 By Rebecca Vickery “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen.” “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known.” The invisible world has been on my mind a lot lately. The rains that have fallen over the last few months have started to make visible an invisible mold issue. Our homes are filled with invisible mold spores that can be perfectly harmless if you are of good health. Rain and mild temperatures can make mold spores increase more and more until your home might bear witness to the invisible things and make them become suddenly visible. If you happen to have underlying health issues, those invisible spores can cause a host of unpleasantness. For years and years, I suffered from an invisible illness that was destroying from within, but I looked perfectly healthy a lot of the time. The first time I was able to visibly see physical evidence for my pain, my husband had gone with me to the ultrasound. At first, the ultrasound didn’t reveal much, but when it was switched to a color Doppler, that’s when we saw the fireworks show. The doctor said, you see all of those bursts of color? Those are your blood vessels basically doing things they aren’t supposed to do. There was a visible explanation for the tremendous amount of pain that I was enduring. We spent over a year trying to fix it, only to find that the hormonal deficit was caused by yet another invisible underlying issue. Much like I was doing in therapy and in Celebrate Recovery, we were digging deep to find the places where disfunction had taken root and surrendering the brokenness to God. Treatment for Lyme, and treatment for recovery were both messy. Doing a Step Study in Celebrate Recovery felt a bit like open heart surgery, where your insides feel laid bare and messy. The process was uncomfortable, like taking care of the Lyme has been. There have been times with both where I have wanted to give up and say, this uprooting, this unpleasantness is worse than the disease or disfunction. At times I wanted to give up on the idea of being whole or well here. After all, I would be all better in heaven. I knew there was a forward to look towards. But I have experienced God’s tender mercies as He would not allow me to settle for broken and messed up. His ways are higher than our ways, his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. I have been to so many places where I cried out and told Him, I do not know the way to walk, but if you lead me, I will continue. Like stumbling around in the dark, it is much easier to walk if you are taken by the hand of someone who can see that which you cannot. The invisible isn’t always the dark side of things. There are spiritual forces of darkness, yes. But there are invisible things of great beauty that we have not yet begun to behold. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. I have not seen them. But I believe they are there. The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis make a spectacular light show of that which would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye. Even though we cannot see with eyes what is always right in front of us, our hearts hope and long for a future that is unseen. Faith keeps the momentum forward as we run towards a prize we have yet to attain. The Bible says that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. The character of Jesus made visible the character of God. The stories that Jesus told about Shepherds, good fathers, mercy, tenderness, all prompt us to move forward in intimacy with the God who created us. We are invited into a close personal relationship with our Creator not just AFTER this life, but as we navigate (sometimes blindly) through it. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” Lord, open the eyes of our hearts that we might catch a glimpse of the beauty that you have prepared for us.  
 Psalm 121: 1-2
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. I have learned many important lessons in my recovery/discipleship journey. One lesson that has been really impactful is one that I recall talking to Denis Chevalier about when it came to me. It is the fact that when troubles come in life, every one of us runs... the question is where will we run? We can run FROM God, and try to find relief through other people, or some thing. It may be food, drugs, sex, anger, or any other outlet. Or we can run TO God, even when things make no sense in the moment. I was in the lowest point of my life when I came to this revelation, and in a place where I knew that the only way through things was by turning to God, and trusting him with the outcome, even though life made no sense at that time. I was in the process of losing my marriage, my job, had broken relationships with my girls, etc. So everything that I thought "defined" me was stripped away within less than a year. I can look back at that now though, and realize that God used that time to grow me into a man that he was able to use in greater ways. Part of running to God, meant that I pressed into him in new ways that I continue to grow in to this day. I went through DivorceCare, and learned skills to try to realize my part in my marriage failing. I got to do a great men's Bible study, and made friends that I can still call on to this day. And I came to Celebrate Recovery, where I learned that I was still holding on to unforgiveness towards my father, who had passed away in 1993. I still continue on that journey to this day, working on peeling back the onion of recovery (also known as discipleship). So I come back to the question, of where will you run? The question is not WILL hard times come. We all are either in the middle of hard times, recovering from them, or they are on the way. If you can learn to run TO God as you go through adversity, you learn that you can trust God, in the big and small things in life. So run to God, you will never regret it.  