A Week From Heaven

If you read my last post, you probably have guessed I had a pretty rough one last week! Let's just say it was a week of many tests, beginning with some disturbing news that I can't share just yet.

It then progressed into a series of attacks by people I thought trusted me. By people I thought I trusted! The week continued to get hammered by right hooks, double crosses, and negative negative stuff. The week ended with me slumped in a chair, exhausted, bewildered, and drained.

It's not the details of all that transpired that are important. It's not even the outcome that matters. In sharing this, I hope to only show that what you learn while going through the fire is all that really matters. I am still learning! The ashes are still flying aimlessly around my head, I guess.

When faced with three unexpected and unsettling issues all in a matter of days, I did what most anyone would do. I got mad. I cried. I called my mom. I walked for miles in search of stress relief. I lost sleep. I affected my friends, who instead of getting smiley me got Job instead! I leaned heavily on my rock-solid, best friend of a husband, who steadied me with his calm and sensible spirit. He stood in front of me and took verbal beatings intended for me. While part of me wanted him to do some knock down drag out punching, the sensible me was thankful for his diplomatic maturity.

More importantly, I turned to God and I asked for things I don't normally want or even have to think about. I asked Hiim to help me turn the other cheek.I asked Him to guard my mouth so I wouldn't say things I would later regret. I prayed for my offenders. I trusted that His will was good where my unexpected news was concerned. I asked Him to help me humble myself, and I waited for Him to lift me back up. (James 4:10) I sang all the lyrics to the songs on my Christian station, calling out "AMEN!" when I felt particularly lifted. I sought out guidance from people I trust without feeling the need to blabber every detail in order to validate myself. (quite tempting when someone has thrown you under a bus)

I tried to remember that while the offense began with a person, there was a more dangerous force behind these attacks. I know we have a "roaring lion who seeks to destroy" all we hold dear, including our relationships. Especially our relationship with God. (1Peter 5:8) I know that certain people are a greater target than others, and whenever a Christian is getting somewhere with a non-Christian, trouble brews.

I found so much comfort in Scripture through it all. Probably one of the best Scriptures I turned to post-crisis was Psalm 119:66, and I just kept reading and standing on its truths.

I know God wants me to forgive those who came against me, but I can't do it without His divine help. This woman in the flesh (Flesh Woman) wants to replay it in her head over and over, while the Word of God eats it up like a Pac Man game. Flesh woman doesn't want to think well of them right now, but God's word says to pray for your enemies, and so I do. The more I let go of the offense, the better witness for Christ I will be, and so I let Him help me. My main concern through this whole thing was not to lose these people for Christ. I kept asking the question, "What will the eternal consequence be if you react the way your irishness is telling you to react?" If I "flesh this out" with them, will they see Christ in me at all? Will they see something they want for themselves? Probably not, and so I took off my "flesh woman" unhero costume and I put back on the armor of God.

Isn't it easy to be a Christian when everything is going your way? When you have everything you want and all your friends believe as you do? When it's all sunshine and rainbows and puppy dog tails? When you never have to stick your toe in a fallen world and your head is stuck clearly in the sand? Only in a polly-stinkin-anna world no one lives in for real.

When faced with trials, your true (and my true) character comes out. You can't help but let what's in your heart come out of your mouth. You just better hope what's in your heart is good and pure and not crap, to be honest. And if there's a little crap in there, then get on your knees (as I was on mine) and ask God to sponge you clean again.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything". James 1:1-4

So, did I have a week of this promised "joy"? No! But I did have a week like no other, spent with my Father, thanking Him for walking through the fire before me and with me. For allowing me to mature in Him, and for providing so many wonderful Christian examples who quickly came to mind that week. Each time I go through these things, I am growing and changing, and I know it's all for His good and perfect plan for me.

AMEN!