'Things not working out according to our plans' are not necessarily 'things going wrong'

We have recently put our house up for sale.  My husband has wanted to return to his home town which is about forty miles away, the town we left nearly four years ago to come here.  I thought he was wanting to return to 'memories' as where we are here in West Wales is much more isolated than where we lived in South Wales.   He thought it would be a good idea if we went to view some houses there within our price range,  so on one day we went to view three houses and on another day we viewed four.   Each time he came away disappointed. 
  

Often we can think that just because things do not go according to our plans or timing that things are going wrong, but I do not believe that is necessarily the case.   In fact things have not gone to plan for my husband and myself the whole week, at least not according to the plans that our carnal minds had laid out, and I believe even this fact has emphasized to me what the Lord is showing me.  If we think that the plans that have been formed in our minds are what should have come to pass, then we will experience only frustration and stress because things have not happened that way.  Whereas if we wait on the Lord for His direction and obey His commands to us then we experience peace, knowing that we are doing His will and being obedient.   In John ch. 14 v.15 Jesus says to His disciples 'If you love me, keep my commands'.


For quite some time now I have believed that the Lord has confirmed to me that He will completely heal me from things that have been in my body for over twenty years, and I still believe it.  Just because it has not happened immediately after I believe I was told, it does not mean it is not going to happen.  In fact one of the scriptures that the Lord gave to me when telling me He was going to heal me was 'I waited patiently for the Lord'.   I believe there is a reason for everything 'and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.' Romans ch.8 v.28.  One of my blogger friends wrote in one of her comments, to encourage me in my trial, the scripture 'But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.' Isaiah ch. 40 v..31. 

I also believe that sharing testimony of what the Lord is doing can be encouraging to others who might be going through similar situations.  One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is 'long-suffering' and how can that fruit possibly be produced without hard trials?   Psalm 139 v. 16 says that ' Every day of my life was written in His book before even one of them was formed', and so I know that my times are in His hands and if the Lord has called me to do something that appears to be against the norm of this world, then no matter how the worldly wisdom of the carnal mind will fight against it, I should not worry, because 1 Peter ch. 5 v.7 says for me to 'cast all my cares upon Him because He cares for me.'

The Lord encouraged me some years ago, through a song that I wrote called ' On Hallowed Wing', not to worry about what He will call me to do.  He encouraged me to only obey Him and trust in Him.


On Hallowed Wing

When eagles fly on hallowed wing
to far and distant lands
they are not guided by man's voice
nor lifted by man's hands

They let no deluge hamper them

nor fear the driving snow

for all that would but trouble them

are in the clouds below

On hallowed wing the eagle flies 

its destiny to fulfil

and I must go where the Spirit leads

to do my Saviour's will

So when you do your Father's work

if child of God you be

look to the eagle lifted high

by God's grace given free

Then you will also face life's trials

and surely come to know

that strength will come from God above

and fear stay far below

On hallowed wing, on hallowed wing
the eagle's lifted high
He goes where others fear to tread
and likewise so must I

It is said of Jesus in  Hebrews ch. 5 v.8 'though He was without sin He learned obedience through the things He suffered.'  Matthew ch.26 v.. 39 says that Jesus said  'O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will', and though I will never need to suffer the way He suffered, in order to learn obedience I too say ' Lord, not as I will, but as You will.'  The eagle is a bird that flies far above the clouds, in a place where only the sun is shining.  So too, in Jesus, we can rise above the dark clouds that will come into our lives when we keep our eyes fixed upon the true light of this world, the Son of God - our Lord Jesus.

But my eyes are upon You O God the Lord

Sometimes I can hardly believe the way the Lord is able to strengthen me and encourage me to trust in Him in my weakness.  A few days ago I was feeling very weak in being able to hold on to the Lord's promise to me to completely heal me from the sickness I have had for so long.  My symptoms did not seem to be lessening, although He had removed completely extreme pain in the right side of my head and face - symptoms which the enemy was pointing out could be associated with a problem in my throat which I believe came as a result of a fish bone being lodged there at the beginning of this trial over twenty years ago.  

My mind seemed to be concentrating on the wisdom and ability of the world instead of the wisdom and ability of my God,  I realized that the more I thought this way the more the symptoms started to take over.  I prayed to the Lord according to the scriptures He had given me with the promise.  Psalm 119 vs. 49 and 50  'Remember Your word to me in which You have caused me to hope.  This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your promise brings me life',  and Psalm 40 v.1 'I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined unto me.'

Then the next night I was laying in bed and for some reason it came into my mind how several things have come into my life that have been doubled. I mentioned this to my husband and said how strange it was.  I reminded him about when I had painted a picture with coloured inks on two glass vases .  

I had seen the picture in a book and had liked it because it was of swans, and one of  the things I know about swans is that they are mates for life.  My husband had said to me at one time that when we left this earth he wanted us to leave together holding hands, it had made me smile at the time. 

Shortly after painting the glass vases I was visiting a nearby town with my husband, sister and brother in law.  We were walking around a street market and I noticed a pottery vase for sale with the same picture on it.  I was amazed and bought it.

Laying in bed that night I was reminded also of a picture of a young girl and a book ornament with the same girl in a picture on one side of it and a poem to the left of it.  'Do you remember that picture and the book ornament?' I said to my husband, who by now may well have been asleep as he had not made a sound.  ' I can't remember what the poem was about.'  I thought about these two items, one that I had bought in the same town as I had bought the vase.  I was with the same people and my sister and I had gone into a church where there was a table top sale.  There was an old print of a picture of a young girl sitting outside a door blowing bubbles.

I could vaguely make out the word 'Amy' scratched in the wood at the top of the door.  I liked the picture and I knew that the name 'Amy' means 'loved'.  I just felt there was something about it and so I bought it.   

Some time later  I was at a car boot sale in a different town and came across the book ornament which had a picture of the same girl with a poem written beside it. 

As I lay there in bed that night I tried hard to think what the poem was called and what it was about, but it just would not come to me. I resolved to look at it the next morning, which I did.  Immediately I read the poem I knew why it had been taken from my mind and I had been brought to read it.

The Lord had seen my weakness and was reminding me once again that all things are possible with Him and was encouraging me to have faith to know that He will do what He has promised. Even the meaning of the young girl's name was reminding me that we are loved by the Lord.  It was a beautiful time of strengthening me against the spiritual enemy.

Psalm 141 v.8

But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord;  In You I take refuge;