Do You Trust God?

I took this picture on the side of the interstate during one of the biggest “Live by Faith, not by sight” moments in my life.

After having spent the previous 13 years of my life with a certain someone whom I also happened to share 6 children with, God signaled me it was time to move and by move I mean to leave the father of my children and hit the road. At the time our family was living in Colorado in an RV and the Limo you see above was my car. He had a jeep.

To shorten the story, the Limo had not been taken care of for almost a year and she was driving rough. When God called me out in faith, I had a mere $400 in my back pocket and a car that I wasn’t sure would make it down the road let alone out of the state! As you can see by the picture, it was a rough time indeed. However, I have come to learn and even appreciate the truth that often it is during the hardest times in our lives that God gets to show off just how amazing He is in all He does for His children.

I’ll never forget hitting the road thinking I was coming back to Indiana when God informed me otherwise. He instructed me to drive to Mackinac Island where my grandmother was staying in her summer cottage. While I thought that was the craziest idea I had ever heard, I obeyed and plugged the location into my phone. What should have only taken a couple of days at the most, took me a full ten days!

The miracles that took place along our trip are something the children still talk about to this day. It was beyond crazy which is how you know God is involved! When we left Colorado, we saw a double rainbow end to end with such vibrant colors I wept over it. The same thing happened when we arrived at the docking station to ride the ferry in Michigan. We ended up only staying there for 10 days before heading on to Indiana.  The beauty in all of it was amazing. God sent me to Michigan to heal, rest, soak in his love and to be there for my grandma who just happened to have no visitors during that time which NEVER happens.

I still don’t know what all God has in store for me. He nudges me here and there. Like this job I have at the church. I knew it was supposed to be mine. I knew it so deeply I told some that I was just going to keep waiting for God to move the mountains that seemed to be blocking my path out of the way and lo and behold, He did. I love this job. I love praying over the church and all our members. I love creating the pictures to post on Instagram and these little shares. It all is a blessing to me and none of it would be my reality today if I did not learn to live by faith!

As members of Westfield Friends Church I can only pray that we continue to pray for one another. That we pray for lost souls and that we unite in our efforts to serve this little community that this church was blessed to be the founders of! Until tomorrow my fellow followers of Christ, Be blessed, but more importantly, be a blessing!

Your sister in Christ,

Wendy

It's Got to Start With Me!

So again this morning, I was stirred awake by a song. As I came to understand the words themselves, I sat up on full alert. This is indeed what I have wanted all my life. I am a vital part of the body of Christ so it only makes sense that I would need to act as such and stop waiting on someone else to take the first step. I wondered what more am I to do?

Here are the lyrics that I heard: "I really wanna change the world / I really wanna sing your song / But I know revival's got to start with me" as I have gotten in the habit of doing, I have located the full song with the lyrics included. I have sung this song when it has been played on the radio, but to get a feel of what I am to share today, I am going to treat myself to watching the video in it's entirety! I hope you take the time to do the same!

  

So, I guess those of us that really want to change the world, including myself, need to always remember that we start on our knees to do this! It is very comforting to also realize that if I try to do something in my own strength, I am doing nothing. Instead of crashing through doors, I need to wait for God to open them. Outside of God, I am just a girl. Nothing more, nothing less. With God at my side, directing my footsteps, while leaning on His strength, I am every bit as mighty as Daniel and David! Now that is good news!

This morning after I chatted with God, I picked up my phone to check the time and saw I had a text message that came through at 1:57 AM. It was from Mike. In a gist it was a pretty big apology text. This is the first one of it's kind. I wondered. Is God working on his heart? When I came into work, I turned on Moody radio and caught an interview from a couple right here in Indianapolis. They had divorced and remained so for 10 years, when by the Grace of God, they were brought back together. I missed some of their interview but I felt my heart moved. I must be honest in saying, I would love nothing more than for Mike to grow spiritually and put Christ front and center, for that is the only way he would ever know how he is to treat me. Even with others saying that they know he is not the one for me, I have pondered the thought, could he ever grow into the one? With that being said, this is the prayer I say at night where Mike is concerned:

I forgive you for all you've done to me. 

I pray for you even though I set you free.

May you grow into the husband I know you can be.

May I remain the one you long to see.

My heart it breaks, it kills me to let you go.

For you may not return to me this I know.

But if you stay you'll never grow

And I can't continue this way you know.

