that we can truly appreciate the beauty -the simple pleasures that surround us daily.
Last year, we went through a horrific experience - one I NEVER in all my life imagined that I would have to endure. In my depths of pain I would think to myself how I never imagined this could happen to us. When I dreamed of my family it never occurred to me that one person would strip us of innocence, hope and love and replace it with hatred, unforgiveness and lots and lots of hurt. We were in the heart of a season of winter in our lives. Every time I would glimpse a tiny plant of new growth and healing it would be frozen again by a new ice storm. We continued in this cycle for about 6 months - a couple weeks of healing and then a new storm would hit us again.
Over and over again a cycle of pain, hurt, depression, hopelessness and despair would be followed by glimpses of healing and hope only to be squashed by another wave of destruction. Just when I would think it can't get any worse - it would!! Looking back now, I realize that I couldn't have handled everything all at once. Now I can see that if my world had come crashing in on me all at the same time, I might be in a loony bin or worse! Just as too much rain at one time will cause flooding with permanent damage, God knew that too many blows at one time would have caused irreversible damage to our family. Our all knowing God, knew that we needed to weather one storm at a time! And I praise Him now for holding us in his arms when we were unable to make it on our own.
With each storm, I had to pick up my family, begin healing again and in the end - we became stronger. I began to prepare for the storms that were to come. In the beginning, I quit praying altogether - I simply couldn't. I would try... but I really could not pray. I was paralyzed. Instead, I called on all my family and friends that are prayer warriors (who in turn called on the prayer warriors that they knew) and asked them to pray for our family - simply because... I could not. I know that they surrounded my family with prayer!! I thank all of you now. One of our dearest pastor friends had her entire congregation pray for us for an entire church service. (We still have our prayer cloths!) Thank you - each and every one of you - for praying when I could not!
With the strength of prayer and our friend's and family's support, we began to brace for the storms, and without realizing it, we were growing stronger with each blow. I gathered the ability to pray again. At first it was mainly yelling at God. I was so angry! This turned into prayers of utter despair and endless tears. Which turned into prayers of thankfulness for God being there even when I couldn't pray. In the end, we survived. We have deep scars, some that will continue to heal and fade, and others that will be with us for a life time... but WE SURVIVED. We still have more storms to weather, but I know now, how to better prepare for the storms. We continue to focus on God and the healing of our family.
My family is now in a a springtime of renewal. We have a new glimmer of hope, rebirth, growth. Fresh new seedlings that are being nurtured, watered, fed and ready to become strong plants. We are changing our circumstance from victim to victory. I don't know what the future holds for my family or myself. It is unclear. But one thing is certain, we are stronger and more prepared for the storms in life. I believe that my children are being prepared for greatness. Especially my six year old. There is an anointing that surrounds his very being and I know the devil doesn't like it! He is destined for a life of serving God. He already tells me that he wants to go out in the world and teach others to love Jesus. No wonder the devil is doing every thing he can to bring him down. In the midst of our trials last year, he said to me, "I am praying to Jesus that the devil will leave us alone!" Those are powerful words coming from a six year old!
No matter what trials you are facing right now, know that although it may get worse before it gets better.... it WILL get better. Don't let the devil win! Fight with God's righteousness on your side. "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:11-12
We are still weathering storms that continue to strike our family. They are turning into gentle spring rains instead of hurricanes... little storms that are helping us grow, become stronger, survive the heat of summer and be prepared for the harvest God has planned for us. We can see the rainbow through the rain.
What season of life are you in right now?
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted... a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-4,8
I hope that my story can help somebody who is weathering a storm right now. I pray for your peace and strength. God knows who you are and He hears my prayers for you. You are not alone. Even if you can't pray, God is with you.
As mentioned in a post last year about summer - I love all the seasons. Every one of them brings change.... and for me, each one brings a new appreciation for God's creation. I LOVE the autumn colors - reds, oranges, yellows, browns, purples. Neighbors are decorating for Fall. Kids are getting excited about Halloween and are starting to plan their Christmas lists. Nights are much cooler, so we bunker down under blankets reading a chapter book together, playing a game or watching a movie. I've started baking again, since we don't have to worry about heating the house with the oven. I can make soups and stews and other "warm your insides" comfort food that I love! I start lighting candles and we have a fire in the fire place with hot chocolate. Kids' soccer season is winding down. It's a time of change. We also go through seasons in our lives; and it is with these seasons, periods of change and of self renewal that we can truly appreciate the beauty -the simple pleasures that surround us daily. Over and over again a cycle of pain, hurt, depression, hopelessness and despair would be followed by glimpses of healing and hope only to be squashed by another wave of destruction. Just when I would think it can't get any worse - it would!! Looking back now, I realize that I couldn't have handled everything all at once. Now I can see that if my world had come crashing in on me all at the same time, I might be in a loony bin or worse! Just as too much rain at one time will cause flooding with permanent damage, God knew that too many blows at one time would have caused irreversible damage to our family. Our all knowing God, knew that we needed to weather one storm at a time! And I praise Him now for holding us in his arms when we were unable to make it on our own.
With each storm, I had to pick up my family, begin healing again and in the end - we became stronger. I began to prepare for the storms that were to come. In the beginning, I quit praying altogether - I simply couldn't. I would try... but I really could not pray. I was paralyzed. Instead, I called on all my family and friends that are prayer warriors (who in turn called on the prayer warriors that they knew) and asked them to pray for our family - simply because... I could not. I know that they surrounded my family with prayer!! I thank all of you now. One of our dearest pastor friends had her entire congregation pray for us for an entire church service. (We still have our prayer cloths!) Thank you - each and every one of you - for praying when I could not!
With the strength of prayer and our friend's and family's support, we began to brace for the storms, and without realizing it, we were growing stronger with each blow. I gathered the ability to pray again. At first it was mainly yelling at God. I was so angry! This turned into prayers of utter despair and endless tears. Which turned into prayers of thankfulness for God being there even when I couldn't pray. In the end, we survived. We have deep scars, some that will continue to heal and fade, and others that will be with us for a life time... but WE SURVIVED. We still have more storms to weather, but I know now, how to better prepare for the storms. We continue to focus on God and the healing of our family.
My family is now in a a springtime of renewal. We have a new glimmer of hope, rebirth, growth. Fresh new seedlings that are being nurtured, watered, fed and ready to become strong plants. We are changing our circumstance from victim to victory. I don't know what the future holds for my family or myself. It is unclear. But one thing is certain, we are stronger and more prepared for the storms in life. I believe that my children are being prepared for greatness. Especially my six year old. There is an anointing that surrounds his very being and I know the devil doesn't like it! He is destined for a life of serving God. He already tells me that he wants to go out in the world and teach others to love Jesus. No wonder the devil is doing every thing he can to bring him down. In the midst of our trials last year, he said to me, "I am praying to Jesus that the devil will leave us alone!" Those are powerful words coming from a six year old!
No matter what trials you are facing right now, know that although it may get worse before it gets better.... it WILL get better. Don't let the devil win! Fight with God's righteousness on your side. "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:11-12
We are still weathering storms that continue to strike our family. They are turning into gentle spring rains instead of hurricanes... little storms that are helping us grow, become stronger, survive the heat of summer and be prepared for the harvest God has planned for us. We can see the rainbow through the rain.
What season of life are you in right now?
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted... a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-4,8
I hope that my story can help somebody who is weathering a storm right now. I pray for your peace and strength. God knows who you are and He hears my prayers for you. You are not alone. Even if you can't pray, God is with you.
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