The Bigger Picture

Have you ever had a moment where you can just step back, get outside of yourself, and look at your situation with fresh eyes? I had the rare chance of doing that this weekend through a women's conference hosted by our church, CTCC, in Keller. The speaker was Cindy Beall, from Lifechurch.tv, and she was just amazing and a kindred soul! I encourage you to read her story and what God has done in and through her and her marriage at www.cindybeall.com ...wow, wow, wow is all I can say! She's one of my inspirations for this blog so thanks girl!

I digress (that could happen a lot with my mind so I apologize in advance)...ANYWAY...for a moment, this weekend, I was able to step outside of my circumstances and see God's bigger picture for my life and my husband's life. The world wants us to be wrapped up in our flesh and me, me, me all the time so we often don't realize how far reaching our influence can be and how one little life can effect a great number of people. What I am realizing is that God sets things in motion long before we even have a clue what is going on. He can use one person to create a ripple effect and "pay it forward"...that is why it is so important to share your story. The possibilities of lives touched through the "ripple effect" are just endless. Think about Saul/Paul in Acts...here is a man who persectued and actively set out to destroy anyone preaching about Jesus and the good news. He was even present and "in agreement" when Stephen was stoned and killed for his teachings. But then he had the first ever "road to Damascus" experience and was blinded, literally, by an interaction with Jesus. After what I suspect was three VERY long days for Saul, his sight was restored by another miracle of God through Ananias and he immediately could see again...physically and spiritually...he was saved and baptized and at ONCE began to preach that Jesus is the true Son of God.

Do you think all of this was a suprise to God? Nah...in fact he picked the least likely candidate to become probably one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, evangelists of ALL time! And God still does that today. Our God takes absolutely HOPELESS situations and uses them for His glory. One of my favorite sayings of Cindy's this weekend was that "We learn that God is all we need when we see that He is all we have"....SO TRUE! I've come to realize that I was not placed on this Earth for my pleasure and fun time but I was placed here and created for such a time as this for God's work and His holiness. The rest is just gravy...

One other thing that happened this weekend made me grasp God's awe inspiring power...I got to stand in church next to Ashley and Lex Parker today and worship. Their story is not mine to tell, but it is a testimony of what God can do when we seek Him first and bind our will to HIS WILL. The impossible becomes the possible. This is a couple who have been to hell and back...and I am not exaggerating. If you had told me a year ago I would be standing next to them in church today, I would have been extremely skeptical. The world told them, and all of us, that their situation was hopeless, move on, forget about it, etc. I never thought in a million years that I would see them standing there together, happy, whole and just overflowing with God's love and promises. But, that just shows God's power (man doesn't He like to show off!). God cannot be put in a box! The possibilities are endless...He can do whatever He wants when He wants and praise Him for that! As I stood there next to Lex, I was just overcome by God's power and vision for each of our lives. It was all I could do not to break down and cry as my heart was just overflowing with hope, joy and the fact that another couple is on the road to OVERCOMING the enemy's attack on marriages and once again, God will be shown to be victorious and the enemy will be sent packing. Hallelujah! I get so sick of people saying, "well they have free will so they can turn from God and do their own thing." While this is true to a degree, don't think for a second that God does not know the exact thing that will break our free will, and in our broken-ness, He will get to work! There is nothing outside of His control!

So, I thank God for giving me a glimpse of the bigger picture and for His words of reaffirmation this weekend. To borrow from my friend, Shelby, I see over and over again that "without a test, there is no testimony; without a mess, there is no message". So true...thank you God for my messes and my tests and use them all for your glory and power!

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Have a blessed Monday!

Joy