PrintJournal (3)
3 May, 2015
Maybe this preparation stage should include some in-depth reflection on the journey to this point? What have I learned thus far? About God? About myself? About the place and role of others? As I look back over our journal entries, there are some recurring themes that were not immediately obvious but I can see them now with the benefit of hindsight.
PRAYER.
No, I don’t mean the kind of prayer that is the product of the mindset which says something like, “Well, I guess there is nothing more that we can do now other than pray”. Excuse me?! What have you been doing up until now!! Probably exhausting every human solution and natural resource but without success. When will we learn that prayer is our first resource not our last resort?
As I think back over the journey thus far, one of the best decisions we made was to recruit a team of intercessors who would faithfully pray for us. Our part in this covenant was to keep our team informed of what was happening to us. In other words, we would honestly share our needs and concerns and they would treat those matters in confidence and pray about them specifically.
Something like Moses with hands upraised holding the staff of God while Joshua engaged the enemy in combat. (Exodus 17)
AUTHENTICITY
We also learned the importance about being transparent and authentic with our intercessors (as well as those who visited our website to stay in touch with our progress). Time and again people would express their appreciation for the honesty of our journal comments. We didn’t pretend things were other than what they were. If we were struggling, then that’s what we reported. If we had a positive victory or breakthrough, then we reported that. We made every effort to avoid embellishment. We wanted to be authentic.
Yesterday was the first time I felt myself over-run with the emotions that accompany a grieving heart. At least three times the dam gave way and I wept the loss of my life’s partner. “We grieve….” said the apostle Paul, “but not like those who have no hope”. (1 Thess.4/13). There’s something about grieving that is cathartic. To stifle grief because we mistakenly believe it is a denial of faith or trust, is very unhealthy.
Blog
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3 May, 2015
Maybe this preparation stage should include some in-depth reflection on the journey to this point? What have I learned… [more]
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