No Shame Here Buddy!

I hope this post does not offend you. That is not my intention at all. Please forgive me if I upset you at all.

We have had a great week. Our family has played games, gone to church, read together, prayed together...These are the days that I want to put in a treasure box. Glory to God.

Several posts ago I wrote "I Got Mama. Phil turned it into a Heartlight Article here. Then this week Phil asked me to do a video testimonial on the article because it fit with the content of the Sunday service. So this week I have thought alot again about "I Got God."

Today the article was run on heartlight.org. A couple of my blog posts have been turned into articles and been sent out to thousands, and each time they have brought comments from some of the people who read them. Most people are kind and encouraging, some just see things differently than I do, which is not a problem, it is hard (maybe impossible) to read any material, a magazine article, the newspaper, or even the Bible, and not have our rose colored glasses tint it in the way that our mind works, bringing into it our background and our experiences.

I received a LONG email today telling me that "he" was shocked that I had such little faith that God might not heal Jack, and if I prayed correctly and believed it in my heart that Jack would be healed. So basically I am doing it wrong, and if Jack is not healed it will be because of my lack of faith. HELLO WHERE IS GOD IN THAT? I have done several bible studies and listened to some wise gifted men and women talk about healing. I pray for healing every day. I have known persons that have lost a child and have prayed until the dying moment for healing, with faith, and boldness, and conviction, humility...I have seen that there are times God chooses to heal those stripes on earth, and times that the healing is complete when He brings his beloved child home to heaven. That child could be 8 or 80.

I went to a seminar, by Rich Atchley, at the ACU Lectures several years ago now, that has prepared some road maps for me to work through some of the thoughts I have. I have referenced it here in the past. One day was on, "When God Chooses to Heal," the second, "When God Chooses Not To Heal." There was good information on both days. One of the days Rick spoke of people who had not been healed of afflictions. These people had come from denominations that believed that the faith of the afflicted was not strong enough, they were treated like it was their own fault that they were not healed. They had been shamed, ridiculed and eventually left that church with self esteem's that were so low, they felt like they had done something wrong. Where is God in that scenario? Where is Jesus? Where's the love?

By His stripes you are healed. Those are words I hear on occassion, and that were spoken to me in the letter I received. I love the power in those words, the words give you a visualization of Jesus on the cross, stripes of blood where he was whipped, for you and me. Were those stripes so we could live without bodily affliction or were those stripes for our spiritual affliction? I say spiritual affliction. When we call on Jesus and the power of His blood, we gain salvation, we gain the Holy Spirit, we are confidant that God will be faithful to us through our valleys. When David called on God to save his son, born of Bathsheba, he had a faith that I can not even fathom (that is Old Testament I do realize).

If I had not pleaded, prayed, believed and loved God's word over the last 15 years, I might have taken the letter's words to heart and owned that shame that was put on me. But I claim Jesus as My Savior and each day of my life I will claim Him as King, and I will never presume that I know what is best. People can be reached, the lost saved, hearts encouraged, bonds formed, through each our lives, and sometimes it is the valley's that speak the loudest to the hurting. As a mom, I pray that Jack is healed, but one day he will be healed forever, as we will all die someday, no matter how hard we pray. Unless you are like that really old man in the Old Testament that God just lifted up to heaven, what was his name?

God hears my prayers through His son Jesus, God loves Jack, God will hear my prayers and He will be faithful. Faithful doesn't mean He fixes our lives to suit us, He fixes our lives, so we can be closer to Him. God will continue to hear my prayers, I will continue to ask for healing, God can do whatever He chooses, He can make a miracle with the blink of an eye, or the breath of His words, but I will be a humble servant that follows His will for my life, and I will not take on shame that died with the cross.

Glory Halleluiah. This prayer just came in from a sweet email from a woman with alot of her own struggles. She shared with me her inspiring and victorious battles. This prayer was at the bottom of her email. I say yes and amen to these words.

Holy and Almighty God, King of the Ages, you alone live in
complete wisdom, justice, and grace. Please help me to know what
time it is in my life and the role you want me to play at this
stage of my journey. I want my life to be lived glorifying you. In
Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.

God is good.

Comments

Sarah said…
I am SO proud of you for your godly attitude toward all of that -- YES, one day, NONE of us will deal with the pain and heartache of this world: "Because He Lives"!!

He is alive and well in you, my friend. Thank you for showing me Him regularly.
Amen and Amen! If our faith heals us, then who could possibly have enough faith? It puts the miracle of healing on our shoulders and also takes the choice away from God (my opinion of course). If healing depends on our AMOUNT of faith, it becomes a measure of our faith. Then, doesn't faith become works? Where does grace fit in?

I participated in a Beth Moore study last fall that explains God's response to our prayers during a fiery storm in three ways (her opinion of course). He may choose to deliver us "form" the fire, he may choose to deliver us "through" the fire, or he may deliver us "by" the fire into the arms of Jesus. Any of the three ways, He is glorified!

"Can you fathom the mysteries of God?
Can you probe the limits of the almighty?" Job 11:7

We cannot understand. It is not possible.

I am so happy to find your blog. Sarah recognized my blog from a comment I made on the LPM blog. Small world!

I loved your video this morning! (I wanted to say something to you after class but my family was in a hurry!) You seem to have a peace that could only come from God.

Hope to get to talk to you soon.

P.S. Enoch, it was Enoch! Gen 5:23
Oh that we could walk as he did!
Anonymous said…
Tammy, thanks for these eloquently-worded thoughts. You really bring this subject into wonderfully clear focus.
In our home church this evening we fervently prayed for you and your family, as we have been doing for several weeks.
Tammy M. said…
Thanks for you comments! Angela - Enoch, I knew it was an "E" name, thanks for the answer. Mike your churches continued prayers are so appreciated. Sarah - amen to your first paragraph.
AbbieCRAZY said…
Preach it, sista! Who am I that I should question God? Angela's right - I don't want to put that healing on a person (especially me!)

The day isn't far away when we will all live in perfection - we will be healed. We will lie on the Heavenly Beach and praise God that Jack, Nana, ALL our children, our parents, everybody can hang out together. And our bodies will look good in those bikinis!
Anonymous said…
Amen to all the comments....and especially to your words!

Some things in this life we will never understand....but we do know that God is great all the time....but sometimes it's life that's not. Keep praying and keep showing the love and strength that you have shown during these last couple of years. You are a blessing to all who know you personally and to those of us who "know" you through this blog.

Blessings, Linda L.
Amy said…
Hi, Tammy...my name is Amy and I find you an amazing woman. I am a fried of Jessica, which is how I found you. Today I read an inspirational comment from you on her blog. EVERY time I check in on you, your post brings tears to my eyes. You are so insighful! As the mother of four children I want to say "Thank you" for showing me the true definition of spirit-filled, Christ focused, and bravery!
Whoa. Those kind of self-appointed judges make me so sad, thinking they are inspiring faith, but in reality are delivering discouragement. I think we miss that even though He IS ABLE (He is all-powerful) to heal (so we pray believing), sometimes God's answer is to go "through" it, not just be delivered "from" it. May I embrace His plan for me (or my children) with grace and faith as you have with yours.

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