By a bizarre topic of conversation (onions), Bruce very briefly told me your story! I was deeply moved and have felt compelled to give you a word of encouragement and just share with you what’s on my heart and what I believe God would have me to tell you!
I cannot for one moment begin to surmise or imagine the hardships you have had to go through and in no way would I want to try and analyze or minimize your experience but really just want to encourage and lift you up, because very often when we go through that valley or wilderness experience it is easy to think that God has forgotten us and does not love us anymore!! Friends desert us and forget us and we feel isolated and all alone!!
Yes I too have gone through some difficult times (they pail in comparison) when I was the subject of some vicious slander attacks that left me bewildered, battered and bruised, most friends deserted me even family treated me different! I then went through an extreme financial crisis as I couldn’t get a job for over two years and lived on bare minimum. If it was not for the help of my beloved sister from time to time, I don’t know if I would’ve made it through that tough time? And then….thank God for Bruce, I have been with him for nearly 8 months now! Can I share this story….when I went for the interview with him – I took my C.V. thinking it’s hopeless but he didn’t even ask me any questions about previous jobs and just said “do you want a permanent job?” – I said yes…he said “well come back tomorrow!” I was amazed!! Then I walked on eggshells for a couple of months wondering when he was going to fire me as surely by now he must’ve heard some stories?? Shame I’ve given the poor man a hard time since then and I’m sure he doesn’t quite know how to take me??
Anyway I don’t want to dwell on my story but mainly on what God has done in my life as a result of all that – that is what is truly amazing!!! I used to be a shy and timid person but after going through this slander it has totally freed me from that and I have become bold and courageous – not caring anymore what people think of me (as they already think the worst) it is a truly liberating experience one that I am now grateful for, not that I would ask to go through something like that again – whew no thanks but the bible says in Rom 8:28 (my paraphrase) that God is able to turn any situation around, that the enemy has intended to destroy you with, and use it for your good in the end!! He never wastes any experience we go through! He is an incredibly awesome God of the second chance – wow He can make something beautiful out of something terrible!! Does that make sense? I love the story of Joseph, after all that he went through says to his brothers who sold him into slavery….”what you intended for evil God intended for good” Gen 45:5. There are many things in this life that make absolutely no sense and we will never know the answers to some things, this side of eternity, but can I quote something from Rev Elias Ndeda (I met him at a church conference a couple of years ago and got his CD “Shake it Off”) this is what he says-:
“I challenge you to get positioned for the journey of life. There will always be a refining crisis that will bring us to a defining moment which will eventually empower us to step into greatness. You’ve got to make up your mind to stand out and to be counted. There are things that life will throw at you that you will need to break through then break out of, only then will you not break down. You don’t have to specialize your condition but to commonize it. For there has no temptation come to you but such as is common to all men. Whatever you are going through somebody, somewhere around the world is going through the same thing or has gone through the same thing. It is a destiny thing. The seed you carry has attracted what you are going through. Don’t throw in the towel in the battle of greatness, don’t give up now! You have come from too far to give up at this point! Put on the whole armour of God and go to war. Have your helmet of salvation, your breastplate of righteousness, your loins girded with the belt of truth, your feet shod with the gospel of peace, hold the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit because it is not over until it is over, there is a lesson in this and you have got to fight on because God is on your side”.
“Even though you do not understand, even though nothing seems to make sense, even though everything falls apart trust in God He will make everything known.
You know there are some things that you will never understand in life because destiny is a mystery and everything that happens under the sun God processes us into greater destinies. Your greatness is in the making so if you can just hold on there and learn to trust in God. Break every yoke and destroy every barrier do not allow this to stop you; you can break completely out of this. You are a hero and a hero in the making. One thing you need to know is that you will come out of this. If the devil can stop you where you are right now the devil would have won because gain comes out of pain…there is no testimony without a testing. Heroes are never born, heroes are made… you need to know that there is no glory without a story and if you are a hero you are going to have some bruises and you are going to have some scars.
Even though you don’t catch what is really happening, and even though it blows your mind…even though everything is in pieces you need to just trust in God and He will make everything known to you. It doesn’t matter the kind of abuse you have gone through you just need to raise your head above the water because your tomorrow is greater than your yesterday. The devil does not chase empty vessels. Yesterday was your teacher, today is your opportunity and tomorrow shall be your testimony.” Rev E. Ndeda
Like I said God is the God of the second chance and is able to make all things new and to restore all that which has been lost. Joel 2:25 says “And I will restore or replace for you the years that the locust has eaten…” as long as we leave the vengeance up to Him and not take it into our own hands (then we are on our own so to speak and He will not help us!) Then He can give us “double for our trouble” J.M. “instead of your [former] shame you shall have a twofold recompense…” Isah 61:7, 54:4, Zech 9:12. So when you keep your heart right before God He will actually repay you back double what you have lost – this is exactly what happened to Job!
“And the Lord turned the captivity of Job and restored his fortunes, when he prayed for his friends; also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before” Job 42:10 this is what Joyce Meyer comments from this verse…”Have you ever been wrongly accused and thus deeply wounded by others? Like Job, pray for those who have hurt you, and forgive them. When we forgive, God brings restoration….No matter what you are going through, God still has the same good plan for you right now that He had the moment you were born. He has never changed His mind. From the instant the enemy attacked you, God has had your restoration in mind.” J.M.
I had many opportunities to retaliate against those who slandered me but somehow had the sense to keep my mouth shut and to try and speak only good of them (wasn’t easy!). If I had retaliated I would’ve been just as guilty as them in God’s eyes! When we leave vengeance up to Him He then is able to set a table before our enemies and forces them to watch while we eat and while He lavishly blesses us!! Ps 23:5. Oooh wee that’s vengeance in itself and is sweet, in fact it even makes you feel sorry for them!!!
Oh shame…I sure have been going on hey but just want to leave you with one last thing that keeps popping up in my mind – so I know it’s important!! Heb 13:5 amplified version says “I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” And God has NOT forgotten you, (Isah 44:21, 49:15) He loves you more than you could possibly imagine!!! Yes life has dealt you an extremely hard hand but there is comfort in knowing that nothing we can go through can compare to what Jesus went through on the cross, willingly for us because He loves us!!! He took all our pain on Himself, He bore all our sorrows Isah 53. He was beaten beyond recognition, then whipped with leaded and spiked thongs – the 39 lashes (it is said that some men didn’t survive this lashing!!) and then nailed to a wooden cross naked, all bones pulled out of joint! He punished Himself and took our place!! Who can fathom so great a mystery???
Oh sorry Phil I thought I said I was ending but one last thing – I am an evangelist at heart and have to ask you one very important question – have you ever received or asked Jesus to come into your heart, to forgive you and cleanse you? For the bible says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and “for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” Rom 3:23, 6:23 (not one of us are worthy enough to stand before Him) also “for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” Acts 2:21 and “whom the Son sets free is free indeed John 8:36. You may be in a prison right now (others are legally free but in another kind of prison) but you can be free in your heart no matter where you are! I would encourage you to invite Him into your heart right now, right where you are – God is no respecter of persons – what He has done for me, He can do for you!!!
I truly hope and pray you will receive what I have said (I know I have crammed in an awful lot!!!) and please know that you will be in my prayers…that God will bless and keep you, strengthen and restore you and may His light fill your heart and comfort you!!!
God Bless Jane
