For When You Forget....

 

As I sit here for my infusion therapy, which helps with Ankylosing Spondylitis, I am grateful for the opporutnity to reflect over the past couple of weeks.  I have been amazed by God's faithfulness to be a refuge in times of trouble, to provide all that need, and to shift things around me---including the way I'm thinking about myself. 

I decided to make a list of what I've learned so I'll have it the next time I need these reminders. While this list is technically for me, I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has a hard time focusing on these truths when the storms of life rage. So, this list is also for you, for when you forget. 

Over the past few weeks I've experienced the sting of rejection and betrayal. While I know I am a child of God and I've done nothing to deserve this treatment, somehow I forgot my identity when someone chose to look at me differently and speak poorly about me. I allowed my heart and mind to get sick with saddness over the situation and started to believe lies about myself and my circumstances. I forgot what God says about me, that I am walking out a purpose that He has for me, and that what others think or say about me doesn't really matter in the long run.  As I realized what was going on, I began asking God to help me see clearly again.

Jeremiah 29:13 says, "You will seek and find Me when you seek with your whole heart."

As the days went by last week, I began to notice that God was speaking truth into to me, lighting up the areas where I was believing lies, and shifting the way I was thinking about myself and the situation. I sought God with my whole heart and I found Him! (Well, I think He found me!)

Here are some things God taught me over the past week:

1- God has placed people in our lives to lift us up when we feel like we're falling. 

It's tempting to hide how we're feeling and pretend nothing ever touches us negatively, but doing so will only hurt us more. When we open up to those who God has placed in our lives (the ones we can truly trust) God will use them to speak life into us. I am so grateful for my husband and the godly women in my life who have been such a blessing to me.

2- Jesus was kind but He wasn't soft. 

I have been tempted to let people step all over me becasue I wanted to be kind like Jesus. Remembering that Jesus was kind but not soft, is so important. God wants me to treat others with kindness but He also wants others to treat me with kindess. When they do not, its ok for me stand up for myself in kind way. 

3- Stand Firm. 

When people hurt me, my go-to response is to want to hide. The past couple of weeks were no different. A friend, who has dealt with similar situations, reminded me that when the storms of life come, we simply need to stand firm. Stand firm in what we know to be true, in what we believe, and in what God has already shown us. We can't see clearly in the middle of the storm, so we must stand firm until it passes. 

4- The mission hasn't changed.

When Jesus was on the earth He knew His mission, but He still experienced emotions and hardship. In the garden, He even wept tears of blood and asked God to take the cup (what He must experience) from Him. He carried on though, because regardless of the pain and difficulty, His mission never changed. And neither has mine. Others can say what they want and do as they wish. While their words and actions may hurt me, they do not affect God's plans for me. I'm here for a purpose...not for their drama.

5- Our fight isn't against flesh and blood. 

I've know this for years and believed it wholeheartedly, but from time to time its easy to believe that the person who hurt us is the one I should be angry with. And while there are times we should protect ourselves from certain people and it is true that people often make the choice to hurt us, it's also almost always something the enemy is using to mess with us. It's Satan's main goal to thwart the plans God has for us and he will use anything and anyone he can to do so. Remembering that these attacks are happening because God is about to use us in a big way, can really change the way we look at the situation. 

6. God's thoughts of us never change.

While poeple come and go, their opinions change, and sometimes they end up hurting us, God is not like that. It's hard for us to wrap our minds around that because people are so fickle. We change our minds about things all time. We let those around us impact our thoughts as well. God never does that. He loved us as He breathed the breath of Life into us and He loves us just the same today. No matter what. 

7. God chooses us for His ministry.

God has different plans for each of us but I do believe He desires to use those plans to minister to others, no matter what that looks like. For me, God chose for me to be the Founder and Executive Director of Not Forgotten Ministries. While this is my story and my job, this ministry is His. I can rest in that. He is in control. He is not surprised by people who are trying to destroy this ministry.  And He still chooses me to be the leader of it. The fact that God chose me and continues to use my biggest failure to bless others, save babies, and help women find healing, continues to blow my mind. 

With the words of a "friend," I quickly forgot those seven things. I'm not sure how it happens but I'm reminded of Proverbs 15:4 which says, "Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit." People often forget the power of their words. I needed those reminders this week and I'm sure I will again. I pray some of you may benefit from these as well,

for when you forget.

Tori