MamaArcher's Blog

A Time of Stretching

These past couple of months the Lord has been stretching me in the area of submission to Him. I will admit it has not been most enjoyable thing, yet knowing that the Lord is at work makes it not the most unenjoyable either. We are currently stationed in Washington state and it is a place we have grown to love for many reasons. We were supposed to be stationed here for another couple of years and we were looking forward to that. God apparently has other plans for us.
When the possiblity of a move came up I cried and prayed and prayed and prayed! I asked many things of the Lord but always that His will would be accomplished. I asked that if it was at all possible that we could stay that we would be allowed to but if not that He would change my heart to be able to embrace what was ahead. I have prayed and explained my side to Him, telling Him all of the reasons why we felt that a move at this time would not be the best for our family. But not my will but Your will I always ended my prayer. I have asked that if we had to go for a slightly different time frame.I prayed for many things, too many to list here and really what I prayed for specifically is not the point.

God answered each and every prayer. Yet He only gave me one answer that I liked!!! Each time I prayed the answer was no. Often people think that if they do not get the answer they want that God really didn’t ever give them one. We must learn to accept when the Lord tells us no and to submit to that. His answer came back over and over again, no.

The one thing that the Lord did answer yes, was to change my heart. I still am grieving the fact that we will be moving cross country to Washington DC and I will miss the area here and the connections we have made and that we will no longer be around family. But I am now excited about the possibilities that await us in our nation’s capital.The Lord has reminded me of a few things throughout this process.

Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD directs his steps.

We can plan and we should plan but am I flexible enough to let the Lord direct my steps if they do not follow that plan?Do I truely believe that the Lord, He is God? Is He truely soveriegn? Does He love me and care for me? YES YES and YES!!

So will I submit to His plan even though it is not what I want or the timing I want or even what I think would be the best? It is time to put my money where my mouth is so to speak. Do I TRUELY believe? True belief and faith always has action! So I am submitting and looking forward to what the Lord will do at this new assignment. Will I still grieve leaving the friends, family, and location? Of course but I am no longer grieving the fact that I will be moving on and following the leading of the Lord, as I once was. I am no longer fighting and to a degree argueing with Him. I am excited to see what God has in store for me and for my family. With submission to the King there comes peace, freedom, comfort, and hope!!

Here are some verses that have been especially meaningful to me this morning.

Ephesians 3:17-21That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.