May your heart break, may you come to find

You'd love to follow this God of mine.

The Most High God, Creator of ALL

I pray to your knees you finally fall

And when you lift your face to Him

May you find your true love for me again.

In Jesus name I pray.

So, I would be a liar if I claimed his words did not touch my heart. They did. So, I sent him this text as a reply:

This morning I recalled your embrace.

I pictured your handsome face.

I wondered if I showed you enough grace.

Yet the Lord is showing me truth.

You're caught up in the thoughts of youth.

You're all about you and nothing about me.

And this is why I had to set you free.

I pray one day you will return

but the Lord said with me you'll never learn.

So each night a prayer for you I say

May you be convicted more each passing day.

If and when you have the Lord front and center

Into marriage we can enter.

I pray you are able and willing

For to be in your arms again would be so thrilling.

Until you write me a letter by pen

I shall not text you again.

His reply, "It's in the mail."

Count me floored. Mike does not write. Well, not from the heart anyway. I received a couple of letters during the times he was in jail and they were so unmoving, I threw them all away!

In the mean time, should it take more than a decade, my focus is going to stay on God and His word. I know not where he is leading me, but I know I will follow. I am blessed beyond measure to have such a close relationship with Him again, especially after all I did to ruin it! I am not going to stray. He has let me know I am loved beyond measure. I do not need to wait around weeping for a man. I have a loving Father to carry me through this life. I know not if Mike will ever return to me. I know many most likely think he and I will never be together again. Others might even believe there is another man out there for me. I, however, feel strongly that I tied myself with Mike when I said my vows to him standing before God. We are unevenly yoked right now but God can move those who seek him. I know in my heart Mike is aware of God. Only time will tell if he is strong enough to get down on his knees and allow God to transform him into a new creation. I do know God will not allow me to be deceived again by Mike. My eyes are too wide open and I will continue to pray to keep them open. I will continue to pray for clearer vision. The Lord is front and center in my life and that is the way things will stay. 

My go to verse this year has been from Psalm 46, specifically verse 10. From my MacArthur study bible it reads:

"Cease striving and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth"

As I have come to do, I find myself needing more and more and more of God's word. It's almost as if I cannot get enough. There is so much wisdom within the pages though, you need to devour them slowly so that you are able to better digest them. I have read this entire Psalm a few times admittedly. The words themselves energize me in ways I cannot begin to explain into words. With that being said, I feel the urge to share this entire Psalm with you. I may have done this once already but when moved by the spirit I must do as urged. Pslam 46, verses 1 - 11 taken out of the my study bible mentioned above:

verse 1: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

verse 2: Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;

verse 3:  Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. 

verse 4: There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.

verse 5: God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.

verse 6: The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted.

verse 7: The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

verse 8: Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolations in the earth.

verse 9: He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire.

verse 10: "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

verse 11: The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

I tell you, this Psalm makes me want to get up and dance with pure elated joy. What a revelation! Today I am so joyous, I can't even put it into words. I can only imagine what I would be feeling right now were I leaning on my own strength. I would be an absolute mess! Satan would have won the battle where I am concerned. Thank God, literally, for coming here so that we may live our lives abundantly. If you are miserable, if you are dealing with depression or even some other mental / emotional issue, if you are in a desperate place, I STRONGLY advise you to begin knocking on that door! He is FAITHFUL!! Should you seek with all your heart, you will find. If you only knock in an attempt to gain something, your knock is not from the purity of your heart but rather from a stance that derives from the desires of this world and God knows your heart, he cannot be deceived. However, when you arrive on your knees, truly longing for peace joy and love, that door will swing open and you will be welcomed home. I am praying for you.

Father, today I pray for all who are in a desperate place. May they find themselves on their knees. For only when we get on our knees do we find you. What a treasure you are Lord. You are everything. How long we search aimlessly filling our empty lives with false treasures. They bring no lasting pleasure. They are empty, dark, void. They are traps set by the evil one. May eyes begin to open and see these illusions for exactly what they are. May my fellow brothers and sisters who are still asleep begin to awaken. May we be shaken to our very core. May the body of Christ come alive and begin to work smoothly together. Let it start with me Father. I am you loving daughter, your humble servant. I am so excited to begin my journey going where you lead, allowing your spirit to work through me. Help me stay out of the way Father, in Jesus name I pray! Amen.

Wendy, walks with God,

Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013