Partly Sunny today...I will cry out and He will answer

Wow! Laura Weaver you are my twin wherever you are! God is so good.

Why? I too am a single parent. I received a call today on top of all that I have been dealing with (loss my car recently, no child support, he has kids for 3 weeks and not a word from them, bills bills bills, school tuition etc) and that call just knocked me off the "partly sunny" perspective. I am sitting here reading the devotional with worship in the background, trying to hide my tears since the "partly cloudy" perspective consumes you!

Then I received that kiss and almost a conviction from the Holy Spirit saying "I've brought you this far, do not worry."

I want to cry now ladies! I am going to be honest. What's hard is letting go and letting God. Especially when you've seen His faithfulness hold you through the past 2 years. It's so simple, yet I resist and become afraid.

Laura Weaver, your words blessed me this morning. Because I am not alone. Your strength despite your circumstances has blessed me today and strengthened me. He answered me and told me to read these comments after I was done praying. I said, "why? I don't feel like it".

Now I know why!

I promise to you girls with hopes of prayer and accountability wherever you all are that I will too stay faithful, positive, grateful and focused.

Please pray for me for a car as well. For my court date on Sept. 25th, for my children's protection while with their father, for blessings as a real estate agent as well!

Please visit my blog...mymommywoodmaressaleah.blogspot.com if you would like to talk, pray, blog, laugh etc.

Thank you Lord!

A Muffled Cry across the Nation...Am I listening?

Anonymous said...
please, please keep writing devotionals that speak directly to me.
I'm a lost sheep.
A few years ago I wrote to you about what my pastoral staff did to me after I asked for help. My husband was violently abusive to me, my 4 yr old and my 14 yr old.
My church chose, instead, to take my husband's side.
After they refused to help, I had my husband arrested, he was thrown in jail and made to leave our home.
The church helped him hire an attorney. Church members (including a police detective, police chaplain, etc) helped him start an investigation, which my husband used to try and have me involuntarily committed to a hospital (2 days after he plead guilty in court).
I asked the previous 4 churches we attended for help as well. Each took my husband's side.
In utter despair, I wrote Pro31 ministries an anonymous letter, asking you to pray for me. I haven't stepped foot in a church for 4 years. I hate Christian women for the devious, backbiting and lying gossip they spread about me.
My 4 yr old was throwing raging fits at bed time. I had to lock him down with my arms and legs for 45 mins to an hour EVERY night. My husband cut me off from our checking account. We drank water because I had NO money for milk. I can't tell you how MUCH I hate Christian women for not helping me.
I NEVER gave up on my Savior though. He held me the night I wrote to you, begging for prayer. My Shelter. My Balm of Gilead. My Comforter. My Protection. My Rescuer placed a sentry of angels around me and NOTHING my husband or his church tried to do succeeded. EVERY plan they made in the darkness was brought into the light.
How I love Him. He will lead me back to my "resting place" one day, but for now He's my Resting Place.
He's pushing me back there, I can feel it (and if you would just stop writing these dang devotionals directly for me, it sure would feel a whole lot better!!!)
Or maybe I should say He's leading me.
Please keep doing what you're doing (no really, I don't mean that...do I? Do you really have to make me to do this NOW, Lord?)

Christine
Durham, NC

Waking up on the wrong side of the bed

I woke up this morning to:
1. Greyson climbed in my bed and wet through his pullups
2. Both kids begging me to impatiently help them go "potty cuz they're scared of monsters" for a good 30 minutes.

So I woke up, made the only thing that brings me joy.. Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla coffee in hopes that that will at least turn wrong side to good side.... not really.

Looking around I realized that today was definitely laundry day before church and then "cleaning day after church...no procrastination Maressa, get started"... Low and behold, my uncle decided to leave 9 large boxes right in front of the garage door, blocking my entourage of 6 loads of laundry....Ugh.

I immediately called my mother (since that's what us grownups do when we want to kick and scream) and demanded for her to call uncle and tell him those boxes must be moved immediately or else Goodwill! (wowsa, can you say BRAT?)

Right then and there, I wanted to cry. I seriously stood there in the kitchen and wanted to bawl, I didn't understand why? I spoke to myself and said,"why are you so upset?" Go spend time with GOD woman!

As I opened up Proverbs31Ministries.com, God completely shot me in the heart. http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/search/label/Contentment (please repost the link and read the devo for the day) Title was "Its still a Good Day! Really? Really? Really?

God amazes me everyday. Never fails, He really never does.

Here it is.

I can choose to let these mishaps design the rest of my day. I can kick and scream, take it out on Grey and Bella, skip church, call Jason and pick on him, be a couch potato and just be miserable. Right? Since who wants to wake up to all these obstacles and Murphy's Law riding against me? OORRRR I can take it as a grain of salt and MAKE THE CHOICE to be at peace! Geez, I look around and have everything yet I was choosing to take out the bad on others. Wow.

Wrong side of the bed? That gives me no reason at all to be ungrateful or lack any type of peace.

Today I choose to be Grateful, Today I choose to be at peace, Today I choose to embrace, Today I choose to be patient, Today I choose to have a spirit of Love.