Woman to Woman is sponsored by Morning Glory at Seeds From My Garden and Lei at My Many Colored Days. You can go to their posts to learn more about WTW. The topic for this edition is Celebrate Me!
FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS
My life has been full of variety and ever-changing phases. I have been a mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, and friend. I was at one time a stay at home mom. Professionally I have been a writer, a teacher, and a principal. As a student I attended three universities. I have been the wife to a remarkable man. In all of these roles I have experienced many successes--and had a few episodes I wish I could do over!
As I approached this Woman to Woman topic, Celebrate Me, I found myself resisting the urge to explore those familiar roles and, instead, examining the latest phase of my life journey. I analyzed what I consider to be some of my personal strengths: flexibility, intelligence, caring spirit, dependability, and honesty. Finally, I decided to look beyond those characteristics. I attempted to simply answer the question so many friends have asked recently, "How do you do it?"
perhaps you have come
to the kingdom
for such a time as this.
Esther 4:14c (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
The last two years of my life have been a challenge. When my husband became so critically ill that we both were forced to retire, I thought that I would never really be able to meet the challenge. I was terrified and I felt unprepared and unworthy for the task. One of the things I have come to understand in this particular part of our journey is that God has been preparing me for this role all of my life. HE has mercifully given me the required emotional and spiritual strength to face each day's trials. HE has blended into me the personality traits, characteristics, and even quirks necessary to accept detours in life's journey. HE provided me with opportunities--education and life experiences--that prepared me to make difficult and unexpected decisions. Without my realizing it HE was preparing me to meet the challenge.
God has been leading me spiritually my entire life. HE has stayed with me even when I was not as receptive as I should have been. HE put some remarkable people in my life to direct me in the right way. My mother, Beulah, who died when I was seven, introduced me to Jesus. I was living with my Aunt Frankie and Uncle Ed when, at the tender age of eight, I accepted Christ as my savior. My dad, Charlie, made sure that, throughout my childhood and teen years, I was in church almost every time the doors opened. My husband, Mr. L. has a deep relationship with the Lord, and has been the spiritual leader in our home. My husband's career in religious publishing has given us opportunities to meet and be touched by some Christian leaders who walk closely with the Lord. I have had the opportunity to study with some truly anointed Bible teachers.
Does my relationship with all those people assure that I have a relationship with the Lord. Has our family escaped dark and troubled times. No! NO, of course not. But the foundation has always been there. There has always been a path back to the walk with Him. The struggle will always be there and Christians will experience it over and over. The enemy is going to work to lead us from that path, from that walk.
Even in the trials and the emotional upheaval of the last two years I have felt the strength I need for this portion of the journey. Early in this stage I received a very definite message from the Lord. I was headed to bed late one night. My husband had been home for the hospital just a few days and, honestly, I was exhausted. As I went to bed I picked up my Bible. I was really too tired to read, but I felt led. I just opened the Bible and was struck by the passage that appeared before me. I read just what I needed to hear:
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
12 Comments:
How blessed you are to have had so many wonderful examples to follow and learn from early on in your life. This is such a beautiful testimony of the faithfulness of God and how He builds us for whatever comes next in life.
Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts, Myrna.
What an excellent post and a wonderful testimony of how God equips us even when we don't know it.
Have a blessed week.
Lyndy
Youtr testimony is beautiful and strong and obviously worth celebrating... so thank you, so much, for sharing it!
Your thoughts on this topic are very moving as you relate some of what you've faced in the last two years.
Your strength and faith are an inspiration..
There isn't much more important to celebrate than becoming what God has in mind and calls us to do. You are this person. I was aware of that the first time I read your blog. I'm glad you participated in Celebrating Me and declaring this truth about yourself.
(hug)
Susan
You have really blessed and encouraged me with your beautiful post. I think that is just how the Lord works - if we will let Him. He always prepares us and then gives the grace and strength that we need. I know that some day I will be where you are. Sometimes I feel overwhelming fear, but if I just bring it to the Lord there is a peace and a trusting that He will never require more of me than I cannot, with His help, do.
This was just wonderful.
Thank you so much for stopping by today and for your kind words. And thank you for reading some of my story with my kids - whether the anorexia journey or the drug addiction journey. It has been quite a road, and the Lord has been with us all the way. I love your testimony here. God is so faithful. For Such A Time As This is one of my favorite concepts in scripture, and one of the others is the Redeemer God, who takes messes and makes them into something beautiful.
Please come back and let's get acquainted more!
Mryna, Thank you for coming by to visit with me and taking the time to leave the sweet comment about our grandson..
I agree wholeheartedly that God prepares us for the challanges He gives us. We, too, have had dark times but He has never let us down. I have had 4 siblings and my Mother to die from cancer and my only surviving brother is in remission....If I thought about it continually I wouldn't have much peace. I know that whatever happens, He will see me through.
We were in your fair state last week....Murfreesboro...We visit friends in Chattanooga as often as we can....
God Bless. Betty
What a beautiful and inspriring post, Myrna.
Hugs,
Kelli
Beautiful...seeing how you lean on Him is such an inspiration!
Beautiful and insprirational post.God will give you the perseverance and patience you need for any adversity that comes your way. God has had his hand on me through many situations in my life and he has taught me to become a very strong person. Thanks for sharing with us today.
Have an AWESOME weekend!
Angela
Myrna
Thanks for visiting me. Have enjoyed my visit with you. Can see we have the same beliefs. This post inspirational as I know the faithfulness of God in our trials yet like you I anticipate being terrified if faced with what you are now facing so it was helful to read how terrified youwere and yet still given the strength to cope. So often we are pulled down with our feelings, and yet they are nothing compared with the faith that takes over when we give it over to Him. It's who we are in Christ and not what we feel that gets us through.
Post a Comment
<< Home