I AM FORGIVEN By Toney Driver Matthew 6:4 - For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Psalm 86:12 - I will praise the Lord, my God with all my heart: I will glorify thy name forever more. Psalm 89:1 - I will sing the mercies of the Lord forever: with my mouth will I make known my faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 92:13 - Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. Psalm 107 Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever. Psalm 18:28 - For thou will light my candle, the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. Psalm 20:5 - I will rejoice in thy salvation and in the name of our God. Luke 20:38 - For He is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him.I AM FORGIVEN By Toney Driver Matthew 6:4 - For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Psalm 86:12 - I will praise the Lord, my God with all my heart: I will glorify thy name forever more. Psalm 89:1 - I will sing the mercies of the Lord forever: with my mouth will I make known my faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 92:13 - Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. Psalm 107 Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever. Psalm 18:28 - For thou will light my candle, the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. Psalm 20:5 - I will rejoice in thy salvation and in the name of our God. Luke 20:38 - For He is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him. I AM FORGIVEN By Toney Driver Matthew 6:4 - For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Psalm 86:12 - I will praise the Lord, my God with all my heart: I will glorify thy name forever more. Psalm 89:1 - I will sing the mercies of the Lord forever: with my mouth will I make known my faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 92:13 - Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. Psalm 107 Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever. Psalm 18:28 - For thou will light my candle, the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. Psalm 20:5 - I will rejoice in thy salvation and in the name of our God. Luke 20:38 - For He is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him.  By Donna Churchill
“My times are in your hand;” Psalm 31:15a I have a love/hate relationship with October. Like a famous author once wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” My husband was born in October. We met in October. My husband died in October. Can you see what I mean now? Growing up, my favorite month was always October. I loved the foliage, the crispness in the air, the cool nights, football games, school days with my friends. I loved everything about it. I used to think I was born for October! Fast forward, I met my future husband on October 1st. He became one of God’s greatest gifts to me. We shared 34 very happy years together (okay, well, mostly happy), raising our children and serving the Lord. His birthday was October 30th. On October 2nd, 2004, he fell asleep in the arms of the Lord. For so many years of my life, I looked forward to the month of October. After October of 2004, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to again. But I learned by experience that God comes through in all seasons and circumstances in our lives. Even though my husband’s death was a surprise to me, it wasn’t to God. The Lord ministered deeply to me during my season of grief through the words of an old hymn - Be Still, My Soul: Be still my soul, the Lord is on your side Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain Leave to thy God to order and provide In every change, He faithful will remain Be still my soul, your best, your heavenly Friend Through stormy ways leads to a joyful end. Through the words of this song and the Words I read in Scripture, I became convinced that God knows the end from the beginning of our stories. (Isaiah 46:10 - “…declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’”) He knew when Phil would be born and when he would die (Revelation 1:18). He knew when I would be born and when I would die. He knew that I would meet and marry Phil and He also knew that Phil would die before me and leave me alone to navigate this world without him. Because I knew and believed He knew all this, I could also know that He had already made provision for me. I was not and never have been left alone (Hebrews 13:5b – “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”). Just as the hymn says, we are to leave to God to order and provide because He remains faithful through every change (Lamentations 3:21-24 - But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’”). God is sovereign over all. Knowing and believing in His sovereignty is what enables me to trust Him completely. He knows every minute detail of my life. He goes before me and He is my rear guard. (Isaiah 52:12) He is my provider in and through every need I have. He is my provision! (Philippians 4:19 – “And my God will supply every needs of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”) His Word has sustained me and strengthened me time and time again. He is my portion, no matter the circumstance. Even though some circumstances of my life are not good, He is always good. He can be trusted. My life’s verse says it best: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:25, 26 I may not look forward to October as I once did in my youth, but I no longer dread it either. God has and I know He will continue to walk with me through all the “Octobers” of my life. |
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