Perseverance

What's that saying, "every set-back is a set-up for a come back."

Well on this journey so far there has already been some set-backs.

However, perseverance is important to growing in our faith. God wants His people to persevere no matter what we go through. We have to learn to overcome obstacles, difficulties, trials, and tribulation, so we can experience victory in Christ!!
  

The Bible tells us, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:12)

With every journey, you will encounter a few set-backs, and when you are on a spiritual journey, the enemy is going to come at you from every direction to set you up for a set-back and prevent your come-back! But if we hold on to God's unchanging hand...we can in fact persevere and win the war!!!

Remember the song, The Joy of Lord? Think of the words to that song,

The joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord is my strength

Oh the joy of the Lord is my strength.

There are two other verses to that song, that go:

He gives me living water and I thirst no more

He gives me living water and I thirst no more

He gives me living water and i thirst no more

Oh the joy of the Lord is my strength.

He fills my mouth with laughter, ha ha ha ha ha

He fills my mouth with laughter, ha ha ha ha ha

He fills my mouth with laughter, ha ha ha ha ha

Oh the joy of the Lord is my strength.

When I truly listen to those words, it really does give me joy! Just knowing that no matter what I am going through, God is there. That I have strength to continue to fight, to move forward. When I am feeling down, He gives me laughter, He quenches my thirst! And guess what, if you are a child of God...you can too!!!! How awesome is that!!!

This journey is hard, and in the two short weeks I have been on this "body makeover," the enemy has already thrown some roadblocks at me. However, god has already shown me that I will win!!! He has given us power and authority over the devil and all of his demons!

"Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

(Luke 10:19)

But that does not mean that slick devil won't try!

Last week, really started pretty good. I was feeling more like myself. I saw my nutritionist on Thursday, and I learned I lost 5 more pounds! I was at a total of 8 pounds in 2 weeks and I was so happy! 

I was feeling so great, that months earlier I had promised my 10 yr old that we could have a mommy/daughter date soon, so I asked her if she would like to go on Sunday afternoon! 

I had a very busy weekend planned, I was looking forward to enjoying nice weather with my family and friends!

Saturday, we were all set to attend a mother/daughter fellowship that a friend was having, and then spend the rest of the day at the park with the little one and her friend. However, when I woke up, I was not feeling so great. I soon realized I wasn't going to make it to the fellowship, because I just couldn't really get moving, so I figured, why not go ahead and take my daughter to the movies and a late lunch after. And spend Sunday afternoon at the park with the family. 

As I was leaving, I knew I wasn't feeling the best, but I would only be sitting in a theater so I would be fine and I didn't want to disappoint my daughter. So off we go to see Divergent!

I really enjoyed our car time, and at no point did I feel to sick or anything!

As we get out of the car and walk towards the theater, I began to get a little dizzy. I didn't think much of it, I thought maybe it was just the popcorn smell that overwhelmed as we walked inside. 

Now let me break here and tell you just how the enemy will work to destroy you. Last week at my doctor's appointment, my doctor recommended that I come in for a stress test. She said I should because I had mentioned to her that I get short of breath and dizzy after walking unassisted at the grocery store sometimes. Now at times I do get a little dizzy when walking, but because I have lived with a spirit of fear my entire life, what I heard was basically, "You should come in for a stress test, because your heart probably isn't working right." Now after this appointment, God had already spoken to me that I would be victorious in this journey and that no matter what I faced He was going to see me through it and my testimony would inspire others. But you see the enemy doesn't want us to succeed, he doesn't want me to succeed! So he came in and he preyed on the fact that my faith was wavering. You see, I trust God, I trusted God when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer last month and when she went in to see her surgeon for a double mastectomy they could find no sign of cancer. I trusted God to bless my husband with a promotion on his job, and he was promoted last year. But my issue is...why don't I trust God to heal me, to be there for me? Why do I see myself as unworthy of God's blessings and healing?  Well, I promise I am praying on that, and I am asking to see myself through God's eyes. However, the enemy will use whatever little weakness you have to pounce, and that's exactly what he did!

So back to my story...

As we walk inside, the thought creeps into my head is, "See there is something wrong with your heart, you got dizzy that quick." Now I am learning when these thoughts enter, you CANNOT give life to them! You must immediately rebuke the enemy and praise God!! 

I admit, this time, I ran with the fear. As we got our tickets and headed to the concession so my daughter could get popcorn, I began to get light headed and very dizzy. I asked her to hold my hand and kind of help me walk. When we got into the theater, it got so bad, I felt my legs buckle from under me and I had to crawl to my seat. Not wanting to scare my daughter I sat in silence praying, but as I was praying I wasn't completely trusting for a healing, I was more focused on the fear. I started to feel my body go limp. I sent a text to my husband to come to the theater, because I knew I would not be able to walk let alone drive. I didn't want to ruin our day, but when I felt my left side go completely numb, I sent another text telling my husband to hurry and call an ambulance. By this time my heart was racing, I could barely speak and the room was spinning. So, needless to say the ambulance came in and they had to stop the movie and rush me to the hospital. 

My husband immediately called our prayer partners, my dad, and any and all our prayer warriors!

After several blood tests and a CT scan and EKG, the doctors found nothing wrong! They could not tell me what happened!

Normally, hearing this news would make any person feel relief, well the enemy tried to make me feel fear! He wanted me to believe that because they couldn't find anything doesn't mean that all is well. Isn't he a master deceiver??!!! But I say...NOT THIS TIME DEVIL!!!! He may have tried to destroy me, but I am choosing Christ! I choose to trust God, and that he came in and He reversed everything that I had allowed the enemy to make me believe!

So you see, with any journey, there are bound to be some bumpy roads, but it's how we approach them and what we learn from them that truly matters. We don't give up and turn around. How else will we ever make it to our destination?! We persevere...we call on the strength that God has placed in each of us and we continue on!!

The next time the enemy is trying to discourage you from your goal, whatever it may be, remember what the Word tells us,

Be blessed!!