Proverbs 27:18
As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit,
so workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded. (Amplified)
Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit;
So he who waits on his master will be honored. (NKJV)
Spring is one of my favorite seasons. I love to plant new things and in time, watch them bloom into beautiful displays of God's creation. I love my Pear trees most. Many times I wish they would just ripen so I can bite into the juicy sweetness that is taking place. But if I did, it would just be bitter. It takes time. This year, after 2 years without one, I am planting a garden. I have strawberries, blueberries, Raspberries, marionberries, and ever berries, watermelon, pumpkin, tomato, and green beans. Right now, the seeds are underground, working their way into sprouts which should be popping up soon. How hard it is to wait....... and wait..... and wait....!
While I am waiting for the harvest, I have to tend to the garden, pulling weeds, watering and once the plants are strong enough to be on their own, I thin them out so they can get big and strong on their own.
The other day I talked to my children about chores. After grumbling and complaining the last few weeks, it was time to sit down and find out what was wrong. They were frustrated that they had to work for me and wait 2 whole weeks to get paid. Why do they have to do chores? Why can't I just pay them? I explained to them that they must obey me and do what I ask without complaining and they will be rewarded. In time they would see that this is a discipline that would help them to obey God and authority later in life. For me the most important thing I can cultivate in my children is love and joy. I want my children to see me loving to live in God's presence. If they see that, without me complaining about where I am or how I have to wait for something, then they will want a relationship with God and they will have learned a discipline that this world does not teach much of anymore. Waiting.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you. As you celebrate your day, remember that you are cultivating a harvest that will bloom into an amazing fruitful person in time. We might have to wait, but the outcome will be sweet.
Please read the comments to this post as I have posted a testimony that one of our members felt she was called to share for Mother's Day. Thanks for sharing Diana.
Praise and Prayer:
Connie for first sharing the strength of women in the Bible with me.
Heather for challenging me to know my Word and stand behind my beliefs.
Janell for showing me the life beyond my walls and the need to care for those who have less than I do.
Robin for challenging me to give up control and trust in friendship.
Misti for showing me the power in a quiet strength.
Joanne for showing me that is is okay to love when it doesn't match up with everyone else's ideals.
Farah for standing in faith in the face of life's challenges.
Sue for showing the strength in standing up for what you believe in and doing it with an amazing smile.
Kelly for being weak and knowing He is strong and Trusting the process of obedience.
For all of the women that push me to step in faith and do the things I am called to do. For the women that read this devotional and challenge me to be the best mouthpiece I can be.
Please pray for the Canvas Women's Retreat Friday and Saturday. It is our first retreat and my first opportunity to really teach a group of women. I praise God for the process, for the amazing women that have come along side my vision and are making this possible. Pray that I am flexible in my notes and allow the Spirit to lead the conversation. Pray I am only the tool and it is God doing his handiwork.
Please pray for all of the husbands that are being left behind with kids. Pray blessing and strengthened relationships while mommy's are gone. A.S.
Sharpened:
Ghada, for challenging me
Lisa, for teaching me
Angela, for doing ministry with me, loving me
Shout out to mom's
Kathy, Angela, Shawna, Joanne, Lisa (yours and those who you are taking care of), Donna, Danielle, Sam, Diana, Chloe, Donna P., Linda, Kelsey, Sandra, Sue, Tamila, Sharon, Denise, Amy, Melissa, Kathryn, Jessica, Paula.
Please pray for peace for upcoming traveling and for my girls, to do well at everything they do. Thanks. HC
Praise: I had results back from my follow-up tests and my abdomen is fine, okay to work out again. May have ulcer or ulceritis, will keep eye on it. I also have my Iron back up to where it should be and my Thyroid results are better than they have been in 5 years. I have met my weight loss goal of 16 pounds and now I am working towards the other 16 pounds. Thanks for all your prayers. HC
Friday, May 8, 2009
Waiting
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2 comments:
First of all I would like to say thank you for letting me share this with
you; my testimony. I work late at night, and last night I was spending time talking with God; when he asked me to share with you all about my testimony. My testimony is about Mother's Day...
