Storm-Tossed Family Part 1

It wasn’t supposed to go like this……

I’m reading the book

Storm-Tossed Family

We are storm-tossed. 

I was really complaining to the Lord the other day.  The situation I have prayed about and poured the most energy of my life into, was looking grim. 

The things that are happening are the exact opposite of how I have prayed and envisioned.

As I was pouring out my heart, I felt the Lord so kindly remind me, that He has heard those prayers and THIS situation is exactly what He is using to answer those prayers.

 He doesn’t do things the way we envision.

 He isn’t interested in keeping up appearances, or our timeline, He is interested in our hearts and faith and trust in Him.

There have been several things over the last 15 years that we felt totally led by God to do, or get involved in.

 None of them have turned out the way we envisioned. 

They all actually turned out “storm-tossed” and messed up in a lot of ways.

All the scenarios were different, some were ministry related, some were family / relational and some were business / financial.

 Not one of them went the way we envisioned or planned.

Every situation was harder, messier, and took much longer than we thought. 

So when I hear people say, “Follow Jesus and you will have health and wealth and all you ever dreamed of.”

I just want to yell,

“FAKE NEWS.”

But, when I hear, “ Follow Jesus, count the cost, take up your cross, deny yourself,” I want to yell,

“GOOD NEWS.”

When Jesus came and told His disciples to “follow me” it didn’t go the way they thought either.  It went from miracles, healings and crowds of people, to death on a cross, and everyone scattering and

THEN

healing and

 RESURRECTION.

We want the picture perfect family, with the caption,

We followed Jesus and look at how great we are.

 

Instead, we get real life chaos, 

with the caption,

We found the greatest treasure in the entire world, His name is Jesus.

He is our greatest JOY!!!

 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 The Message (MSG)

^7-12 If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!