I had no idea it's been four months since I checked in last. Time passes so fast lately. Not just because winter is upon us yet once again, but I believe God's Word when He says He will shorten the days *Mark 13:20 "And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days." (KJV)
This verse is set in a passage of Scripture describing the end of this world and life as we know it. We fight for the lives of our loved ones on bended knees and with broken hearts. We know that time is short and that Christ's return is imminent. Satan wearies the saints with constant attacks and interrupts our sleep, keeping our minds alert with a thousand thoughts cramming our minds, hoping to dissuade us from our task.
It won't work. Our rest is in Christ; in Him is our Strength, our Peace and peace of mind. In Christ is our Hope and Joy. We cannot let a lack of sleep, nor a fading of strength and energy prevent us from working the mission fields into which God has sent us.
Until God calls us to the supper table of The Lamb, our tasks must be done. We must continue to pray for each and every family member, friend, co-worker, employer, stranger who dwells within our midst. Even they who are the enemies of Christ and do the devil's work in our homes and communities.
Once we were enemies of the cross, condemned to die in our sin. But no more. Why? Because somebody prayed for us until we turned our hearts and minds to Christ. And then we began to pray for ourselves. Then for each other. Prayer to the right God changes every thing: the way we think, the way we live, the way we love, the way we pray.
Until a person takes that last breath, there is always hope for salvation. We must be on constant alert, praying unceasingly. Every breath a prayer, every time a person pops into our minds it is The Holy Spirit telling us that that person needs us to pray for them.
I was in a women's Bible study the day my son Nick died. The Bible study was on Joyce Meyer's Battlefield of the Mind and afterwards we all prayed together for the needs that had been brought forth. We prayed for our children. I will never forget where I was.
As little children it was my responsibility to raise them in the ways of The LORD and I did. They all received Christ as Savior. They were all baptized and made a public confession of faith in their LORD. And that's a start. But my work was not done.
I still needed to pray The LORD's continued guidance and protection over them. And when I filed for divorce from my first husband that became more challenging, but I refused to turn away from God and living a godly life. I knew that staying near Christ was what I needed most. But our decision to part ways also tore apart our family.
When traumatic events happen in a person's life, time sometimes stands still, sometimes passes without awareness of its passing. Hearing that he wanted a divorce caused time to stand briefly still; I had a nervous breakdown. And time passed.
A few years later God gave me a wonderful husband who loves all of us. A year after our wedding Nick was killed in a car accident. Time stopped again. I had another nervous breakdown. And, as time passed, I worked my way through it. With God. I could not have made it through either had I been alone with my thoughts.
I lost all my good memories and I am just now starting to recall some of them. I lost close relationships with my other children. While I am aware that I was present in body, not so in mind many times. As if the darkness that comes with tragedy prevented me from taking part in their growing up years. How sad is that? Sometimes trauma brings families closer together; sometimes it sends them reeling away. We are the latter.
This verse is set in a passage of Scripture describing the end of this world and life as we know it. We fight for the lives of our loved ones on bended knees and with broken hearts. We know that time is short and that Christ's return is imminent. Satan wearies the saints with constant attacks and interrupts our sleep, keeping our minds alert with a thousand thoughts cramming our minds, hoping to dissuade us from our task.
It won't work. Our rest is in Christ; in Him is our Strength, our Peace and peace of mind. In Christ is our Hope and Joy. We cannot let a lack of sleep, nor a fading of strength and energy prevent us from working the mission fields into which God has sent us.
Until God calls us to the supper table of The Lamb, our tasks must be done. We must continue to pray for each and every family member, friend, co-worker, employer, stranger who dwells within our midst. Even they who are the enemies of Christ and do the devil's work in our homes and communities.
Once we were enemies of the cross, condemned to die in our sin. But no more. Why? Because somebody prayed for us until we turned our hearts and minds to Christ. And then we began to pray for ourselves. Then for each other. Prayer to the right God changes every thing: the way we think, the way we live, the way we love, the way we pray.
Until a person takes that last breath, there is always hope for salvation. We must be on constant alert, praying unceasingly. Every breath a prayer, every time a person pops into our minds it is The Holy Spirit telling us that that person needs us to pray for them.
I was in a women's Bible study the day my son Nick died. The Bible study was on Joyce Meyer's Battlefield of the Mind and afterwards we all prayed together for the needs that had been brought forth. We prayed for our children. I will never forget where I was.
As little children it was my responsibility to raise them in the ways of The LORD and I did. They all received Christ as Savior. They were all baptized and made a public confession of faith in their LORD. And that's a start. But my work was not done.
I still needed to pray The LORD's continued guidance and protection over them. And when I filed for divorce from my first husband that became more challenging, but I refused to turn away from God and living a godly life. I knew that staying near Christ was what I needed most. But our decision to part ways also tore apart our family.
When traumatic events happen in a person's life, time sometimes stands still, sometimes passes without awareness of its passing. Hearing that he wanted a divorce caused time to stand briefly still; I had a nervous breakdown. And time passed.
A few years later God gave me a wonderful husband who loves all of us. A year after our wedding Nick was killed in a car accident. Time stopped again. I had another nervous breakdown. And, as time passed, I worked my way through it. With God. I could not have made it through either had I been alone with my thoughts.
I lost all my good memories and I am just now starting to recall some of them. I lost close relationships with my other children. While I am aware that I was present in body, not so in mind many times. As if the darkness that comes with tragedy prevented me from taking part in their growing up years. How sad is that? Sometimes trauma brings families closer together; sometimes it sends them reeling away. We are the latter.
And time passes.
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