Perseverance
Perseverance on the home front is my phrase for 2022. I felt I was at the end of my perseverance, and it was not even the end of the first month. If you’ve ever felt that way, you can identify with me. Read on to see how I asked God questions to make it to the fourth week in September 2022.
Time for Questions
God, what are you doing?
I felt ignored, rejected, and abandoned. I prayed for years for a godly friend who lived close by-a person who consistently showed that she knew God, loved him, and served him. This person would be interested in spiritual growth, Bible study, and fellowship. Like all human beings on earth, she wouldn’t be a perfect person because no such person exists. God gave me four in the past. Two moved to a different state too far away to drive for an early afternoon visit and return home before dark.The other two died and went home to heaven.
The answer came from daily Bible reading: “Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God” (Psalm 146:5 ESV). I had to continue to hope in God. That meant to wait on God. Waiting is not one of my strengths.
How do you handle waiting?
God, do you hear me?
Perhaps God didn’t hear me. Maybe I needed to pray out loud and increase the volume of my prayers. The Bible says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV). What? God wanted me to rejoice and pray continually? He also wanted me to be grateful no matter what? God wasn’t deaf. He simply wanted me to surrender to his way and his timing.
Maybe you survived a similar experience? How did you do it?
God, can you help me understand?
Third, I asked God to help me understand why my perseverance felt no stronger than the thickness of a sheet of paper. A reminder came from daily Bible reading: “I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live” (Psalm 146:2 NIV). Imagine that! I was to sing praise to my God. Music provides therapeutic benefits. It calms the heart, soul, and mind. I grew up with music and realized I could do that. Any time I needed to process a situation, I would play the piano and sing. To the piano, I went.
If you don’t play a musical instrument or sing, use your electronic devices to listen to music.
In short, I know what God is doing, that he hears me, and I understand. I’ve drawn closer to the Lord through praise and worship music. He has given me the gift of two local friends I trust and several I talk and text with on the phone. We discuss safety, boundaries, and physical, emotional, and spiritual goals.
Prayer:
God, help me turn to you when I feel uneasy and sense that something isn’t right. Please give me safe, godly friends. Amen.
Next Step:
If this article doesn’t apply to you, please share it with someone who can benefit from it.
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SELF-CARE WHEN THERE’S NO ONE TO CARE
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Copyright © by Yvonne Ortega September 23, 2022
