Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Joy? Happiness? Contentment? Part 2

Welcome to the WCP! Today we continue Monday's conversation. If you missed it, just scroll down to the next post.
A big THANK YOU and a "Hardy" WELCOME to member #240! Adding yourself to Google's follow this blog membership is such an encouragement to me and an endorsement to new visitors. If you believe in and like what you find here on the WCP, won't you please join today? Or join over 500 email subscribers. Just enter your email in the box in the right side column and click the submit button. My mother taught me to share, but I never share your email addresses. :) 
Thanks for visiting, and I think you'll find the following conversation fascinating as it picks up from Monday . . .
ferree

CAROL Thank you ladies! Its exciting, refreshing, and encouraging to hear from you. 
This is where Isaiah 54:4-8 comes in. God desires all of us. Its difficult to have that intimate relationship with the Lord, but I'm glad I established that before remarrying. I don't think God would have allowed me to remarry until I did; He has to be first.
And God's PROMISES for widows, have you seen these?? He protects our property, He is our defender, He punishes those who are mean to us and the orphans... the list goes on and on! Awesome!

PATTY I love you and your way of thinking and what you share with us, Carol. God is awesome, and He is working through you!

KELLY I am jumping up and down! Wahoo!! I am so glad you ladies are walking in the light and were not content to stay in darkness.
@ Sandy, (see Part 1) - what that person said to you (about how you must not have loved your husband since you went on with your life), that is the kind of toxic comment we have to close our eyes and pray away, AND pray for the person who said them. We cannot control what other people think or what they are silly enough to say. Blessings to us all!

CAROL Thank you Patty! You are so close my sister ;-) You have taken a big step already. I know you will feel this contentment very soon.
May I make a suggestion for everyone??
My 'turning point' came about a year and 3 months after my husband died. I had a 2 yr old, and a 3 yr old, I was tired physically and mentally. I knew I was drifting away from God, not towards Him.
I sat in my kitchen floor and cried out, with a kid on each knee, begging Him to do something! I said, "I cannot go on. I am so sick of this situation, it just plain sucks."
And as I cried out and prayed, and cried some more, I began to feel peace wash over me, just as if water was gently falling out of my ceiling down on me. We sat there so long both kids fell asleep on me.
By the time I got up physically, I had a plan. I was able to stand up spiritually. I had surrendered. I told God I no longer wanted to do it on my own, because my way was not working.
One of the first things I did was commit to a fast. Our church does one every January. Its an individual fast, which means you can choose what you want to sacrifice. I do something different every year, but that year, I decided to go all out with it. I researched the Daniel Fast, and stuck with it. It was so cleansing, not only physically, but spiritually and mentally and emotionally as well.
I decided then also that I would downsize my circles of relationships. My 'support system' had been infiltrated with people that did not have my best interest in mind, so I cut them off. It was so difficult, but I felt very relieved.
If you need a change, if you feel like you've grieved, like you've cried til you can't cry another tear but still have not reached a place of contentment or joy, try a fast. It doesn't have to be extreme or long; just something to show the Lord that you are serious about change. I promise He will reward you!
Commit your contentment and happiness to prayer. Its OK to pray for yourself!! I will be praying for you as well!!!

Join in this conversation with your own insights and experience. What about you? Have you reached a turning point like Carol mentions? Are there some difficult decisions in doing that? This is all part of a larger process, and not simply a one-time event. What steps has God brought you through in the past days, weeks, months or years? Feel free to share your heart. ferree

1 comment:

  1. My turning point came about two years after. I was standing in my bathroom and realize that for the first time, I felt in the moment. It was as if a veil was lifted and I realize that this was not a dream, Eddie was not on a long trip, he is not coming back and if he could he did not want to and I was alright with his decision. But what did that do for me? This was my life now and what was I going to do with it. As I stood there with tears running down my face, I sensed God say Eddie was your husband, but I am your GOD. Those words became my hiding place, He is my God and He takes very good care of His widows (those that lean their entire human personality on Him). It is not easy and there are moments of doubt, but I keep reminding myself that I can trust My GOD, nothing about my life has caught Him by surprise; therefore, He already has a plan. This is not Plan B for my life but a continuation of His original plan. My God has me. I too have had to clean out my inner circle and I now trust Him to put the right people in my life, praying that he reveal the motive of those attempting to enter my life and for the wisdom to know how to deal with them. Yes, I still miss Eddie very much, but I am confident that my God has me, so I move forward enjoying my journey with Him.

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