Sunshine is coming!

Oct 16, 2018

I don't know who needs this, but it's on my heart and I know I'm supposed to share it. If it's you, please know you are dearly loved and that your season of sunshine is on the way.

Ain't it funny how life changes? I was once told that our lives change about every 6 months. Life is a constant dance of sunshine and storms. In fact, the bible tells us to expect it. Trials (storms) are going to happen.

James 1:2-3 says...

2) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

It took me a LONG time to really appreciate this scripture, but I have come to understand that the storms of life refine us. It's easy to forget God's mercy when things are going good. We forget the prayers He's answered and all the other times He's helped us. In the midst of the storm, we learn to trust Him at all costs.

I'm so grateful for a current season of sunshine. These last few months have been an answer to my prayers, and I feel the Lord calling me to encourage you today, so pull up a seat, and let's chat.

The last probably 8 years, I've been through so much that even as I look back on it, I am surprised that I made it through it all. Very few people have been privy to all the details - I chose to be intentional about walking this road with God. I knew He was wanting to teach me. Were there days I wanted to spill my guts and tell it all? Of course. Were there days that I thought people would give me some grace if they knew what was happening? Sure! Were there times I didn't know how I would make it one more day? Yep.

There were days I thought the world would be better off without me. There were days I felt like the biggest failure (and people made a point to tell me I was too). There were days I was kicked when I was down. There were days people "called me out" without knowing all the details. There were days I felt like inadequate in all areas of my life... wife, mom, home-making, ministry, business, friendships, you name it. There were days I wanted to run away. There were some good days in between, but then people would criticize me for smiling too much, and there were many days I cried myself to sleep.

But you know what? My God is bigger than all of that. See, throughout all those storms I often prayed, "God, I can't do this. I can't take any more. Just give me just one glimpse of sunshine. Just give me one moment to see the good."

See, it was PAINFUL to come through all of that. He pulled weeds and removed a lot from my life... pruning me in the process. It is painful having even good things and sometimes people removed from from our lives. It's painful when God prunes our own hearts in the process, but what I've learned is that we have to go through the weed-pulling and pruning to make room in our garden for the best.

I can look back over the years and see where He strategically put people in my life that would mentor and minister to me at just the right time - pointing me right back to Himself. I remember sitting with two mentors on their back deck as they poured into me and my husband. Their words still flow through my mind often... "just trust God for this moment, right now, and the next 15 minutes." Those words still ring through my mind often. When I start feeling overwhelmed, I try to focus on that - Just trust God for this moment.

I'm so grateful that God gave us a season of sunshine over the last few months. I'm grateful for the relief, for moments of laughter, for a handful of friends that wrapped their arms around us and huddled in to love on our family without knowing the details. I'm grateful for the refining and growth that I have gone through as I've gone through this process with God.

If you get nothing else from this, I want to encourage you... when you feel like you're at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on. Your sunshine is just beyond your storm... and what a blessing it is on the other side.

If you are currently in a season of sunshine, reach out... even to the people that seemingly "have it all" or "have it together". They are probably fighting battles you know nothing about, might not be willing to share just yet.

These resources were a great encouragement to me as I have battled storms in my life....