Hello everyone.
Maybe I've inspired you. If so I'm glad.
May you continue to seek, grow, live and learn God loves you.
The Encouragement and Support You Desire Has Always Been Right Here With you,
Waiting on You.
"My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalms 121:2"
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8"
I have loved you with an everlasting love." Jeremiah 31:3
I just finished reading the book Susanna by Glen Williamson, the story of Susanna Wesley.
I hope to read more books like this one soon.
Susanna Wesley was the mother of John and Charles Wesley, She was pregnant 17 times, two sets of twins both died, 6 others died right after birth, of the 9 living, 1 dies while she is in childbirth, most of all the girls have bad marriages or no marriage, but through all the hardships of poverty, great debt and great sorrow throughout their lives both Susanna and her husband, Samuel, stayed strong in their faith and convictions.
The lessons I learned from reading this book are, in my opinion, unmeasurable. Throughout the past 8 years, I have WANTED and LONGED to find someone to understand that I have given everything, every aspect of my life over to God. He is in control and we should trust in Him.
I have not found that person yet, nor do I think I ever will.
I do not know another person in East Texas that believes as I do. I'm sure they are out there, but for whatever reason, God has kept us from each other. I guess he needs to deal with each of us in His own way and in His own time. Maybe, when we are ready, he'll bring us together.
Reading the book, talking to other couples, I observed how Susanna Wesley and her husband Samuel a minister, and my own minister and his wife share nothing personal about their lives with anyone but God. They take everything to God. They don't share their burdens or their problems with anyone but each other and God.
Other than my occasional writing, I'm beginning to feel that is what God is asking of me.
It's like, "Amy, you've been looking in the wrong places for your support and encouragement. Come to ME!"
God is to be my best friend in the whole universe next to my husband. God and my husband should be the ones I talk everything over with. God should be the one I take every need, desire, want, and petition to.
In my case, I often lack patience, contentment, trust and security. These are the things I've learned to ask God for.
"Lord please give me the peace that passeth all understanding. Help me to remain strong in my faith. Please continue to give me patience, contentment, knowledge and wisdom. Help me to be a good wife, mother and friend. Take all my hurts and past scars and fill me with your loving grace. Guide me in the way I should go dear Lord. I am yours and you are mine. Thank you Lord for choosing me and loving me." Amen
I'm posting less and less now. But my friendship with God and my husband are growing. I desire to know God better through his Word and through my prayer time. My husband and I are learning to be life long friends now, even if we don't agree on everything, we are learning to have a little grace with each other and we talk to God a lot!
Do I still want a friend to visit with? Yes, of course.
Do I absolutely need others to understand me? No, I have God and I have my husband.
God as blessed me with so much, my salvation, my husband, my children, and God meets all of our needs. I stand in awe at the works of his hands.
He fills me with his Words, especially Psalms,& Proverbs, and most of the books written by Paul, I love listening to Christian music and being inspired by the Holy Spirit through the words of the music.
I pray and I watch, I listen and I learn, and slowly, ever so slowly, only in God's timing,
The emptiness I once felt is slowly being replaced by a love and grace and peace that no human could ever give,
My greatest support and encouragement in what I feel called and led to do comes from God.
I hope these words have inspired you to go to God first.
I'm not saying don't write to us here or don't email each other.
We always like hearing from each other.
I'd love to visit personally with each and everyone one of you in my own home. I love having people in my home to talk things over with them.
But in these most hardest issues of personal convictions and issues concerning one's calling and beliefs,
I'm learning the one who will encourage you and support you the most is the one who did the calling in the first place;
God the father, Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord
You are going to have obstacles.
People are going to be cruel, insensitive, downright rude.
Some may think you've gone nuts, crazy, fanatical, etc.
It doesn't matter what other people think, say or do.
Keep your eyes on Christ, make Jesus the center of your life.
As women, be devoted to God, your husbands and your families.
Stay strong in your faith and your convictions that you are doing exactly what God has planned for you to do.
What's right for me may not be right for you, and that's ok. God has a special plan for each of us.
We all have special jobs to do within the body to work together in Christ for the glory of the Lord.
Not all of us can be a foot or an eye.
Not all of us are called to be stay at home moms, home-schoolers or keepers at home.
You are always going to run into people who do not understand your choices or your life...... But you don't understand theirs either.
One of the greatest things I think I will someday accomplish is when I mature enough in Christ to love everyone despite our differences and disagreements. I'm not there yet, I humbly admit that. I'm still wanting everyone to understand me, but maybe someday................
For now, it's a season of isolation time, as I learn to lean first, and foremost, on God for my support, encouragement and strength and second, on my husband as we grow old together.
To God be the Glory,
Amy Wingfield
wingfieldfamily@cablelynx.com
http://www.anotherblessing.com/
"Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
"You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry," Psalms 10:17
"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. " Deuteronomy 8:3
"My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalms 121:2
" The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8
" I have loved you with an everlasting love." Jeremiah 31:3
3 comments:
Amy, how profound indeed. Just what I needed to hear, thank you.
Hi Amy,
You have provided us with pregnancy tests for years, thanks!
I'm a direct descendant of Susanna Wesley, Charles was my 5 greats grandfather. I love hearing and reading stories of her.
What I really wanted to comment on was your question, where do you find support and encouragement. I think that ultimately you are right, God is our support and comfort and next to that our husband and children. I also realize that God has called each person down their own path.
That said, there is something amazing and wonderful about the body of Christ uplifting and encouraging each other throughout our earthly walk. I have posted a little about this on my blog. Our family has been peculiarly blessed with close, like-minded friends. I speak of them in this post. Then He called us away from that home. Here in Knoxville, we have been once again blessed with like-minded friends, but from a much wider background of beliefs and churches. My husband felt led to have me start a group for mom's and through that God has expanded our horizons and has brought sweet, encouraging friends to us in our new hometown. Also, our children have gained new friendships.
Anyway, I don't know if you would be interested in our experiences, but they are available if you would like.
Thank you for all you do.
Blessings,
Kimberly
Amy,
I'm going back reading your blog posts and this one really struck me today.
It seemed that all my childhood, I was searching for a best friend but none ever materialized. I WAS close to my mother, but mostly I would go to God and cry out to him in my closet or in my diary. He always made me feel loved. But still I looked for a best "earthly" friend. I thought I found it in my husband when we met when we were in high school and we have stayed together despite many ups & downs. He has been one of the most consistent people I have ever known. However, I sometimes want him to be all things to me and feel disappointed when we don't share the same interests, get excited about the same things, etc.
A friend pointed out once that you can't expect your spouse to be your "everything" and that you can find different fulfilling aspects/things in common with many different friends...no one is going to be the "complete" package. And so I have surrendered to that, though I still long for my husband to be "my everything." I really think he is as close as is humanly possible. ;-)
But there IS someone that is "everything", the "complete package." And that is God. When I feel lonely or longing, I have to remind myself that He is there. That He knows everything I love and want. He is "everything."
It's a really hard lesson to learn, and relearn. I wish I could say I got it, but I don't. But I think there must be a reason that God put us here with other people...not only to teach us, for procreation ;-), but also to show each other love and companionship...maybe not perfectly as He can, but in a way that can fulfill us nonetheless...as long as we also stayed plugged into Him.
Thanks for your post. Though it was a year ago, it really made me think today. :-)
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