Where is God now?

Rough season?   Does it ever get so frustrating that you wonder, "Where is God?"  How much more could go wrong?  Why is God not helping?   UGH! 

The Bible says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." NIV, Deuteronomy 31:6

People always say that.... "God is with you..." Then where is he?   Why is it so hard? 

The Bible also says: " that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." NIV, Matthew:45

Job is an example of a good man who was tormented. Job lost his health, his family, and his wealth.   He even said his friends were miserable comforters.  Job's story did not end in tragedy. God restored him well above and beyond what he lost. 

I can't speak for you.  I can tell you that it has been a rough season for me. When I say rough, I mean miserable.  

Then, I dreamed that I woke up to find myself asleep on a church bench.  I was naked except for a blanket that covered me.  People started to come in.  They were not preparing for church. They were preparing for a gathering.  I jumped up, wrapped in my blanket, and explained why I was asleep.  They didn't question it.  They smiled and nobody cared.  It didn't matter to them that I was naked and asleep.   I ran to the restroom where I was getting dressed.  A lady came out of a stall.  I was terrified she would see me and know that I had been naked.  She smiled.  She didn't care.  I saw her stand there looking at the faucet with a blank look.  I reached over and turned the water on for her.  She looked at me and smiled brightly.  She said, "Thank you!  I didn't want to touch it."  I nodded. I noticed her nails.  They were gorgeous and recently manicured.  They were white with glitter that looked like snowflakes.  They were extremely detailed. The kind of manicure that doesn't come cheap.  She smiled even brighter and exclaimed, "YOU NOTICED MY NAILS! That means so much!"  I nodded again.    

I think God is saying, "Wake up!  Rise, Shine, and let your voice be heard.  Notice the people who are afraid to get their hands dirty. Wake up the others.  The time is now.  My people must not be naked and asleep.  Get dressed, be bright as the sun, and as loud as a trumpet." 

God doesn't leave us or forsake us.  There are seasons when He withholds His favor.  

Here is why we must endure hardships: 

“The Lord God has given Me
The tongue of the learned,
That I should know how to speak
A word in season to him who is weary.
He awakens Me morning by morning,
He awakens My ear
To hear as the learned." NKJV, Isaiah 50:4

God is with us. We need to wake up, get dressed, shine our light, and let our voices be heard.  

(If you want to know more, Isaiah 63:15, Isaiah 58, Isaiah 60, Ephesians 6:10-18)

There's Always That One Person~

It is true, everywhere you go, every meeting, every group, every event, every business, and even in every family; there is that one person.

The person who stands out. The person who has to be different.  The person who proves that they are indeed the exception to the rule. We all know that person.

Are you thinking of this a negative?  Are you thinking of that one person who won't shut up?  Are you thinking of that one person who is always a jerk? Are you thinking of that one person who always has to post about politics? Are you thinking of that one person who always has to share their drama on social media? 

Stop.  Stop the stinking thinking.  Yes, those people I mentioned above do exist but I wouldn't waste my morning blogging about them.   They are not the one person I'm talking about. 

I am writing you about the one person that makes a difference.  God knows I can be a little bit "extra" so He saw fit to send me several examples of that one person.   

I am writing to let some folks know, you have been that one person to me. I can't mention you all by name.  I don't know some of your names, and because there is so many of you if I tried, I would inadvertently leave someone out.  

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED: 

I've been going through a rough season.  I call it my Job season.  I know there are certain things God has called me to.  Regardless, I seem to be unable to stop wallowing in the mud of my self-pity and doubt.   I was having an especially hard time and a friend asked me about one of my books.  I looked it up on Amazon to see if it was still available.   

It was there I found what prompted this post.  It was a five-star review for my second book.  

It was only ONE REVIEW.   That one person and those simple few words turned my perspective around.  I started thinking about all the times and ways God has used others to help me.

It may have been an encouraging text, a phone call, or a smile that was that one thing.  It may have been a random act of kindness.  It may have been in loving my child. It may have been in believing in me.  It may have been in prayer.  It may have been in allowing me to see their faith in action. It may have been in pushing me to visit a church.  It may have been a safe place to talk about my faith. It may have been asking me about Jesus. 

Whatever you have done, thank you.  No matter where I am in my journey God sees fit to make sure that there's always that one person. 

I pray, if I come across your path, I will be an example of, there's always that one person. 

There's always that one person ~ Be that person. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------