Working It Out

[Editor’s Note: This is a guest story by Lois Robinson. This is a great testimony of faith and following God’s lead!]

I got married at a young age – 18 to be exact. My husband, who was the pastor’s son, and I had been dating for a couple of years and we knew that we were following God’s plan for our lives. We were planning to get married one year later but felt God pushing us to bring the date one year closer. My parents were not happy about this change, but we agreed to go forward with the plans.

Our wedding day turned out to be perfect and we were so thrilled to be joined together. We visited Paris, France for our honeymoon and when we returned to Long Island, NY, we moved into our little one bedroom rental house.

We visited my parents a few days later to give them gifts that we had brought back from our trip and left. If I had known what was about to unfold perhaps I might have done things a bit differently.

A couple days after, I received a call from my sister telling me that our dad had passed away. He had collapsed and had a heart attack. I was in total shock as my father had no known sickness or disease other than the fact that he was overweight.

When I was finally able to get the pictures from my wedding, I cherished them more than ever because they are the last pictures I have of my father. If my husband and I had waited the extra year like we had originally planned, I wouldn’t have had him to walk me down the aisle.
A year later I got pregnant and my husband’s mother became very sick with cancer. We were frequently visiting the hospital and praying for her healing but God called her home and she didn’t get to see her expected grandchild.

It was at this point that my husband became really burdened about his calling in life. He wanted God’s direction and wanted to be totally sure before stepping forward. Everyone expected him to be a pastor but he wanted God to direct him in this. He went to work one day and a stranger began to speak to my husband about things he could not have known. This brought a change and my husband took this as God’s way of speaking to him.

My husband began to assist his father in the ministry by preaching when his father was ill. There were days when his father could not get out of bed.

We had two young children at this time. Our first child was a boy and our second was a girl. We were happy and had been married for 5 years now. The state of Pennsylvania had become our home as the cost of living on Long Island had become very high.

It was only a couple of months later that my husband’s father passed away and we were to bury another parent. Our lives had seemed to turn upside down and filled with grief with the passing of our parents.
Yet, God was working to prepare my husband and I for the calling He had placed on our lives. In 2010 our lives changed yet again as my husband became the pastor of the church and it is here that we serve His people. No one could have known what the future held but God was preparing us and holding us for “such a time as this.”As my 30th birthday approaches, I look back and see that God had called us long before we realized it. He gave us the strength to withstand it all: the trials, the grief while raising our young family. God will also give you the strength to bring you through whatever you have to face in this life.

As a pastors wife, mom of 3 young kids, student, and blogger, I certainly have a busy schedule! I am passionate about helping other Christian women improve their marriage and family relationships which is why I started my blog called Loftforum: Living Our Faith Together.

Called out of mourning to fall at His feet

February 24, 2015 2 Comments

[Guest post by Sarah Coleman: I’m so glad Sarah is back to share another story on Devotional Diva! I was so moved by her piece on mourning, and hope that it can encourage you, too.]

Women aren’t bullet-proof. We like to think we are. That nothing gets under our skin. But it does. There can be days, weeks, months, years when things hurt. Bad.

We live in a broken world. And broken things, break things. Hurting people, hurt people. Precious ones die. Love is lost. Sometimes babies slip away before ever being able to say, “Hello.”

Shattered. Completely shattered.

It can cut so deep you think you will never be happy again. That there will always be an ache in your heart, drowning out every gladness.

John 11 describes a time when Jesus visited a grieving family. Mary had just lost her brother to a terrible illness. When Jesus arrived, Mary stayed inside her home, mourning. In His beautiful way, Jesus gave Mary time. He let her express the full impact of sorrow.

I love that Jesus gave Mary space to mourn. He didn’t expect her to bounce back. He gave her that season.

You may feel emptiness, acute pain, numbness, despondency. Divorce, separation, death of a loved one, death of a child, miscarriage, even abuse, will do that. And that’s okay. God is giving you time. He provides space to lament, but He will also call you into healing.

The Master beckoned for Mary. She was not to mourn forever. When Mary heard that Jesus was calling her, she immediately left her house, and fell at His feet. At His feet, Mary found hope and healing. She encountered resurrection power. She exchanged grief for abundant joy.

When Jesus calls you out of mourning, fall at His feet. He is the resurrection and the life. He brings comfort and renewal. He will raise you back to life. He will revive your situation. He will restore your dreams. Come out of mourning. There is more for you to enjoy.

Revelation 5:5 But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Jesus is given many names in the Bible, but this is one of my favourites. Here, we see Jesus as He is. He was battered and bruised while on earth, but today He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Resurrected in glory. Ever victorious. Ever strong. Ever faithful.

Woman, stop weeping. There is victory in your circumstance. Jesus has overcome. Look to Him. Fall at his feet. Allow Him to breathe life into your being. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is here for you.

I’m an Aussie passionate about Jesus & family. Through blogs and books I minister life and encouragement. Download my FREE eBook, Be Amazing: You Know You Want To. Find more of my thoughts atsarahcoleman.com.au

photo credit: Lion Paw via photopin (license)

Working it Out

Working It Out

Called out of mourning to fall at His feet

Shattered. Completely shattered.

When Jesus calls you out of mourning, fall at His feet. He is the resurrection and the life. He brings comfort and renewal. He will raise you back to life. He will revive your situation. He will restore your dreams. Come out of mourning. There is more for you to enjoy.

Woman, stop weeping. There is victory in your circumstance. Jesus has overcome. Look to Him. Fall at his feet. Allow Him to breathe life into your being. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is here for you.