Life Interrupted

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When I took the picture above, I was aiming to get a shot of the alpacas that stood just on the other side of the fence.  I thought I had held the camera in the perfect spot in between the links of the fence to be able to capture the image that lay beyond, but apparently the focus was all wrong because this is what I got instead.  My perfect shot was interrupted by the fence that stood in my way…or was it?

Last week, in my post “#YestoGod No Matter What,” I shared about how my computer crashed for the second time since saying Yes to God to being a FB small group leader for P31 OBS and how it breaking left me feeling very discouraged initially.  It had even brought me to the point of questioning God – did I hear him right that I was to say yes to this?  I mean, how was I supposed to do an online study AND lead a group on FB for that study when the device I needed to do so was no longer working and I didn’t have the funds to have it repaired again or replaced?  Pretty valid question wouldn’t you say?

 Well, obviously I’m still doing the study because here I am posting for the blog hop, but maybe you are wondering why and how I’m still here.
  How do we get through these “life interrupted” challenges and still answer yes to God?  The first answer to that question came that very day it became evident my computer was not going to turn back on and which I shared last week when I wrote:

“…when I said yes to this study, I said yes, no matter what.  I don’t want to define for God what yes looks like or what no matter what includes.  I want to allow him to fill in those blanks, whatever that may mean.”

I chose to persevere.  Despite that my flesh and the enemy were telling me it was impossible or at the very least, too hard, I still chose to trust God.  I chose to trust that He would make a way where I could not even see a path.  I chose to believe that a solution was already in the works, even though I could not begin to imagine what that solution was.  I chose to continue down that #yestoGod road, having no clue that by doing so I would be reading in the material that very next week this:

“Satan wants to keep my perspective in a place where my heart is discouraged and my mind is questioning God.” –Pg.95

Wow!...

Ultimately I chose to follow blindly in persistence because I knew God uses all things for our good:  

“The persistent person understands the meaning of Romans 8:28: ‘We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’  This does not mean that everything that happens to us will be good, but that God will work in and through every situation to bring good from it.” –Pg.’s 94-95

What that good would be, I had no idea at the time, nor did I understand fully what was driving that persistence in me.  But I was about to find out.  And, as it turns out, there has been a lot of good waiting for me in and through this life interrupted trial.  There’s also been continued attacks due to a certain someone not caring for my continued obedience in saying yes to God.

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                When I approached the material for this week’s OBS lessons, not only have I had a different perspective because of the good God had brought last week through my trial (if you missed that you can read about it here), but also because I have a growing hunger in me to overcome.  Now, when reading the material I’m still looking for that “why should I say yes to God,” but even more so than that, I’m looking for the - how do I ensure I can continue to say yes to God  when these life interrupted scenarios play out and the enemy has a hay day with them?  What I have found as a result, is that this shift in focus has led to a different response to what I’m reading.

“The focus of our hearts and minds will shape our decisions and actions that follow.” –Pg.85

                Before my computer crashed, when I read the material I would highlight the quotes that popped out at me and think: “Ooh, I like that one.  That’s a good one I can share,” or “That’d be a great one to create a poster for.”  But now while I’m reading the book, I’m constantly asking myself: “How is this related to our everyday lives?” or “What question can I ask to go along with this quote that prompts examination of our own lives – that prompts us to apply it to our moment by moment walks with God?”  This new-found application has brought whole new life and meaning into reading this book and to learning what it means to say yes to God – a definite “good” God used my trial to bring about.

                Another question that I started asking myself while going through the material for this week was: “How can I put what I’m reading into action in order to effectively fight the enemy’s attacks that seem to rise with every new yes to God?”   This question has been even more effective for me than the others and it has prompted a “new” activity that we are doing in Group #56, and which now I believe a few other groups have started utilizing as well – Word Weapon Cards.  While I don’t believe this is a completely new/original idea, I do give God all the credit for this “good” because it’s not something I had ever heard of or learned somewhere else before.  But rather it is something that I felt led to start while I was digging deeper into the latest chapters in my quest to effectively battle the enemy.

What are Word Weapon Cards?  They are simply this: index cards to carry with you and read when you’re feeling attacked by the enemy.  They act as a weapon against the areas in your life that Satan attacks you in. 

What is on a Word Weapon Card?  The category you are struggling with goes on the front in bold, along with one favorite verse from the Bible that personally speaks to you about that issue.  You can also add additional verse addresses all around the category word – thus creating a visual reminder of how God’s Word surrounds and conquers the enemy.  The back of the card is filled with 1-3 powerful quotes from the study material that stood out to you regarding that cards struggle topic.  Verses and quotes can be added over time from other resources as well. 

Here is a list of the topics we’ve done cards for during the last 2 weeks: temptations, empty places, perfection, ungratefulness and grumbling, unanswered prayer and trials.  Here is an example of the first one we made to carry with us to help us in saying yes to God (please excuse my less than attractive handwriting):

                Through this experience I have grown to rather like the picture I took of the fence.  There is a hidden quality in it that God has revealed to me.   Just like that picture, my picture of how I viewed this OBS turning out due to my computer crashing suddenly seemed imperfect, but in reality it wasn’t imperfect at all.  In reality there is beauty to behold in imperfection because God uses it to capture His perfect plan for our lives – our "life interrupted" becomes a "life God’s perfecting" – a good that only God can accomplish.

                I don’t know what your life interrupted looks like, but maybe like I was, you are finding yourself feeling discouraged and wondering if you heard God right about saying yes.  If so, I hope that you will take to heart what Lysa said about that being right where Satan wants you and I pray that you will take action against Him by making some Word Weapon cards of your own.  Lysa says on pg.’s 99-100: “In times where the road diverges in front of us, we can either fall away from God or fall toward him.”  Choose to fall toward Him today.  Choose to have your “life interrupted” turned into a “life God’s perfecting” as well.

“We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”  -Romans 5:3