Sixteen years ago, I was about 25 years old and should have known better. I was into drugs and alcohol, and still running around the wrong crowd. I also slept around too. That's how I got my free drugs. The different guys that came into my life. The drama that came with the whole scene was to exciting to me. Yes, I knew about God. I grew up in the Catholic Church. I left the church at a young age, because my mother said we didn't need the Church anymore. I had friends in High School who were Christians too that wanted me to have a better understanding of the Christian life. I heard it all, but I didn't want to give up the drugs, money, the sex. Well during the fall of my twenty-fourth birthday, I meet this nice guy at work. I thought I would like to go out with him someday. And then there was this other guy too. Who friends wanted me to meet. So, I did and the sparks flew. Both of the guys ran around the local Hispanic community; mostly the dances. Well you guess it I slept with Mr. Nice guy first. I thought I could get him to come around to the way things were going in my life style. To join the crowd. Then at the same time there was Mr. Wrong. Wow, he could smooth talk a girl.
I slept with him too. He was more fun; and he and I were trying to make plans of seeing each other again.
Well, this all happen in a short period of time. Well a whole month goes by and guess what I didn't have a menstrual cycle. Your probably wondering how can a woman of twenty-four be so stupid. Well all of those drugs-they do damage the brain. So, I was crying and first called my sister to ask her a question. If I am this late I can't be pregnant can I? You see I grew up with the Liberal view that if you get pregnant and your not ready it's okay to get rid of a baby. This will not mess up your life. (Such lies!) I was also told that when your six to twelve weeks along that your baby is just the size of a peanut and it can't feel a thing. Well, my sister gave me an answer-go and get an abortion; because our mother wouldn't like the fact that she had an single daughter with a baby on the way. So of course I listen to my sister. (By the way she was younger than me too. By one year, but she was married and she should have better wisdom than I.) Well we made an appointment with the free pregnancy clinic to first find out if I was really pregnant or not. Then they would also tell me how far along I was. I went and I got the answer. Yes, I was pregnant and due around May 10 or so. I remember the lady saying something about being an new mom on "Mother's Day". She asked me if I knew what I wanted to do. I was so damn scared all I said was Yes, I am not keeping this baby. She asked if I would carry the baby to full term and find a couple to raise the baby for me and I said NO! I didn't want someone else raising my child. I told her I have made up my mind and I knew what I wanted to do. I didn't need her or her clinic to tell me what to do. Well this also gave me another idea. I really didn't know who the father was. I also didn't have the money to have an abortion. No insurance.
With the news that I had got at the clinic I told my sister I think I will talk to Joey(Not his real name); tell him that he was the father to the baby and to help me to get rid of it, so this wouldn't mess up our lives. (And Mr. Wrong went on to have the party life: drugs, women, alcohol. He didn't want to worry about a baby. This didn't go with his party life.) Well Mr. Good guy said okay I will help you with this. He was moving to Texas and didn't want this in his life either. Well I left the calling the abortion clinic to my sister. She found the clinic in the telephone book. She called and set up the appointment. I was so upset. I told a dear friend about what I was planning on doing. I said I hope you care for me and will not judge me for what I was about to do. She gave me a long lecture that it was all wrong to go and get an abortion. She wasn't to sure if she wanted to still be my friend anymore. It was against her beliefs. I said I understood, but I had to do this. Well, I never did tell her when the appointment was. About a couple of days later I had the appointment. Outside of the clinic where other women holding up signs that said "Don't kill a child", "It is a life", when the clinic told us to ignore the group. I was scared. I still went in. I gave them my information. I was told to sit when they called me; that is when I would be told what to do. One thing I notice that the clinic had different clients. Ranging from young women( age 16 to 40 years old). But that day there were two young women with either their mother or grandmother. I mentioned to my sister why them. Why didn't their guardians say anything like it was wrong. But of course I was there too. I thought twenty-four was a mature person to make a decision like this. And there was a young couple maybe in their thirty's, who by the way did this because she didn't want the baby or be pregnant again. She wanted to look slim and young and another kid wasn't in her style. Her husband didn't look to happy with her either. I honestly don't think he wanted this either. But was doing this for her.
