Monday, December 19, 2011

Ready, Set,Stop - Pat

Well ladies, it’s week 4 of our book study and I have heard from many reading the blog. I am so glad you are participating that way; however, I really would love to hear from you.

I could not read chapter four without that unsettling sense of fear threaten to overtake me! Was there anybody besides me who felt that way?

About eight years ago, after I had surrendered my heart to Christ (16 years ago) and my life to ministry (10 years ago), the Lord allowed me to walk through a hard season of life. I was walking close to Him yet He allowed something very unfair and hurtful to take place. Why? Was God good or was I just bad and being punished for my bad past? Today I can see many treasures I was given and experienced during that time. I had some of the sweetest moments and encounters with the Lord. I wrote my first Bible study, Quest for Wholeness: Healing the Broken (now published). On Fire Ministries was birthed during that time. This was such a season of change and strengthening in my faith. Now I can say, I am thankful I went through it, but I could not say that then.

Have you ever suffered in any circumstance of life and known the “blessings hidden in the messiness of that suffering?” (pg. 90) If you can, share about the treasures God gave you during that time. Your situation may be just the encouragement another sister in Christ needs to hear today!

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Oh, by the way - Brace yourself for Chapter 5!

1 comment:

  1. I enjoyed this Chapter because she hit a lot of major points or things that have been running through my brain over the past four and a half months! I can honestly agree with her when on page 84, "suffering permitted the trappings of normal life to be stripped away, exposing my faith to reality testing", I'm sure at one time or another we have all been there or are there.
    We are so quick, and me especially, to raise a fist at God when things go wrong, saying why me, why now, having I suffered enough, God I'm ready for a break!!! But looking back, I now see the holes or gaps in my relationship with God. You start doing right, life rocks on like I want it to and bam, you're hit again!!! What was going to happen, will happen, but how we deal with it makes all the difference in the world. And in my opinion, that goes back to my relationship with God!! What I've taken from this chapter is that just because I am a child of God doesn't mean I'm exempt from trials, unfortunately none of us are!!
    And yes I am currently struggling with turning everything over to God in fear of being hurt, but I know I WILL overcome this fear!

    One of my favorite quotes from Fenelon is "The great thing is to suffer without being discouraged."

    Nothing so greatly hinders the work of God's unseen spiritual forces, upon which our success in everything truly depends, as the spirit of unrest and anxiety. author unkown

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