Last night I was part of an incredible Twitter praise party. We raced around shouting praises in 140 character spurts while we texted each other and laughed and cried. This spontaneous praise party came about when we heard that Joanne opened one eye.
Let me back up, Joanne is a 38 year old wife & Mom of two who suffered a major stroke on January 11th. But Joanne is so much more than that. She’s a fellow believer and lover of Jesus. She’s sassy and bold. She’s real and she’s fun. She’s a girl who I ‘talk’ with through twitter, facebook and her blog, The Simple Wife. Joanne is the thread that has stitched together a community of believers and made us one amazing crazy quilt!
When news of Joanne’s stroke made it to twitter and facebook, it was like a bomb went off. The tweets and facebook posts called for prayer. And oh how the prayers went up. We prayed for miracles. For recovery. For doctors, nurses, staff and we prayed for the family. For her husband and daughters. For her parents and sister. We prayed as her friend and as a sister in the faith. We prayed. Oh, how we prayed. And we’re still praying.
I specifically prayed for the BIG miracle. I prayed for Joanne to wake up. But more than that, I prayed that she would be fully recovered. I prayed that regardless what the medical community said, she would have no effects – she would be just like she was before.
I prayed this alone when it was just me and God and I prayed it with groups of women as we gathered via phone and computer. I prayed for the BIG MIRACLE.
I prayed for the WHOLE SHEBANG…. and last night when I read Joanne opened one eye and was trying to open the other I thought don’t get too excited just yet. And then it hit me… do I not TRUST Him?
I want to trust Him, but I can’t let myself go completely. What if He lets me down? What if we don’t get the Big Miracle? What then? Lord, Your reputation is on the line here. These people are expecting a miracle and You need to deliver one.
Whoa! God does NOT need me to protect His image. His reputation will be just fine without my help. God does NOT grant promises like a Genie in a bottle.
I wasn’t protecting God, I was protecting me. I didn’t want to HOPE and then see those hopes dashed when God didn’t give me what I prayed for.
Because sometimes God doesn’t do things the way I want them done – shocking, I know. Sometimes I don’t understand His ways – like when a 38 year old wife & Mom is struck down by a massive stroke.
But I know this — His ways are not my ways and His will is perfect. I know this because His Word says it’s so.
So while I still don’t understand His ways and I never will this side of Heaven, I trust God has an incredible plan. I place ALL my hope in Him because He alone is my hope – not a wishful thinking, but a certainty of my faith in Him.
It’s in this HOPE that I will stand. God is in control.
Praise His HOLY NAME!
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Col. 1:27
Mary,
I’m so grateful to hear the wonderful news about Joanne. It was nearly two years ago that God stopped me at my kitchen table and said, “You say you trust Me, but you don’t trust people so you don’t trust Me.”
BIG. OL’. OUCH. MOMENT.
I wanted to argue. I wanted to dispute His statement to me there at the kitchen table. But, then I stopped and thought about all the times I would hide, pretend and pray the skeletons would stay locked in that closet in my head so no one would have the opportunity to hurt me with my own story, with my own heart. God began that year working out His trust in me. I have been a girl consume by at times paralyzing and destructive fear – because I did not trust God.
A few months ago I discovered that fear was gone. I am not flying around in stress induced insanity trying to manage and fix everything as I go along. I instead am instead opening my heart to God in every area of my life and as I pray asking Him to give me understanding when “on earth as it is in heaven” does not look like my prayer request. Stay with it Mary. He is up to something – always His glory, and always our good. Love you bunches.
Amen… praying and expecting with you… the BIG. 🙂 ((((((hugs))))))
I just got of Joanne Blog and cried, Then I come to this blog and cry some more because of the saying of how Joanne has brought a community together and brought us to gether and made one crazy quilt that made me smile and also brought tears to my eyes because I have never reached out thru the internet just on Beth Moore blog and now I have got to know more people like you MARY thru the conf prayer for Joanne and I have talked about you all to my church family and I talk like I have know you all forever I just want to say thanks so much for allowing to be able to be part of that prayer chain on the phone my faith has been stretch by this whole entire thing. It has been amazing and to have that big old party on twitter last night that was awesome So again I want to say thanks You all Rock
Carol
So looking forward to this evening’s time of prayer and praise! Thank you again for organizing the webinars. Thank you for your post, too – very inspirational. We serve a Great God!
In Christ –
Paige.
Missed the praise party b/c I was at MADE to Crave but girl, I am PRAISING HIM THIS MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my goodness I was soooooooooooooooo excited when I heard the news of her amazing progress. JJ and I have both been praying since we read about Joanne’s stroke. We both went into mild shock. How could this happen? How sudden life can turn completely upside down. How Lord? How?
Oh He is greater. He is stronger. He is mighty and worthy of our faith and praise. I am so glad you were so honest about your struggle to hope and believe. I’ve been there girl and it’s such a hard place where we can lock out the possibilities of God’s movement in our lives and faith.
I love you girl. The Jesus in me smiles every time I see or hear from the Jesus in you!! Here’s to calorie-free Grapico in Heaven and fun times next week in Charlotte!!