As hard as it is for many of us to admit, we truly believe our agenda is more important than God’s agenda. The Bible says, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6 NLT). Since the day of Christ’s return gets closer every day, we can see God as not only having an agenda but a schedule for every one of us.
Sessions in Pain pg.140
We have failed to understand what is a true priority in our lives, both as individuals and corporately. Will wake up busy, we go the bed busy, constantly ignoring the still small voice of God and the clock of eternity ticking in our ears. Our world is getting more desperate, we are growing old, at yet we ignore the agenda of God for our lives. Your agenda from Him waits just for you.
Answer the call! tick tock, tick tock, tick…
Maturity comes when we develop faith beyond the why of pain—why did this happen to me? You must believe in the Who beyond the why? Beloved, sometimes there is no answer from God beyond the why on this side of eternity. Sometimes, all there is is that place I call faith where you are invited to live for an indefinite amount of time with all your questions and your God.
Sessions in Pain pg. 148
Faith is a place of peace. Faith holds our “whys” safe and secure in the arms of our Lord, who loves us passionately. Faith is our hope, and His Word promises that hope, in Him, will not disappoint (see Roman 5:3-5).
Having a child with autism can appear to be a sentence to isolation. You must carefully schedule the places you must go and the things that you must do to conform to the demands of this disorder. We live a gated life that has limits and boundaries of time and space.
God has helped me to see that this gated life is also the field in which He has called me to work. The many limits of my field has brought with it the solitude I needed to reflect, grow, and write the messages sent to my heart that have encouraged others. God defined a field for me to minister His love to my family, friends, and others. He showed me the countless possibilities in my field. Limits will transform before God – with Him all things are possible.
Through the years I have learned to love my field for it has brought me so much strength, peace, and joy! I no longer stress over the small things and I see God’s love and blessings in things that others are blinded to. I was once like them until He defined my field. Beloved, let God define your field – it is beautiful!
He place my foot upon a Rock and established my goings!
I was studying to be a scientist; therefore, substance and fact spoke more to me than anything else. The Bible says that faith is a substance (see Hebrews 11:1). Therefore, I set out to test this “substance.” If I were to believe God, would He come through for me? If I were to trust His way with my life, would He take care of all that concerns me? When it comes to the matter of giving my life, my time or my money, the vital question was, “Could God be trusted?”
Sessions in Pain pg. 203
Jesus taught us that when it comes to trusting God, one proof or evidence of His care are the lilies that grow in the field (Matthew 6:26-29). They never work, yet, God adorns them in great beauty with impeccable details. They have done nothing to gain His favor except be a part of His creation. If God does this for lilies, who live on Earth for just a few days, how much more will he do for you?
God can be trusted with your life!
It is human nature to become arrogant when we have seen a level of success. We start off humble enough, consulting God for everything we need, but when a level of success is reached, we believe we can do certain things on our own. We rely on our own armor, our own knowledge and our own experience.
Sessions in Pain pg. 195
How soon we can forget how vulnerable we are as mortal creatures on this planet. Even as we achieve a minimal amount of success we begin to lean on our “raggedy armor”; bent, full of holes, susceptible to every temptation, and, yet, we forget the Savior of the world and lean on our own efforts. The Apostle asked, “You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7).
The answer is, you!
I recall working with a child diagnosed with autism who had learned to test every person who tried to teach her with profound behaviors. She would spit, scream and fall to the floor when she was asked to do a “non-preferred” task. Occasionally, during her tantrums she would look around to see if anyone was watching that had seen her on the floor and feel sorry for her. But everyone within ear shot knew not to come and console this behavior. When she would quiet down I would ask her to do the task again which would send her back into the full blown tantrum. Finally, after 15 -20 minutes of these rounds she would look up at me, as I was ignoring her screams, and simply say, “K” (short for “okay”). She would then carry out the task and we would move on to the next activity.
These episodes were such a clear and truthful depiction of how we interact with God. He will ask us to do something and we will spit, scream, cry, and even fall to the floor. Then we will present ourselves to others wanting their sympathy to support our non-compliant behavior. But our Heavenly Father is faithful in our training, and stands true to His instruction until we come to the place of saying “K”, and complying with His good plan for our lives.
God wants to give us His best and greatest blessings; but He will not give it to the untrained and non-compliant child. He knows the future of the non-compliant.
And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6 ESV).
This life is a training camp for soldiers of the Living God. This training is real; therefore, the suffering must be real. When soldiers go through basic training, they must really rise up early, really run ten miles and really learn how to discharge their weapons. True training is not just watching; it is doing.
Sessions in Pain pg. 130
As we celebrate another Memorial Day we are all reminded of the sacrifice and courage of the men and women of our armed forces. My father was such a soldier. I recall his disciplined character as he led other soldiers through basic training. He understood, if they were to survive in battle he could not allow shortcuts or curtailing in their training – they had go through it all. Our Heavenly General has the same mindset. He wants us truly strong and mature so that we can defeat our enemy. He is a God of victory!
Is He waiting for you, beloved, at your designated place of great sacrifice? Only God and you know where that place is. For me that place was a waiting room in my medical practice, when I told my partner I was leaving the practice of medicine to work with my three-year-old son, diagnosed with autism.
Sessions in Pain pg. 204
Have you come to your door of defining sacrifice – that choice which will change everything? It is a door we all eventually face. Behind it is our great destiny in God, but to go through it we must leave what we know and leap with Christ into the realm of sacrifice.
Leap!
We must come to understand pain, together with divine purpose—suffering is not rejection from God. We must see that God is multifaceted: He is like a perfect diamond whose beauty and wonder is seen from countless angles, even those angles which allow pain into our lives. God has promised that, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
Sessions in Pain Pg. 72
He is the light, the diamond, whose brilliance is seen brightest in the darkness. God is constantly in creation mode, developing us into His beautiful diamonds. Just like coal that transforms under time and pressure to become magnificent!
Autism in the family forces stability. It forced our family into set routines, therapy schedules, and caregiving responsibilities. At first I resented these changes because it meant I would have to commit to daily tasks that I hadn’t planned on; but in time I discovered there was a power in this stability. This stability was good for everyone in the family. Everyone knew what to expect each day and they found a comfort and security in that. It is like how we feel each morning when our Heavenly Father faithfully sends the sunrise. We peacefully walk into tomorrow knowing He holds the plan of it in His hands.
In contrast, instability brings, insecurity in children and frustration in adults. It is like a tree that is constantly being transplanted. Such a tree will never grow to be lush and strong. Its trunk will never broaden as it should, and worse of all it may never produce fruit. Many families live like this.
Embrace the gift of stability that has been forced into your life. Cultivate it and produce the fruit of your life!
As hard as it is for many of us to admit, we truly believe our agenda is more important than God’s agenda. The Bible says, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6 NLT). Since the day of Christ’s return gets closer every day, we can see God as not only having an agenda but a schedule for every one of us.
