WOULD GOD REALLY...? By Laurie Jackson 5/6/2010

WOULD GOD REALLY…? by Laurie Jackson 5/6/2010

Would God really, and on purpose, lead someone down a road to sabotage his or her life? I don’t believe this for a minute but after last year, I’m convinced that God would lead you down a road that could cost all your comfort, familiarity, and reputation and even seem to take away your closest friendships. Would God actually lead us to a place of desolation or a wilderness? For His higher purposes of Love, I believe that He would and He led me there.

Last year around March my life went haywire because I heard God speak very clearly to me. You may say, God does not give fear and His yoke is easy and light. I completely agree, but has God ever told you to “do it afraid?” Or has He ever told you to do something that wasn’t easy? The fruit of His spirit is easy and light and the fruit of Love does cast out fear. Fruit is a process of growth it’s not instant. Because I listened to the Holy Sprits leading, and He knew I would, my life lost all it’s familiar comforts and grooves I had established. Before I tell you more, let me interject a short story about our daughter having seizures a few years back.

God asked me if I could trust His love for me, when our daughter was having seizures a few years ago. I basically said "Hell No!” seriously. I said, "What kind of God are you that you would take our child?" Anyway, because God is so good and He knew the depths of my heart even more then I knew myself; I totally ended up trusting Him there. Not immediately, but He led me and comforted me through the process. I was never the same after the process of experiencing His comfort during the few years our daughter was having seizures. My level of trust in Him and my understanding of His ways grew up a few notches. She ended up getting sick and hospitalized a year after all the seizures for a different ailment and then, it was “Light and easy” I actually felt guilty for not worrying so much and asked God if I was disconnected from my emotions and maybe I didn’t love my daughter. His answer surprised me. He said this is a peace that surpasses your own understanding. When you really walk this journey out with Him the scriptures start making way more sense. I have not had that kind of peace since then or before then. I can get a little glimpse of how the characters in the bible had the power of His grace to get through some of the most horrific experiences though.

In John 6:28 the disciples asked Jesus what the “work” of God is. Jesus responded and said, “The work of God is to believe in me.” It takes a lot of work to believe God at times. The fruit of believing God is Love, Power and a sound mind… oh and then you tell everyone that Gods ways are easy and light after you’ve grown a few inches. Gods’ ways are easy and light. It’s our way that is hard to give up.

Love always protects. How can this be, if Gods people are dieing left and right? I’m starting to grasp, just a little of Gods wisdom. Gods’ love doesn’t protect what we deem as valuable but what He knows is of value. Our faith is more valuable to Him and Love is the greatest concern to Him. It seems like the only time Faith and Love get developed and actually grow, is in the trials and tribulations of life. How easy is it to Love someone who is always nice to you. How easy would it be to Love a person who hurt your child or molested your child? How easy is it to have faith and trust God when things are smooth and peachy? I’ve prayed prayers to God like this: “God do whatever you need to do to keep me close to you.” It’s no wonder that He asked me to do a very hard thing last year. I completely followed Him out of all my comfort zones. I’m only beginning to see how important it was that I trusted Him and followed his lead. His Love always protects. If He doesn’t protect the way you think He should then just hang tight. He’ll give you His Love chat. Love also bears all things and endures all things… Love will not fail!

To follow Jesus, when it seems like you are causing others pain by doing it, is very confusing. God’s love is so much deeper then some of our little Love concepts. There is always sacrifice involved in Loving. He always has the best interests for all His people. Everyone is of equal concern in Gods family. He went to the cross and asked God to forgive the Pharisees because they didn’t realize what they were doing. The sacrifice is the hardest for those who are called to the cross on behalf of others.

I learned so much about Gods ways this year. I wouldn’t go back and change anything. I wonder how some of those bible characters felt when God seemed to lead them and guide them in a direction that felt “extremely” uncomfortable. I won’t give any details of my trial. I will tell you that there was not anyplace or any person I could turn to for quite some time. The only comfort I had was God. Like I said, it’s worth following Him. His ways are just not like we plan. But His ways lead to Love, Peace, Joy and so much more. The prize is that you get to know the God of creation better. He led me to some amazing people that I would have never met had I stayed in the nest. To think that we can know Him so personally is crazy and amazing at the same time. The fact that we are in His image is mind-boggling. Wow!

If you are in a trial just look this guy named, Nick Vujicic up on you-tube. He is a man with no arms and legs. He has such a gift of encouragement just for you! ☺

Thanks for sharing this sometimes scary, fun, exciting, hard, seemingly crazy and forever rewarding journey with me.