Surrounded

Come relax amongst the chaos
A good few years ago I had a dream, and in this dream myself and my husband were having a drink on what looked like a balcony of a place I didn't recognise. Yet somehow I knew I was in South Africa. The dream didn't last long but while we were proceeding to sit down and enjoy our drink, in the horizon, every where you looked were aircrafts/spaceships surrounding waiting to open fire. Naturally everyone on ground started to frantically panic. All acting like the end had come. Death was at the door. Yet myself and my husband remained calm, and carried on sitting and having a drink. We could see the chaos but the peace inside us, saying we weren't going to die, allowed us to carry on with our day. That's when I woke up. Short but very profound dream. Something that's stayed with me over the years.

Though I may not know why I had that dream, you can relate it too our every day life and how through any opposition that comes our way, the peace of God is enough to take us away from a frantic panic.

Does this happen over night, no. I used to be very frantic in the past, worried about everything. It bothered me so much what people thought. I worried ever so much about the past, present and future. Continuously feeling like I was hitting as brick wall. Till one day I asked God to help me to trust him. And over the years I learnt just that. I am in no way saying I'm the shining example of a person who has it all together, worry free, negative emotion free. No. But I have learnt to let go and let God. Going by the motto it's God's problem not mine. Trusting the fact that everything will be ok. And I won't die until God says my time is up. Just like with the cancer I had this year. Anyone who hears cancer thinks oh no I'm going to die. But a year before, the consultants realised it was cancer in my throat God told me I would have cancer but I wouldn't die. I didn't realised it was God till I got the diagnosis from the consultant. When we get a negative thought we sometime automatically think nope that's from the enemy. So I naturally rebuked it. It's a good job God knows our hearts. You see he used me as his vessel to show those around me that he really has our backs. Some may ask but why would a lovely God allow his people to go through such a horrid time, I in it and through it, was continually being asked, how are you so happy? Why are you so positive?. But the only way I was getting my peace through the chaos was from God. Without my relationship with him I would have been in a pit of despair. No lie.
If I had gone through this year without Jesus as my focus, It would have been a struggle.

Keeping the faith
Even these last few weeks I have been surrounded with what can only be described as a spiritual tornado. Feeling suffocated, tense, confused, saddened, alone yet surround. With thought after thought, like is God really real, what good are you. Nothing about Christianity makes sense (even though I know it does) am I in the right place, why are we even here, I'm just wasting time. God's going to leave me behind. God's using me and then he'll leave me because I don't make the cut to get into heaven. So many things like these, trying to play their way through my mind. Attempting to convince me that they are true. Though in my heart I knew God hadn't left me and I felt his peace. My being was under all this opposition. And God to me felt a million miles away. But there is hope. The bible says submit to God resist the devil and he will flee... James 4 verse 7. As I kept giving it to God and not giving into these lies. The devil did infact give in and flee. You see, I don't believe in God because I'm told to by my parents or the church. No. I believe in God and am willing to face opposition because of my experiences.

My testimony
You see through my life I've experienced God in many ways. From seeing Jesus himself standing in front of me 3 separate times and one other in a vision, to hearing God's voice. Also an unexplainable pair of hand prints on my shoulders while being prayed for, yet no one's was behind me, the people praying were in front and only touching my hands. I've also seen a guys leg grow while he was being prayed for. On our honeymoon, I watched as God sent his Angel to push bens body back over the banister, when I had pushed him with an incredible force I never knew I was capable of. I didn't mean to of course but I needed space during our argument and things got out of hand. This is just what I can think of off the top of my head. And even this is only small yet incredible things compared to what the bible says God can do. I can't deny God because he has shown a small part of the power of Jesus name to me, and It has a transformed my life.

So during the spiritual tornado I felt myself encountering for a short while. I was able to stand firm. Knowing that at the end of it I will be stronger in christ. And no amount of deceitful questioning could wash me away from the firm foundation I am planted on.

If anything I hope reading this encourages you in a way that whenever you feel surrounded. God's peace is enough. And he will never leave you, nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31 verse 8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Let's pray
Father thank you for loving me so much that you would send your son to die on a cross so I can have a relationship with you. Father it's not always easy to keep strong in Faith in the world we live in, but you oh Lord keep us safe and encouraged to go on and to keep fighting the good fight that is life. Father I ask that you fill to overflowing the person reading this with your faithful love and peace. So they experience you on a whole new level that will transform their life. In Jesus precious name amen.