And After You Have Done Everything, To Stand

Good Morning!


Hope you are all well.


As promised, here is the next instalment.


When I think about when this all started, for me, I think it started almost 2 years ago. That probably isn't what you expected me to say, but let me explain.


I like to go to the evening service at our church, it's my time out, opportunity to recharge and I feel able to focus on God in a way that I find harder in the family service and during the busy week. During one of these services nearly 2 years ago I decided to go for prayer. The lady who was praying for me felt God saying that our armour (mine and Owen's spiritual armour, in case you weren't sure! Ephesians 6:10-18), was strong and that it was going to be proved. That there would come a time where it would put to the test to show how strong it was...hmmm! This can only mean one thing! That we were going to go through a flipping hard time! That was the first indication that something tough was on its way.


The second indication was maybe 3 or 4 months ago. Again, while I was in the evening service, I had a picture of myself kneeling on the beach in the shallow waves. Above me and on the horizon were enormous storm clouds. I mean huge!
The song 10 000 Reasons seemed to link with this picture also.


And the third indication came when I shared this picture with a friend the next morning and she had also had a picture that she thought was perhaps for us. Her picture was of a ship caught in the middle of a stormy sea, being knocked around by the ocean. For the people on the boat it felt like there was no hope, but in the distance the lighthouse is searching for the boat and finds it. There is new hope as the lighthouse keeper knows where they are and will keep them in his sights. They can relax as there is promise of safety and solid ground, the lighthouse keeper won't let them drown. 


These three things combined prepared me for the fact that something pretty major was on its way.
After the first word from God about our armour it was on my mind for a while, waiting to see what might be coming! In hindsight, that was probably a bit foolish, as with God timing is just a smidge unpredictable! So when these two storm pictures came nearly two years later I knew I had to trust in God's timing and just know that whatever it was would come at the right time and that God would carry us through.


I remember saying to my friend that the storm clouds I saw in my picture looked exciting, terrible, but exciting! There was beauty in them. Wow! And I can tell you for a fact that there is, God is good and he is carrying us through while showing us the incredible beauty that can come in such a time as this.


Until next time I pray God's blessing on you all.


Much love


Rachael xx

Dear Friends and Family,


I hope this finds you all well and enjoying life.


Firstly I would like to thank all those of you who have been praying for us, you have no idea how much we appreciate your prayers and support. So, thank you! 


Secondly, I would like to explain how I come to find myself writing to you all in this way. A couple of weeks I ago I read a blog, I can't remember what it was about, probably children or marriage...or both! Anyhow, while I was reading this article it got me to thinking about how blogging is a great way to tell a story to a lot of people at once. I began to wonder if it would be a good idea to start writing our story in this way so that you might be able to see how your prayers are being answered and how God is at work in our lives.
It turns out that as you contemplate writing down your daily life experiences, feelings and faith (or lack of) for all to see, a certain amount of anxiety begins to slip in! So I prayed that if it was of God, if this wondering and desire to write was from Him, that He would prompt someone else to suggest it to me. You'll never guess what happened only a couple of days later! While chatting with a friend about where things were at I mentioned that I had been writing it all down so that I could record all that God had been doing in the midst of it all. Her first comment was, "Rach, have you ever considered writing a blog? I think you'd be really good at it!".


And so here we are! Sometimes it's just about being obedient isn't it and ignoring your feelings of fear about something. Trusting the One who has called you to it, knowing that he will give you all you need to make it happen.
I hope to tell you our story over the coming days, weeks, months. From the beginning of course! The story of how we have come to find ourselves in the place we are right now, awaiting results for multiple brain scans and a date for brain surgery in the coming month.


I hope that I will be able to tell it well, to do justice to all that God has and is doing.


I will post the first instalment in the next few days.


Much love and God Bless


Rachael xx