JOY!


Still floating on the words that were written in the letter from Cliff, I wanted to share something more with you.

By now, many of you have read the letter from my prior post and are encouraged as I am of the words he wrote. My little sister and I caught up by phone last night (an hour and 10 minutes worth!). She lives in WY and has been very active in recovery for about six years, I think (I'm so proud of you!). When we were yakking last night, I read her Cliff's letter. She said, "that's a letter from a MAN." Wow. I can hardly choke back my emotions when I re-read the letter and hear those words.

That brings me to this. Yesterday at a small, intimate study I go to, one of the questions we were discussing was "What circumstances in your life are not working out, or didn't work out as you thought God would work them out?"

My mentor shared of a very difficult time when she was involved in a ministry that God removed her from. As she shared her heartache the other participant and I agreed that we were so blessed to have her now in our lives as a result of the change that occurred in hers. I had a moment to reflect again on the question and looked at the second part of it; What circumstances didn't work out as you thought God would work them out.

One year ago, when I started recovery meetings and attending church regularly again, I couldn't have imagined that I would be this healthy person looking forward to my son coming out of prison. All I could do then was beg God for relief for myself and intervention in Cliff's life. This relationship was so close to being severed forever in my way of thinking. I never, ever imagined receiving letters like I have the past few months, or having conversations with my son who is clearly maturing and becoming healthy in mind, body and soul.

"We will heal and learn together instead of against one another."

That fills me with so much joy! My God is working this out in a much greater way than I ever would have believed would be done for me. I said I believed it but my heart wouldn't wrap around it.

Oh me, of little faith!

"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us." Eph 3:20,21 The Message

6 comments:

Lou said...

I want to see you do a tapin' happy dance.

Syd said...

It all works according to God's plan and not mine. I can accept that now.

Unknown said...

Funny thing. When I am doing what God wants me to do...my life goes along rather swimmingly.

When I am doing what I want to do, or what I 'think' God wants from me, I run into obstacle after obstacle. It's a constant struggle.

So, whenever that happens, I try to sit down and be quiet, and listen to what God is trying to tell me. Not that he talks to me, wouldn't THAT be helpful, but just to re-look at the things around me and see what I am missing.

Dawn

Anonymous said...

I am so happy for you! It sounds like God has it all under control.

All my love,
Heather

Anonymous said...

This gave me chills. I have seen so much evidence of this in my own life lately. "Thank God"

Unknown said...

i'm happy for you!