Rejoice in the Storm

There is nothing more satisfactory than having a good life with a good job, good family, good friends, good days, most of all this last one good days.

But what happens when you are constantly trying to make the perfect life, but instead all is falling apart and you just don't know why or how to fix it? Well let me tell you two things, if your are reading the word of God and following his commands and being obedient, this might be a time of learning and a time of more blessings in your life, but if on the other hand you are not close to God the way you want to, this might be God noticing he needs to stretch you in order to get your attention and focus back on him.

Lets start with a story about a person who overcame depression and OCD disorder. This person was so proud she decided to obey God and begin writing about it, but then she got caught up in the busyness of life, she stopped writing, then one day she found her self in a deep hole of depression all over again, and didn't even know how in the world she got there.

This could be you right now this could be anybody right now. I just had a beautiful baby, and I was so happy and enjoying my little one despite all the breastfeeding issues and lack of sleep. I was desperate for my mom to leave so my family and I could go back to our routines, that I didn't see this coming, long story short I ended more depressed and OCD then before, but this time was different I had to learn how to trust the God I have so long talked to others about, that same God I would tell those who were going through something ugly or uncomfortable, the truth is that, all that, was a slap to my own face.

The minute I realized I was so hopeless and sad I wondered If I ever really trusted God before or was it just that I was happy due to my circumstances being ok.

Then God began speaking to me through dreams and friends letting me know how he wanted me to trust him and seek him despite my circumstances he wanted me to pray on my knees, he wanted me to cry out to him, he was teaching me how to learn to not just rejoice once this storm was over but instead to dance in the storm.

I was diagnosed with OCD at age 28, it was the type of OCD you constantly wash your hands, something makes you feel so uncomfortable that washing your hands gives you some type of temporary relieve, but in the long run makes everything worse because this is just a bandaid to the issue not a real solution, then you begin to think I am just crazy I won't let anybody know I am so ashamed and embarrassed that I will keep this dirty secret to myself so no-one will judge me. As a christian now I understand the enemy doesn't sleep and he will try to steal your peace destroy your health and kill your soul (JOHN 10:10)

He sure is waiting for the door to be opened and by keeping quite it was a wide open door for him. God is our redeemer our healer but if you have never been introduced to him then let this be a door open to God alone. We must understand that God won't give you mental disease but he sure can allow it in your life in order to get your attention for the first time or second time or so on.  As a parent of three I know I tell this to my kids: hey either you behave do this do that or we won't go here or there. God does the same he is our Father!!! He can promise so much to us so many blessings, but really if we are not obedient or giving him any type of honor why will he keep HIS promises (ISAIAH 1)

All the honor and all of the glory are his and we must understand that, in order to be able to focus our victories and failures on him, nothing is to small or to big for the All Mighty God.

Recently there was a tragedy that happen to a woman that I love she is a sister to me, her brother was murdered and it appears that it was done by a family member. When I spoke to her about all of this she told me she had forgiven the person who took her brothers life, her voice was breaking and from one second to the next she was sobbing and I could feel her pain but also her honesty she was being true about forgiving she went on to say how much her flesh wanted to hate this person, but something on the inside told her not to, this was nothing but God, Abba Father gave her the courage the strength and mercy to forgive.

Her mother and mine are sisters, her and I grew up together, just so you can understand a little more of why we call each other sisters is because my mom and I moved into their home when I was 12 years old and two years later my mom had to leave because my 23 year old brother had become sick with cancer and didn't have much time left, my mom decided it was best for me to stay at my aunts house so I grew up with all of her 6 kids and the youngest and I became so close our relationship right now is of blood sisters, we have been through so much together and helped each other through the hardest times in our lives, she is the one who introduced me to Christ. If I had never moved in to live with her family I would have never met Christ.... because of our relationship as kids is that I was able to open up to her about what I had been going through and she had so much compassion for me and understanding that she shared her Love for Christ with me.

I will always be so grateful for it.  My father past away when I was 5 and now I was alone without my mother and father, but my sister was always there, God already had a purpose for the both of us and he gave us Love for each other that is stronger than anything. If she would have not been there I would have allowed all that abandonment I felt to take me through a bad direction in my life. For as long as I can remember she was always there for me, we kept each other company because in a way she felt abandoned too. The situation in her home was difficult and we both had to grow up and mature faster then we should have. But it was Gods plan all the things we went through together, God was tying something between us beyond our own understanding but now we know why.  We have become closer then ever before, our own daughters call each other sisters and that is the most beautiful blessing. I don't have a sister of my own, my mother being a single mom of 4 boys and I, she didn't get married again till she was older in age, more children was not an option. But God gave me this very special Love for my sister, you see? Let me explain, when you have a sister of blood, I mean like when you share the same mom, you Love her because you kind of have to, funny right? well this kind of Love I have for my sister is so special because we love each other as sisters not because we have to but because God wants us to, he gave us this Love. God is good.

