Victorious!

Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Training up a child is more than feeding them, teaching them the ABC's, clothing them, bathing them, it is so much, much more.  It is giving them the Word of God in such a way that they see that it is powerful and it must be applied to their lives in more situations than teaching a Sunday School class at church.

Recently, my son decided that he wanted to go out for Spring football.  We said...GREAT!  He began conditioning back in February this year.  Each day after school, he would go weight lift and work out.  He was excited to see the results after a few weeks.  About a month ago, they began the workouts with pads and helmets.  Four hours a day, six days a week of grueling practice.  Running, squatting, lifting, hitting, stretching, rolling, weights in 90 degree Florida heat.  On top of this schedule, he had honor and AP classes that required hours of homework.  After a week, I came home to find him covered in dirt and tears streaming down his face.  He was ready to give up.

You must understand, in our home quitting is never an option once one makes a decision to do something.  Never.  T and I have both have seen and experienced the pitfalls in life when you quit when things get a bit uncomfortable and we knew that he must learn that once you make a commitment you must follow through.  If we give up so easy in life where does it stop?  Work, marriage, relationships, church...etc.

I can say that this season was one of the most difficult as a parent.  I wanted to rescue him with all my heart.  "It is ok son, I'll come get you!  It is only football...right?!"  No, that is not what we wanted him to learn.  We wanted him to persevere and in it see how God would work with him to get the job done. He also had a team that depended on him.  He wasn't the lone ranger.  He was capable of more than he could see at that time.

The next day, he went to school without any of his gear.  I gathered all his gear and took them to school for him and told him..."You CAN and you will do this.".  For the next several weeks we gave him scripture...we encouraged...we were his biggest cheerleaders.

In the end...he came to us and said ..."Thank you for never letting me quit.  When I was weak, God was strong and I achieved my goals in school and on the team."

Thursday night, I watched, with tears streaming down my face, my boy run out on that field with his football jersey on.  He did it!  He pushed, he fought, he saw scripture come alive and in the end...saw that God did care about all that was going on in his life and not only did He care...He made it possible and strengthened him in his efforts.

You say, what is the big deal?  It is a big deal.  How many marriages do you see that fall apart just because they gave up?  Jobs quit just before a big promotion because of some offense.  It is a big deal.  When you make a commitment... you must follow through. What is great, in the hardest of times...God is real.  He is good and His Word never returns void.

My Passion

Anyone have a Testimony?? I do!!

My little girls came running to see if I was ok.  While mopping my kitchen floor, I had slipped and fallen very hard on my tailbone.  When my girls arrived I could only lay on the floor.  20 minutes later, I was gingerly able to get up.  The pain was severe. 

Two weeks later the radiating and aching pain was still disrupting my life.  Pain would wake me in the night.  I had difficulties standing up or sitting down.  I felt irritable and frustrated, and I was not fun to be around. 

One day, I was talking to the Lord.  (Quite honestly, I was whining.)  “Lord, I wish I didn’t believe how I believe sometimes.  Everyone whom I meet and tell about this gives me the Word of God.  Where is the love?  Where are the hugs, and kind words?  Where is the compassion?   I want sympathy, pity, and “love”…but no, all I get is a finger pointing back to your Word.”  (Yes, sad but true, I was complaining and feeling sorry for myself.)

That evening I was sitting on the bed with my husband.  I was not painless in any position, so I had propped myself up in a way that minimized the throbbing.  I got a phone call from my sister.  She had recently had surgery to remove a cyst the size of a tennis ball.   A follow up appointment that had included an ultra sound was not favorable.  She had new cysts and many more were developing.  Being very scared, she had spent a lot of time on the computer doing research.   “I think I have ovarian cancer,” she wailed, “no one understands!  They are always giving me Bible verses!  Where is the love???” 

At first I thought ‘Hallelujah!’  Someone to sympathize with!    But as I listened to her talk, I felt the Holy Spirit envelope me.  He started speaking to me. He was answering my questions.  I began to share with my sister…

“When people give you God’s Word and point to the Lord, they are giving you the greatest gift you could receive.  I know God’s Word works.  I have seen God restore, redeem, resurrect, and heal through those promises in His Word.  So when they give you God’s Word, when I give you God’s Word, I love you in a way that is far more beneficial than feeling sorry for you or with you.  I am giving you God’s Power to change your situation.  The compassion of God wells up in me when I give you scripture and encourage you to believe what He has said. “

As I said these things tears welled up in my eyes.  God was giving us His best.  He wasn’t giving us just a band-aid that would fall off later, but power to be victorious!!  I prayed with my sister, loved her, and reminded her of God’s Word .  When I got off the phone I moved the way I had moved for days…very carefully.  Then it dawned on me…wait!  NO PAIN!!  My dear Lord had healed me while I was speaking His healing to my sister!!! 

But that is not the end of the story.  A few weeks later, I got another phone call from my sister.  She had gone in for her next medical check-up.  The tests were done as they had been done before, but the doctors could not find anything wrong. NO cysts!!  Totally healed!  Glory to God!   As I had shared God’s Word with my sister, He healed both of us.  Nothing is impossible with Him!

Source: weheartit.com via Melanie on Pinterest

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