Reason #159
Today was the first official day to summer. The longest day of the year. I enjoyed the evening in my backyard with new friends and was amazed at how light it was at 9:15PM. Although I sure love spring, summer always gives spring a run for its money.
So a new season has begun. And today, I realized that I have successfully made it through every season. I went through fall, wasn't sure I was going to make it, but I did. I went through winter, probably the most hopeless season I've faced, but I made it. Spring came and things began to turn around. Now, it's summer and although I haven't made it through summer yet, I have a feeling that this is going to be a really good season for me.
The first time I shared my testimony was in Hungary. For months I felt too ashamed to tell it. For months, I couldn't share without crying. For months, I let the humiliation of my circumstances hold me captive. Then the time came to share. To tell others what God had done and was doing in my life. So I sat in a room full of strangers and, with a shakey voice, put myself in an incredibly vulnerable state. And in that moment the chains were broken. All of the sudden I felt free. It was an incredible experience, a turning point for me. And the healing process began. I neared the end of my testimony and I felt like I was just leaving them hanging. A cliff hanger testimony, I suppose. Because I was still smack dab in the middle of the wilderness. Sure, I had been fighting a fierce battle. Sure, God had been doing incredible things in my life, growing my faith, answering my prayers. But I didn't have much else to say at that moment. I remember saying that I really didn't know why this had happened. I didn't understand why I had to walk this road, but I just knew that God was going to bring good from it. I wasn't sure how, but I was choosing to trust His promises.
Our last full day in Hungary, one of the girls, Eszter, pulled me aside and gave me one of the sweetest gifts I have ever received. As I have shared before, I am a lover of words so I cherish written notes and letters. Eszter handed me a little card with 2 Timothy 2:13 written on it. "...if we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is." Sweet Eszter gave me a hug and she said, "I know summer will be good for you, and I am excited for you to get to that season. It's a good season."
Eszter was right. Summer is a good season. A warm season. A season full of life and light. But that's not the only thing she was right about. Eszter hit the nail on the head when she picked out 2 Timothy 2:13 to give to me. Because God is faithful! Even when we aren't, He is. Even when we are, He is. And, my friends, that is an undeniable fact. For months, people kept saying to me, "God will bless your faithfulness," but I wasn't really sure what they meant by that. I had this cliff-hanger testimony and I had no clue what He was going to do with it. What was the rest of the story going to be? Would there be any more to my story? I hoped and prayed that this wasn't it. I asked over and over again that He would bring purpose from my pain.
Fast foward 3 months. I stood in my kitchen tonight and I talked to new friends. People I didn't know 2 weeks ago, and tonight I was enjoying a meal with them in my home. Strange? I don't think so. Because my friends were right, Eszter was right, God is faithful to bless faithfulness. "To the faithful you show yourself faithful..." (2 Samuel 22:26) He doesn't give up on us. He doesn't let go of us. He doesn't forget about us. Yet sometimes, we are so quick to base His faithfulness on human actions and get discouraged. Some times, we are quick to determine how He could and should bless faithfulness only to figure out that we had it all wrong.
Tonight, I shared with 3 lovely ladies the story of how God had been orchestrating things in my life. I shared with them how God had organized every detail so perfectly, even down to the exact conversation we were having at that moment. I told them my story, but it wasn't such a cliff-hanger this time. And really, I couldn't wait to get past the tough part of the story so that I could tell them what awesome things God had done because of the difficult cirucmstances I had walked through. In fact, these new friends have become the latest chapter in my story. A story that is still being written. A story that is full of twists and turns and surprises, yet a story that oozes God's faithfulness on every single page.
So it's a new season. Another new beginning. And I'm looking forward to summer. Like Eszter, I think this may very well be the season my heart has been longing for. We shall see...
#159 - Because His faithfulness carries me through every season.
I will proclaim the name of the Lord; how glorious is our God! He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! - Deuteronomy 32:3-4
Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. - Deuteronomy 7:9
So a new season has begun. And today, I realized that I have successfully made it through every season. I went through fall, wasn't sure I was going to make it, but I did. I went through winter, probably the most hopeless season I've faced, but I made it. Spring came and things began to turn around. Now, it's summer and although I haven't made it through summer yet, I have a feeling that this is going to be a really good season for me.
The first time I shared my testimony was in Hungary. For months I felt too ashamed to tell it. For months, I couldn't share without crying. For months, I let the humiliation of my circumstances hold me captive. Then the time came to share. To tell others what God had done and was doing in my life. So I sat in a room full of strangers and, with a shakey voice, put myself in an incredibly vulnerable state. And in that moment the chains were broken. All of the sudden I felt free. It was an incredible experience, a turning point for me. And the healing process began. I neared the end of my testimony and I felt like I was just leaving them hanging. A cliff hanger testimony, I suppose. Because I was still smack dab in the middle of the wilderness. Sure, I had been fighting a fierce battle. Sure, God had been doing incredible things in my life, growing my faith, answering my prayers. But I didn't have much else to say at that moment. I remember saying that I really didn't know why this had happened. I didn't understand why I had to walk this road, but I just knew that God was going to bring good from it. I wasn't sure how, but I was choosing to trust His promises.
Our last full day in Hungary, one of the girls, Eszter, pulled me aside and gave me one of the sweetest gifts I have ever received. As I have shared before, I am a lover of words so I cherish written notes and letters. Eszter handed me a little card with 2 Timothy 2:13 written on it. "...if we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is." Sweet Eszter gave me a hug and she said, "I know summer will be good for you, and I am excited for you to get to that season. It's a good season."
Eszter was right. Summer is a good season. A warm season. A season full of life and light. But that's not the only thing she was right about. Eszter hit the nail on the head when she picked out 2 Timothy 2:13 to give to me. Because God is faithful! Even when we aren't, He is. Even when we are, He is. And, my friends, that is an undeniable fact. For months, people kept saying to me, "God will bless your faithfulness," but I wasn't really sure what they meant by that. I had this cliff-hanger testimony and I had no clue what He was going to do with it. What was the rest of the story going to be? Would there be any more to my story? I hoped and prayed that this wasn't it. I asked over and over again that He would bring purpose from my pain.
Fast foward 3 months. I stood in my kitchen tonight and I talked to new friends. People I didn't know 2 weeks ago, and tonight I was enjoying a meal with them in my home. Strange? I don't think so. Because my friends were right, Eszter was right, God is faithful to bless faithfulness. "To the faithful you show yourself faithful..." (2 Samuel 22:26) He doesn't give up on us. He doesn't let go of us. He doesn't forget about us. Yet sometimes, we are so quick to base His faithfulness on human actions and get discouraged. Some times, we are quick to determine how He could and should bless faithfulness only to figure out that we had it all wrong.
Tonight, I shared with 3 lovely ladies the story of how God had been orchestrating things in my life. I shared with them how God had organized every detail so perfectly, even down to the exact conversation we were having at that moment. I told them my story, but it wasn't such a cliff-hanger this time. And really, I couldn't wait to get past the tough part of the story so that I could tell them what awesome things God had done because of the difficult cirucmstances I had walked through. In fact, these new friends have become the latest chapter in my story. A story that is still being written. A story that is full of twists and turns and surprises, yet a story that oozes God's faithfulness on every single page.
So it's a new season. Another new beginning. And I'm looking forward to summer. Like Eszter, I think this may very well be the season my heart has been longing for. We shall see...
#159 - Because His faithfulness carries me through every season.
I will proclaim the name of the Lord; how glorious is our God! He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! - Deuteronomy 32:3-4
Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. - Deuteronomy 7:9
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