(That was just my observation and opinion of the atmosphere.) Next, thing I knew I was being called for my turn. I was told to take a urine sample for them and if need be I would be having a blood test too.
Well, there was also a ultra sound that needed to be done too. The test came back positive. Next came the ultra sound. That took me by surprise. First of all I was not that far along and the doctor said he could do the procedure. The doctor did not allow me to see the picture of the baby. But I finally knew who the real father was. Yes, it was the party guy. WoW. Well I had to still go through this. Next I was told what was going to happen. The doctor left so I could be ready. Then came in the nurse to say it was time. My sister stood next to my head the nurse to the other side of my head. The doctor said the noise I was going to hear was the vacuum to remove the baby. I wanted to cry so bad but was told by my sister if I did the doctor would stop and not come back in the room. I had to do it. (at least that was what I thought back then.) Well the doctor started the machine and I will never forget the sound for the rest of my life. Before you know it; it was over.
No more baby, no more worries. After the doctor left the room. I was told not show any emotions. My sister said the doctor had to go back to his office to spend some time away from the patients sometimes because it bothered him alot. The receptionist told this to my sister. She the receptionist said the doctor would sometimes cry about what happened. At least he was bothering him. I was told to lay for about an hour and then I can go home and just rest for the rest of the day. Don't do anything physically and by the next day, I could go back to doing whatever I wanted. That was it. I felt so empty. I hated myself. I turned to drugs, alcohol big time. Six months later I had a nervous breakdown which happens to women who abort baby because of the emotional lash back of what had happened to the person. I wish I had know this back then. That is the same time my brothers found out what I had done. I was close to them. They were upset with me. They older sister doing something so stupid. They said they would forgive me for what I did, but wanted to know who the father was. I didn't tell them, because I knew they wanted him to feel pain too. They love me that much that they wanted him to feel the pain. They wanted to hurt him bad. Well I found God again about two or three years later. I had found the person I wanted to marry. I cleaned up my act for him. I told him what had happen to me. We got married and wanted to start a family right away. Two months later we were expecting our first child. I had a feeling that this was different. I told my husband that I thought we needed an ultrasound for this baby. I just felt like it was just too different. I thought maybe we could be having twins, but was told that this couldn't happen. Well ten weeks into the pregnancy, I had to go to the emergency room, I was bleeding alot. I had miscarried the baby is what I thought. The ultrasound lady said that it looked like it. Well she had to do an ultrasound on this baby too. Well guess, what there was this beautiful baby there. He was so mad. I saw his head, arms, feet. I was confused. I thought I had lost a baby only to find out there he was. The doctors didn't want me thinking to much on what had happened they wanted me to forget the other baby. So, it happened so fast with the joy of finding a baby there that I totally forgot the other baby. It was much later when I was told for sure that it was a baby. Nine months later I had my first son. A red hair just like his father. We named him just like his dad. Then about 11 months later I was having another baby. His brother. God has been in life and I turned from him so many times. It was not until I knew I was having my family that I heard God speak to my heart: "Come back to me, you are going to be a mom." I want to help you. I wanted that so bad. So, I started going to Calvary Chapel in McMinnville. I got baptized there too. When my boys were in the first grade they said Mom can we go to this church. I said yes, it was the Church on the Hill. We found our home. I later started helping with the middle school youth and my husband later joined in helping too. We like this church. Its our spiritual home. Thanks for letting me share .
"Happy Mother's Day!"
Thank you so very much for sharing your testimony.
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