sickness

Mark took this photo of a monument to soldiers who served in the Korean war.

On Sunday the 21st September the preacher at church said that God was the source of our courage. Just as he was the source of David’s when he stood in front of the giant Goliath, Moses’ when he appealed to Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, and Daniel when he was thrown in the lion’s den. The same God that gave them courage was, and is, the same God who would give me the courage when I needed it.

The following week another preacher shared that when you are in adversity that is when you find God. He was preaching from the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego found in the book of Daniel. These three young Jewish men were thrown into the fiery furnace after refusing to bow to an idol image of King Nebuchadnezzar because the ten Commandments clearly state you shall not bow to any other god (Exodus 20:4). They were doomed to death because of their courage to take a stand. God was the source of that courage and God did not let them down because after being thrown into the intense fire they were not alone. There in the fire were not three but four – God had turned up in their trial, he had turned up in their adversity.

And now today a friend forwarded me Christine Caine’s latest blog and again I hear the same message; the God who is the source of our courage turned up in her adversity of facing throat cancer.

She writes:

There is something about walking through the valley of the shadow of death with Jesus: You come out knowing Jesus.

No one can take that from you. No one can silence you. You no longer fear.

I don’t feel like I need to come up with a great message when I speak: “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

You see and hear some things more clearly in the valley of the shadow of death.

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and they perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marvelled. And they realised they had been with Jesus.”(Acts 4:13)

People KNOW that you have been with Him, and being with Him is more important than knowing more about Him.

I would not trade this season for anything.

http://christinecaine.com/content/my-story-of-healing/gjm8iw

Courageous vows were taken on our wedding day, in light of what would happen in our marriage.

This Sunday I am speaking at Our Brave New Life. It is a day for people who have suffered grief, particularly the grief of a death of a spouse or parent or child. It is a day to encourage each other into our new world, to be brave and to have courage.

I have been freaking out about sharing at this – what do I say to a group of people who have all walked a similar revolting journey of the death of a loved one, what do I say to encourage them into a life that they did not choose, and what do I say to inspire them into their brave new life.

And then the penny drops! (Yes I am a bit slow)

As I have faced my trial and walked through my adversity I have learnt the exact things that God has been reminding me of for the last three weeks.

I don’t need to freak out about what to say because as Christine writes, “I don’t feel like I need to come up with a great message when I speak: “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). The message I share is not something I have to come up with because it is something that has penetrated every fibre of my being. It is the message I have seen, heard, experienced and lived.

And it is this:

God was and is the source of my courage. The courage to walk through the nearly ten years of illness and the courage to walk through the grief of Mark’s death and all that that encompasses.
God did not leave me but rather He turned up in a powerful and wonderful way, revealing himself in a way that I had never experienced.
I came out knowing Jesus more deeply that I never had before.

I miss Mark still, I miss him daily, and often I still feel the pain of his loss and the anguish of the 10 years of illness, but believe me when I say I would not trade the relationship I have with Jesus for anything.

I am not finished in getting to know Jesus, this relationship will continue to grow both now and in eternity. But my prayer for this Sunday and for every day I have yet to live on this earth is that people will know I have been and continue to be with Jesus, because I absolutely agree with Christine, being with him is truly the most important thing!

Bible references: 1 Samuel 17, Exodus 5-14, Daniel 6, Daniel 3

Whenever I read those two words I instantly start humming the well-known theme music and having visions of Ethan Hunt swinging perilously above the floor of the CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

So what brought this up you may be wondering, well sometimes I feel like things that God has asked me to do are exactly that – Mission Impossible. In my mind I start making plans that involve trapeze wire and a team of highly trained masterminds to enable me to accomplish the task ahead.

It’s not the first time (nor I dare say will it be the last) that God has given me a mission that is beyond my capabilities or resources.

Welcome to Poland!

When we travelled to Europe doing missions with the band, The Friendly’s, we never had any money to pay for the airfares and yet after a lot of prayer, faith and hard work raising awareness and support for our mission, the Lord always provided exactly the amount that was needed to pay for our airfares and extra luggage costs that always accompany a touring band.

The years of being caregiver for Mark were pretty much Mission Impossible but as I undertook the everyday tasks involved, God gave me the supernatural strength to keep on going.

2003 The day to day “Mission Impossible” of caring for Mark

There are many days when raising my daughters feels like Mission Impossible, but the bible says God gives wisdom to those who ask* making yet another assignment possible.

So you might be wondering what my ‘mission’ that seems impossible is at the moment, well it’s getting my book finished. It was all very well and good writing it, but now we have to tidy it up, get a copy editor to fix it up, find a title that works and work on the cover. Not to mention figuring our way around all the computer stuff involved in publishing an Ebook. (Don’t even know what that is called so we will call it computer stuff for today.)

But seeing as I have been in this spot before, I do have some idea what I need to do, and that is: do the possible so that our incredible amazing God can do the impossible.

I love the story of Peter’s escape from prison found in the Bible in the book of Acts chapter 12. Peter, a disciple of Jesus although by the extra security around him you would have thought he was some dangerous criminal, was in chains sound asleep awaiting trial the next morning for preaching about the resurrected Jesus. Like an epic movie scene a bright light appeared in the cell and there stood an angel of the Lord. Apparently the dramatic entrance was not enough to wake Peter so the angel hit him in the side and yelled, “Quick, get up!” Unbelievably the chains around Peter’s wrist fell off, then the angel instructed Peter to get dressed, put on his sandals, put on his cloak and follow him. Peter dutifully obeyed thinking he was having an awesome dream and the angel led him out of the cell, passed all the guards, even the two that were beside Peter, through one gate and then another gate right up to the big iron gates that opened to the city. Peter followed the angel out and then the angel vanished and it says in verse 11, “Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod…”

Now what I always noticed about this amazing story was that Peter had to do the possible; he had to get up, put on his shoes, clothes and cloak and he had to move his legs and walk. The angel did not miraculously dress him or carry him but the angel of the Lord did do the impossible. He was Peter’s very own highly trained team because he appeared in a locked and secure prison, made the chains around Peters wrist fall off (didn’t even have to pick the lock – so cool!) and somehow blinded all the guards and then opened all the impenetrable gates.

Peter did the possible and the angel of the Lord did the impossible.

This is the plan for everything that Jesus puts on our hearts and gives us the passion to do. We must do the possible – so I must write the book! God has already provided a small team of incredible and talented people to aid this mission and between us we must organise and figure out scary websites so that God can do the impossible by guiding us through the websites and giving us the creativity and inspiration we need and ultimately use the book to encourage others in their own journey through life and the trials that can come.

When we were organising the band’s tours and missions trips we had to do the possible of praying, believing in faith, raising support, booking plane tickets and packing, and then God did the impossible and paid the airfares.

1992 -Leaving for Amsterdam after watching God do the impossible and make a way for us to serve him with Youth With A Mission

It’s all about taking the possible steps.

So this is to encourage all you wonderful folk out there to do the possible to reach your dreams and desires that God has put on your heart, have the faith to believe, and then sit back and watch God do the impossible.

As the voice from the little box that will self-destruct in five seconds says, “your mission should you choose to accept it….”

Choose to accept it!!! It is truly an exciting way to live!!!

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible,

but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26 New International Version (NIV)

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen;

it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

Hebrews 11:1 New Living Translation (NLT)

^*If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.

James 1:5 New Living Translation (NLT)