Unbroken promise

 Hi everyone I know it's been a while since my last blog entry, you see God has taken me and my family through quite the rollercoaster. For a while I had writers block. I had no idea what to say but tonight while trying to sleep, I had a overwhelming sense to talk about the promises of God. I'm not going to start talking about the promises written in the bible all though each one is valid, beautiful and true on their own. What's on my heart are the unsung promises. You know, those you've been waiting for so long to come to pass. The ones where you could so easily just give up on. Them ones. Hallelujah. 

Let me take you on the journey we've just had, and in fact we are still going through because the process isn't over. But the giant, daunting hurdle that was the be all or end all in the process, that's done and dusted. Hallelujah, praise be to God. 

To make sense of the process we as a family have been through, it would make sense to give you the back story. You see when my husband was 21 God first called him to become a vicar of the church of England. At the time though my husband didnt find this calling very appealing and ran the opposite direction. No thanks God! Id rather not type attitude. Well that was that, his journey continued where eventually he met me and we now have four beautiful girls. Praise God. 

Bringing you back up to our present reality. Around six to eight years back my husband received the calling again. This time he didn't run. Praise God. The process of discernment to find out whether God has called him to ordained ministry began. As his wife I always sense he was destined for leadership in a church I just wasn't sure which demonination or how it would come about. Little did we know right at the beginning that we were about to embark on a very exhausting yet growth worthy adventure that would change our lives forever. 

In 2020 in a dream God showed me that my husband would be in his first position after college training when our daughter hits 14 which to anyone this would sound insane and still would as she's not 14 for another two years (2026). But at the time I received the dream we had six years to wait. The discernment process isn't six years long. In fact we could have been through the discernment process, done the study training and starting curacy right now I reckon. But God used those four years to build both of us up and put us as individuals and as a family through various scenarios that taught us valuable lessons and truths. 

Forward on a little bit and I will be very honest with you, I struggled to see why God wanted us a family to go through training with the church of England. When you get to know us and see us, the church of England wouldn't be the demonination you'd pin us too if you were to hypothetically guess. Pentecostal yes, the Anglican church no! Whereas when I've look at some people we've come across that are pondering the idea of going down the discernment process I would think to myself yep, I can see you as a vicar. That of course I know is my judgement on outward appearances. And well we read in the bible that before King David was anointed king, his brother's who were more suited for the job, God said no! God doesn't look at outward appearances he looks at the heart and though David was small and the youngest of the brothers, God picked him. Though I may never know why God wants us in the church of England, one thing for sure if God has done is made it obvious to me that the church of England is this families calling. During a meal we were having with friends, the conversation was flowing, laughter to be heard, good times. Bam smack in the middle of our time with our friends God stops me. God stops me and shows me a very clear image of my husband in a vicars outfit. It was in that moment any doubt vanished within me. It was clear, 100%. And despite what everything looked like, despite the disbelief of others. I held onto that promise shown in both the dream and the image. Knowing in my heart that no matter what things looked like God was going to make it possible. 

 2 Corinthians 12: 9-11

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

My husband is severely dyslexic so there was doubts he'd make it passed stage one interviews in the discernment process but just like the verses above says, in our weakness he is strong. And in my husband's weakness Gods power became strong. He passed that stage one worth flying colours. Hallelujah praise be to God. But it wasn't over. The final hurdle! Stage two. Stage two being the part of the process that can send you to training. Daunting!!!!! But while gripping onto the promise of the dream and the image God had shown me as I spoke about previous, provided me the hope I needed even when we were kept back a year to reflect on how we respond even when opposition comes against your loved ones. 

Exhausted, frustrated, yet never giving up on God. We ploughed through that extra year as we waited for stage two to finally creep it's way in sight. The time arrived!!! Hallelujah praise be to God. Prayers of all that we knew that would and could pray we're going up for my husband. Both excitement and total Nerves being felt by all. 

But you know when God has a calling on someones life he doesn't neglect the rest of the family. He sorts everyone out. You see my husbands interviews were a Wednesday and Thursday in may this year (2024), that Saturday I got invited to a ladies conference. And to this day I am convinced that if I had not gone I would have been nervous all week as we awaited the answer to whether he passed or not. But God knew and he caused some fabulous ladies to invite me to a ladies conference to which I went and all day long God reassured me that he's got this under control and the only word on my mind all day was pass. I knew he'd passed even though we still had a week to wait for the answer. To paint you a picture I had such a spring in my step, reassuring my husband it is well. It sure was well, he did in fact pass. Hallelujah praise be to God. Even though we still have a long way to go, I find myself in absolute awe of God because he has shown us all the way through the process that he's in control and has been faithful to deliver regardless to how our circumstances looked. Believe me, all looked impossible. Just like king David, he didn't look like a king, the bible tells us he wasn't like his brother's most handsome, smart, strong. Yet God used that shepherd boy to become a mighty King still known and talked to this day. My husband being severely dyslexic, and the disbelief of others because he wasn't Anglican enough (we know that wasn't meant as a insult, but as a compliment) all the opposition we faced over the years. Just made seeing what God sees all the more harder. But it's a good job God doesn't go from our point of view. He goes from his own, he knows exactly what he is doing, what he in capable of, and what it'll take. Nothing and I mean nothing is impossible for God. I look forward to writing a blog with the update of finally reaching the job of my husband being a vicar. But for now I want to share what's happened so far.. in the hopes that whatever promises God has laid on our life, whatever it is you are holding onto. That seems far fetched. Impossible. I pray this encourages you to keep going, keep praying, keep praising in the good and the bad times. God is good, God bless 

Let's pray

Father God I thank you  for being so faithful and true in our lives regardless to whether we remain faithful and trusting. Your love is pure, your promises are true. And your persistence in our lives is incredible. I thank you for not giving up. Help my brother and sister reading this to remain strong in the promises you have given them, that one day they'll reap the bountiful fruit that comes from the unfoldong on your promises in Jesus name amen