Willing To Be Willing
By Regina Murphy
Synopsis: Responding when a person is heavy on our heart and mind may be just the step of willingness God is looking for.
"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— Joel 2:25
Have you ever spoken with someone from the past and your conversation is so sweet, it seems as if you had never lost touch? A friend from junior high and I lost touch when I got married 12 years ago. I was selfish and we had a miscommunication.
So here I am 12 years later, and this person is heavy on my heart and mind. Not to mention the grief I felt during the separation of a beautiful friendship gone south to what seemed like forevermore. When I would think of “Joy”, I would pray for her and occasionally ask God to restore this relationship, or at least that she would forgive me. I never doubted God would do this. I just didn’t imagine I would glean so much from it or how he would make things happen. He is so awesome!
This summer I got really sick with pain in my lower abdomenm. The doctors determined after multiple testing that I had Crohn’s disease. The symptoms I was having reminded me of my friend “Joy” and her illness/symptoms in our late teens. The Holy Spirit just kept laying on my heart to contact her. I was reluctant. “Lord, I tried this a few years ago and received no reply. You want me to stick my neck out again?” SCAAAREY!
SOOO, I did it. Wrote a letter, sat on it for a week (in case God changed his mind) and then out it went. Into post office oblivion with every ounce of vulnerability and heart strings tied to it. The funny thing is, even though I was so emotionally attached to that letter, I didn’t think about it for two weeks after it left my death grip.
Then one evening I spouted out of no where, “Well, see there Lord, it’s been two weeks and I haven’t heard a thing. I told you so.”
The next day, I kid you not, Joy called me. She didn’t just write me. She called me on the telephone and left me a message and her number! I was so excited, but at the same time scared.
Anyway I called her and we had a wonderful time catching up. She has the same disease I do and we compared notes. It might seem crazy to think of a disease as a blessing, but if the reason for my illness was to reunite me with my friend and Christian soul mate, then I am thankful for it. Joel 2:25 is so true!
Joel 2:25
"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—“
I have seen God restore bug devoured and regurgitated areas of my life!
You see, God knows what he is doing when one of his own suffers.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. - Romans 5:3-4
Say what? Rejoice in sufferings! I find it interesting the word “sever” in the middle of the word perseverance. Many a time I’ve had to sever my thinking to adopt an attitude of perseverance. I think the situation I just described to you falls under this lesson. It’s not that everything bad that happens, like my disease, produces only bad things. In fact, in studying 1 Peter about rejoicing in persecution made me reflect on my own life. There has been some major refining going on in my history, let me tell you. The fire drills have been acomin’, especially lately. This verse from Romans makes me realize these drills are exactly that. Just like a fire drill is preparation, my drills are preparation for my likeness in Christ. Producing perseverance, (severing my own thinking). Character (smoothing out the rough edges), establishing hope in my future and the likeness of Christ.
Copyright © November 3, 2005 – Regina Murphy. All rights reserved.
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