Chapter 18:
From Now Until Then
It has been over 5 years since we started writing the book “ONLY GOD”. Jim and I have realized through this time of testing that we are not perfect and we made many mistakes and we have misjudged things. We know that God loves us and He was right there with us helping us. So what!!!! we've made mistakes but we were not going to let the devil beat us down because of them. With God’s help, we were going to keep on trucking in Jesus. Nobody is good enough, smart enough, cute enough or successful enough to be acceptable to a just and holy God. When God looks at us through the eyes of Jesus, we become pleasing to His sight.
I still don’t have all the answers to what has happened to Jim and me and we may never know. The answer to the question “Why” does not seem to be that important anymore. The important things are the lessons we have learned from it all.
We have learned to take one day at a time. God showed us that our faith lies in the boundaries of today, for tomorrow is but a glimmer of hope. We are trying to stay focused on God. He will keep us in His peace as He moves us into the future He has planned for us. I believe going to enter in.
We have learned that God is able to work with nothing; He can create miracles in us and for us, out of nothing. God will work in ways we never could have conceived. “Without God we are nothing and we will never have anything but with God we are somebody and we have it all.”
We have learned from the things we have experienced that God is at work producing a faith in us that is being tried and the final outcome will be better than gold. God is working to get us to stop focusing on the impossible and start believing that all things are possible through Him. We must stop trying to think our way out of our situations and rely on God. When all else fails and when our every plan and scheme has been exhausted, it is the time for us to give everything to God. It is time we put our confidence in God, instead of looking elsewhere. God is urging us to quit focusing on how hopeless we think our situations are and start focusing on all the blessings that He has in for us.
We have learned that if God doesn’t answer certain prayers, we can be sure He has some reason for not doing so. God has all power and can do anything and nothing is impossible to Him. He has promised to answer every prayer prayed in the name of Jesus but only according to His Divine Will. We must ask in full assurance of faith, expecting an answer. Should God delay the answer or choose another path for us, we should believe He has a good reason for doing these things.
We have learned that there are 2 important priorities in our lives. Our first priority is to love God with all our heart and soul. Our second priority is to show God’s love to our family, friends and neighbors. “And ye shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second like it is this ye shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.”(Mark 12:30-31)
Who is the source of love in this world? It is not the devil. It is God! In 1 John 4:5,12 John tells us that God is love. His love is manifested toward us in the form of His own Son, Jesus. Jesus dying for us is the love of God in action. Therefore, when we have God, who is love, we love others. If we say we are of God and do not love others, we are liars. Love is a sure sign that God lives in our hearts. People can see God when they see His children loving one another. Loves causes people to say. “That person lets me know there is a God, because He is a God of Love.”
Where Love Is,
There God Is,
For God Is Love.
Things are now beginning to turn around for us. God is working everything out in His time. No matter what, we are going to keep doing what is right and when we least expect it, we will get a call from God giving us our assignment. We will be driving the car God has given us with title in hand, that Jim will find a job, a church we can go to and a home of our own. We have to remember that “God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we asked or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20). He has move us that we can imagine in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 3:20). We will stay focused on God, and He will keep us in His perfect peace.
In this world of hate and fear
Loneliness and despair are always near.
The only thing everyone should see
Is the love of God abiding in me.
NOTE: Jim and I are still fighting with this thing called "Life." We are still praying for a church we can be used in. God did open a door for us to start singing again with two other ladies.
Jim did find a job with General Dollar Store. He worked there for over 6 months. The manager wanted him to do things that wasn't right. He had to make a decision to do what was right or keep the job. He chose to do what was right. As of April 13, 2015, still no job. The last year I have battled with my Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. I have had more bad days than good but praise God I am still alive to see the good and bad both. We have had a few problems with our daughter because of her relapse with drugs this year.
We know that God is our only hope. We believe going through the things we did in the past have helped us face the things we are dealing with now. We have placed everything in God's hands.
