“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10
God’s plans were prepared before we were born! Not only does Eph. 2 tell us that but so does Psalm 139:16 “ Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written before one of them came to be.”
But, we have a choice to make. We must decide to spend our time discovering and aligning ourselves with the purposes of God OR doing what we want to do ---- and then being “good church folk”, asking God to bless it!
There is a precious couple at our church with a powerful testimony and I want to share that with you today.
This couple struggled with infertility for years. I remember being on a Sunday School Class retreat and I was pregnant with my first, which was a struggle for us as well, and she and I had a very long discussion on evening about doctors, and testing and God’s plan and God giving you the desires of your heart ….. it was intense. And I remember feeling her pain and praying often after that for her and her husband.
At the time of this conversation, they had been struggling around 6 years. Well, several more years passed. They had continued their journey of medications and procedures – only to have them fail. Then one day they realized that they had never really given their situation over to God. They had been tying everything on their own --- never once asking God if that was what God wanted for them. They had not been praying over God’s direction for their family. They had taken matters into their own hands, and as I mentioned earlier, wanted God to bless it.
As a couple, they cam to the realization that they NEEDED God and put their desires in God’s hands. After 11 years, (and with out medications) she conceived and discovered that she was pregnant on Christmas Day! But, this is only the beginning of their testimony. This sweet couple was blessed with a son. And, when their son was only 3 years old – it was discovered that their only child, the child they had waited on for 11 years had a malignant brain tumor.
The amazing thing is that this couple never questioned “Why, God?” They had settled that years ago. Once they made the decision to involve God --- to earnestly seek His will for their family and not their own (before their son was ever born!), they knew that IF God blessed them with a child that this sweet baby had been hand picked by God to be placed in their loving care. They understood that God never makes mistakes and He has a reason for everything He creates.
That young couple fully understood 2 things:
1) We are God’s masterpiece, His workmanship
When God created their son, Jackson – God did not create a broken child. Yes, Jackson had a brain tumor. Yes – I have a child with severe anxiety. Yes – my adorable nephew who is 3 years old is deaf, can not speak and just learned to walk. BUT, those things did not occur because God was not paying attention the day He knit them together. Those children are a one of a kind masterpiece – the same as you and I.
2) God created us fully equipped in Christ to handle what His will requires
Jackson’s mother shared that weeks before his diagnosis, she knew something wasn’t right to the point where she was restless. And on the day that the news came she was obviously not prepared to hear something so devastating, but at the same time - with her nursing background and with her God given “motherly intuition” she knew Jackson’s results could be serious. And now, looking back, they see how God was equipping them to handle this storm.
As of today, Jackson is cancer free. However, for 5 years he must have an MRI every three months. His next MRI is May 13th.
Can you imagine living your life in 3 month cycles? For me, instead of counting my blessings like them – I would be counting down the days until the next poor report ( I can be negative that way!).
But, they take life one day at a time. Knowing God has a plan and only God knows their future. As for their future, they recently found out they are expecting again! And you will never believe when?!? She is due in December.
As we seek to hear God’s voice and discover His plan --- we must believe that He has a sovereign plan. And this is not anything that we can accomplish by our own power. This is a divinely created purpose for our life that can only b accomplished through us by His power.
But, we have a choice to make. We must decide to spend our time discovering and aligning ourselves with the purposes of God OR doing what we want to do ---- and then being “good church folk”, asking God to bless it!
There is a precious couple at our church with a powerful testimony and I want to share that with you today.
This couple struggled with infertility for years. I remember being on a Sunday School Class retreat and I was pregnant with my first, which was a struggle for us as well, and she and I had a very long discussion on evening about doctors, and testing and God’s plan and God giving you the desires of your heart ….. it was intense. And I remember feeling her pain and praying often after that for her and her husband.
At the time of this conversation, they had been struggling around 6 years. Well, several more years passed. They had continued their journey of medications and procedures – only to have them fail. Then one day they realized that they had never really given their situation over to God. They had been tying everything on their own --- never once asking God if that was what God wanted for them. They had not been praying over God’s direction for their family. They had taken matters into their own hands, and as I mentioned earlier, wanted God to bless it.
As a couple, they cam to the realization that they NEEDED God and put their desires in God’s hands. After 11 years, (and with out medications) she conceived and discovered that she was pregnant on Christmas Day! But, this is only the beginning of their testimony. This sweet couple was blessed with a son. And, when their son was only 3 years old – it was discovered that their only child, the child they had waited on for 11 years had a malignant brain tumor.
The amazing thing is that this couple never questioned “Why, God?” They had settled that years ago. Once they made the decision to involve God --- to earnestly seek His will for their family and not their own (before their son was ever born!), they knew that IF God blessed them with a child that this sweet baby had been hand picked by God to be placed in their loving care. They understood that God never makes mistakes and He has a reason for everything He creates.
That young couple fully understood 2 things:
1) We are God’s masterpiece, His workmanship
When God created their son, Jackson – God did not create a broken child. Yes, Jackson had a brain tumor. Yes – I have a child with severe anxiety. Yes – my adorable nephew who is 3 years old is deaf, can not speak and just learned to walk. BUT, those things did not occur because God was not paying attention the day He knit them together. Those children are a one of a kind masterpiece – the same as you and I.
2) God created us fully equipped in Christ to handle what His will requires
Jackson’s mother shared that weeks before his diagnosis, she knew something wasn’t right to the point where she was restless. And on the day that the news came she was obviously not prepared to hear something so devastating, but at the same time - with her nursing background and with her God given “motherly intuition” she knew Jackson’s results could be serious. And now, looking back, they see how God was equipping them to handle this storm.
As of today, Jackson is cancer free. However, for 5 years he must have an MRI every three months. His next MRI is May 13th.
Can you imagine living your life in 3 month cycles? For me, instead of counting my blessings like them – I would be counting down the days until the next poor report ( I can be negative that way!).
But, they take life one day at a time. Knowing God has a plan and only God knows their future. As for their future, they recently found out they are expecting again! And you will never believe when?!? She is due in December.
As we seek to hear God’s voice and discover His plan --- we must believe that He has a sovereign plan. And this is not anything that we can accomplish by our own power. This is a divinely created purpose for our life that can only b accomplished through us by His power.
3 comments:
"He has a sovereign plan."
Those words leaped of the page for me. Amazing testimony & very inspiring. God gives each person the measure of grace needed and this testimony demonstrates that.
Blessings in Christ-
This is an incredible story of faith! How inspiring! Thanks for sharing.
Blessings,
Kristen
Ginger,
This is such an awesome post. It touches me especially this week. Yesterday a girl in my church and a sometime member of my Tuesday morning Bible study tried to kill herself. I would love for her to read this and be reminded of God's love for her.
Leah
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