“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2 (NIV)
Last time we were together I was sharing how I asked God why certain people deal with major hardships in this world. His answer to me about this one particular family was crystal clear: “Through them My glory will be revealed.”
Let me explain why that sentence impacted me so deeply and why it was so personal. I have shared on this blog how God delivered me from fear of winter driving earlier this year. Now because I’ve been delivered from that fear, that doesn’t mean that satan isn’t trying overtime to cause fear to sprout up in other areas of my life that had either already been resolved or that I haven’t had a chance to contemplate if I should be afraid or not. He knows that if he can distract me with fear, then I’m too busy worrying and don’t have time to do the job God wants me busy with.
As a result, I’ve been struggling for a few weeks now with a few different fears. It seems that everywhere I look, every time I turn on the news or Facebook, I’m faced head on with these topics. And I’m fighting them. I’m choosing to thank God ahead of time instead of giving those fears a chance to take root. Am I always successful? No, but I’m gaining ground and not giving up.
So, that particular night when God woke me up with a burden for this particular family, His answer revealed two truths to me. One… Just because certain “fears” are all around me, that doesn’t mean our family will necessarily have to walk down that particular path also. God allows different individuals different difficulties because only He knows which ones, in our lives, can be used to reveal His glory, if we so choose.
Second, it’s been several months now since God and I had this nightly conversation and I have to say, God’s glory is being revealed through this particular family. Through every post, every update… God’s performing miracles which can only be attributed to Him and this particular family is giving God all the glory. In addition, there is an opportunity by our church body to rally around and help this family in their time of need as well as friends I didn’t even know were connected to this particular family. But the best part? I see this family reaching out and helping others during what is probably the hardest period in their lives because of all that God has done for them. They have been blessed by God and can’t help but share those blessings with others – through prayer, encouragement, etc.
I gained peace the night I wrestled with God. Peace that only He determines the path our family will take. It’s not something for me to worry about. It’s not something to fear. He is our Provider, our Healer, our Redeemer and whatever that path is, I can choose to allow His glory to be revealed through my life throughout the entire path, which means the twists and turns and the steep uphill slopes as well as when we coast downhill.
It is so wonderful to see the words that God whispered to me being fulfilled through that family. I can almost see God smiling in Heaven… whispering words of comfort to them as He winks at me, in a way to say, “I told you it would be okay.”
© Cheri Swalwell 2016