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