It has been a while since I have written. The reason being it was a pretty discouraging year for us. The reality is that most people in ministry experience a season of discouragement. Through this season I have turned to God’s Word and saw that most people in God’s story experienced seasons of discouragement. For us, we often feel like the women in this picture, juggling different tasks and trying to keep them all from falling. Well during this season the pieces started falling. My first reaction was to cling tighter and to try to hang on to the pieces that are close to falling – work harder, change positions and try to keep things moving. However as pieces kept falling, finally I had to just let go. These are good and hard journeys to walk through. Good because ultimately God never intended that I hold up all these pieces. Hard because it is painful to see things fall.
God has been teaching us a lot through this season and perhaps little by little I will be able to share what we have learned. However let me start with how God begun to lift us out of our discouragement. God sent us someone, who spoke life into us. They listened with out judgement, empathized and then spoke truth and life into the situation. Wow, was it powerful! We have a culture or perhaps human nature that makes slow to listen and quick to criticize. We see this lady and want to tell how to carry things correctly because we believe we can help make things better or we have a responsibility to tell her she is doing it wrong. We often care more about proving our point and being right then the people behind the point we are making. This often leads to destruction and division. But when that was changed and people saw through to me and the struggles I was facing, it brought life and peace.
I look back and see times where I was the latter and what I said led more to destruction. I also reflected on God’s work in my life and how grateful I am am that he does shy back from the mess, but focuses on helping my putting the pieces back together. I want to be a person who brings life back into situations. Who sees past the mess to the person and assists in whatever the first step might be to seeing life renewed.
Praying!
Not meaning to make light of your discouragement, but welcome to the human race. I like to refer to it as “the slime pit of despair.” I have been praying a prayer for our family this year from Romans: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” I haven’t missed a day yet, but what is interesting is how it is proving a challenge to me, (and Tim too). May God increase our faith and trust! Hang in there. I appreciate your honesty, transparency, and your example of steadfastness.
Hi Andi, good to hear from you again, I have missed you. You are not alone in this life of learning how to live a life of trust and obedience during dark times. So glad God is bringing just what you need now.
Andi, through the hardest of times we change, we let go, and we move closer to Christ likeness. I bless God for your hard times and your change.
Praying for you all! Thank you for sharing how God is walking with you in the hard. So thankful He sent just who you needed when you needed them. His love is so perfect! Hugs and prayers being sent your way!!