You see my point? Here it goes again, it is so easy to victimize ourselves for bad things that happen to us, or maybe become bitter due to abandonment from either our earthly father, husband or someone we love, or maybe your brother was murdered by someone he trusted and once loved and cared for, it is so easy to go the easy way out by picking up addictions like alcohol, sex, money or even drugs, etc...but in the long run there will be no reward, it will actually be worse. It takes courage to FORGIVE just like my sister did, it took her strength to pick up all the pieces from the ground and continue her walk with God, it took LOVE, it took a lot of things that only God can provide.

The question is!! Do we want to be victims or be victors? Lets praise God in the storm shall we? It is hard, so hard but without pain there is no reward.  What is the reward of reaching a goal if it was so easy to get there?  We must ache to grow, we must ache to reach a point of understanding and diserntment, we must get down on our knees and PRAY, we must Trust God with all of our hearts and lean not on our own understanding (PROVERBS 3:5-6)

There has been many times when I feel I can't do it anymore, when the pain and hurt is overwhelming and I am full of fear and shame, and I cannot tell you I have it all figured out, no I don't, I never will but I am in a process of becoming better each and every day, and that alone is Gods grace, he allows me to make a choice to either cry and victimize myself everyday or to Trust him even when its so hard to even say a prayer. Even if I refuse to pray I call out to his name, JESUS, JESUS, JESUS.....just say it, say his name because there is power in his name (JEREMIAH 10:6).

Then we can remember what he did for us, his sacrifice, he made a way for us to get to the Father, and yet that is a choice too.

I have always thought how funny it is when people who say God is not real, they claim to have read the Bible or even to know much, but they are bitter, confused, always trying to prove a point, you see when you receive him all these thing are worthless, you become a new creation. Your eyes are opened and you are able to see all the things that need to be fixed in your soul, once you are in that process you learn to allow God to guide you in becoming a better version of you. Then suddenly you are able to rejoice in all of the things you had been taking for granted, you no longer complain about the friend who never replies your text but you say to yourself, maybe she is so busy let me ask her if she needs anything, or maybe let me pray for her. Or what about the one who is walking her kid to school without a jacket and you feel in your heart that even though this is very uncomfortable you will offer her a ride only to find out, she moved to this country a few months ago and is struggling to provide for her little one as a single mom, who has no family here. And suddenly you are so grateful God provides for you and you are so glad you helped this mom because this could have been you.

Really? If I would have know Jesus would turn me into a person I never thought I could be I would have accepted him a long time ago.... But his times are perfect..... Again I say He will stretch us even before we know him and that is nothing but him allowing situations in our lives to get our attention.

So would you step into the deepest part of the Ocean with him? Would you learn to rejoice even in the darkest storm? Would you be faithful enough to give it all to him and Trust him? Please step into the boat of faith and I know you won't regret it. God is a good Father, He will not forsake you, he will always be there.

If you ever find yourself praying for a change in life and knowing hard seasons might be necessary for that change, but you find yourself confident and not fearful, then you are a step closer to God, and he delights in you. He always honors our trust in him, he is so merciful, he promises he will be with you when you cry out to him, He will rescue you and he will answer you (PSALM 91) What a beautiful promise.

I pray that God all Mighty will cover us with his beautiful presence that he will have mercy and hear our cries, that even when we hear the roaring of the storm we will not be afraid and we will rejoice in it, for a time of growing deeper in our FAITH, LOVE and TRUST for God is coming our way.

If you feel like screaming, do it! Call out his name so loud, allow him to see you at his feet, desperate for his Love and Mercy, tell him who you are, tell him about your pain, talk to him He is there always, the best part is that HE NEVER CHANGES, HE IS THE SAME GOD OF YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW.

God is a Father to the fatherless, a Shelter to the homeless, the Healing to the sick, the Love to the hurting, the Way to the lost, the Hope to the hopeless, the Freedom to the chained, the Restoration to the wicked and the Savior to all those who choose to accept him.

As for me I pray I will always continue to acknowledge Gods work in my life and in that acknowledgment I will be able to rejoice even in the STORM, Amen.