Psalm 118:24 say, "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." No matter what's going on in my life, I try to live as closely to this scripture as I can. You see, I don't take for granted that God is the one who breathed life into my body; and, He repeats this process every morning He allows me to wake up.
I will be honest and admit I haven't always felt this way. There have been times when I wondered why God continued to wake me up. I wondered why He continued to give me more chances at life than I deserved. Until one day He spoke to my spirit and said, "I gave you this because I knew you could handle this." I knew when it was all over, you will tell the story and I would get the the glory. For a long time, I did not openly, much less publicly acknowledge the things God had done in my life. A lot people only acknowledge God when He does something or gives them something. For me, it goes deeper than that. I am now at a place where I truly acknowledge God for my life. It may not be what I would like it to be; and I may not have the things I would like to have, but I have life. You see, at birth, I had to fight just to enter into the world; and to be completely honest, I have been fighting every since. No matter how you may be feeling today. No matter what you may be thinking about today. Just know that God already knows the outcome. He already knows that when this battle is over, you will be stronger than ever. He gave this one to you because He knew He could trust you with it. I see you shaking your head, and rolling your eyes. It's ok. Trust me. I have done the same thing. But as soon as you come to your senses and know that the enemy is trying to take you out by messing with your mind, you will begin to recognize God's favor on your life. When those thoughts try to enter in, remember what the Bible says in Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." I know and I understand we may not be in the same place with our faith. We are not supposed to be. I'm supposed to be where I am and you are supposed to be where you are. Why? Because my assignment is to release and your assignment is to receive. What do I mean by that? I am assigned to you to release my tests and testimonies to you; in prayer that you will receive the message in faith. In other words, my charge is found in Luke 8:39, "Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him." Simply put, God told me to go back to my family and tell them of the great things He has done for me. I accepted the assignment and here I am on this platform today. I want to encourage you today. Whatever God has set before you. Move forward in faith knowing the He is with you. Prove to God He can trust you. Show Him you will not waver in your faith, you will not make Him small so you can be large, and most importantly, you will keep Him at the center of your life. Be encouraged my sisters but more than that.........Be consistent! Did you know that life has a funny way of falling apart and coming together right before our eyes? Personally, I have seen it happen both ways. First, it unraveled slowly; I saw the pieces hit the ground. Then, those same pieces were somehow used to put it all back together. Let me help you out, so you won't have to wonder. Someone reading this might already know my story. If you do, it's always good to be reminded. If you don't, I will share some of the most impactful moments I have ever experienced. I want you to pay close attention to my timeline, as I am sure someone reading this is having, has had, or will have some if not all of the same life changing experiences. Then, I want you to special attention to the who, how, and when I began to see it all come back together. 2000 - I met what I thought was Mr. Right, all of my lonely days would be over 2001 - I became a wife to a boyfriend 2005 - Mr. Right decided he liked someone else better than me and he was exposed 2006 - Surgery #1 2007 thru 2008 - Everything that had an expensive price tag became an issue for me in other words, "Money was Funny" 2009 - Surgery #2; the school I was working at closed and I was transitioned to another location 2009 thru 2011 - fought a grievance fight against salary discrepancy 2011 - surgery #3 2012 - my dad diagnosed with lung cancer 2012 thru 2014 - I stood by helplessly and watched my dad's health deteriorate before my eyes 2014 - the love of my life passed away 2015 and 2016 - suffered silently with depression 2017 - leadership on the job changed; chaos, confusion, lies, betrayal and so much more tried to take me out 2017 - diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks 2018 - I was set back; moved to a position I had held in 2000 Hebrews 13:4 - Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
Jeremiah 17:14 - Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. Philippians 4:19 - But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Psalm 54:4 - Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul. Psalm 34:18 - The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Isaiah 61:7 - For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them. 1 Peter 5:7 - Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Matthew 11:28 - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Proverbs 3:5 & 6 - Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Psalm 27:14 - Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 37:23 - The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Let me encourage you. It may take longer than you want to wait but, keep waiting. Remember this Psalm 37:4 "Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."Trust the process outlined in Exodus 14:14, " The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." |
In Memory of: Charles T. Wilcox
|