Your story hits very close to home. As a small, fear full, immigrant boy I was a disappointment to my parents and teachers. I felt my prospects were slim to none. My only relief was alcohol and drugs. I finally fell exhausted and defeated at the feet of the Hound of Heaven. I’m weeping even now as I remember that rescue. What could He possibly do with this piece of junk? Like the demoniac of the tombs of Gerasene (my favorite story), I now sit , clothed and in my right mind, at the feet of Jesus. God doesn’t own a clock, so while others retire I was ordained into service in the Anglican Church. God has sent me to places I would never have thought to go, but fear is just some of the raw material He uses to build anew. And I too now have friends, with intimacy that makes me tremble, because it pierces my lifelong “defense” systems. And my story isn’t over yet! What can separate us from the love of God? Not a thing!
Praise God! He writes such beautiful stories. I LOVE this: "fear is just some of the raw material He uses to build anew." I've been so convicted over the years by the "raw material" God works with--it's so often what I'm quick to throw away.
Thank you for sharing your homecoming story! God is so good and faithful to swoop us up and hold us in our most broken spaces, without judgement, questions, or frustration. He knows his creation and he knew he would save all who ask. I appreciate that Yahweh continues to use you and your story today, serving His people.
Hearing loss affected many in my mother’s family including me. I first realized it. when I started school . It was post lingual so I could speak well, but was missing some. Of course, I always felt different, awkward and left out. However I kept going and trusting. By college, I wanted to be a nurse . I really wondered if I would even get accepted to nursing school. The interview went well—I confided my concerns to the school. I was accepted!
It opened up a ministry of serving and learning. Only because of faith leading me on.
Today I have an added blessing. My cochlear implant has helped me feel almost normal in conversation! I am so grateful! God blesses.
I rejoice with you, Laura. A limitation became a strength and an opportunity to minister to many in the occupation you serve in, all while you are learning and growing in faith! I love that! Yahweh is so very good and generous. Yes, we must take the step into fear, to only find God right there with us, making the path. My heart is lifted!
Growth in faith comes in many forms, physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. I am a wheelchair user. I truly feel like I can do anything I want to if I think about it enough and create the adaptions or the team. However, that is not true in all areas of my life. My marriage of 33 years ended. I have been in a place of emotional healing and recovery for several years. I have found that fear resides in my emotions that must be surrendered to Yahweh, a loving, gentle, understanding, helper. In this space I walk. I walk with a slow pace, and with hope. I know the paths we have traversed before. I am not in a race and I will find faith and healing here too.
I read a large portion of this to my daughter. She struggles with friends. I did too at her age. I remember walking to Scott Hall and asking God for friends. He did so - abundantly. My cup runneth over. It was good I think for her to hear that same message of hope from someone else. Thank you for sharing that.
To answer your question, I too could tell dozens of stories where God made strength from my weakness. To make a very long story very short, I’ve done so many things I swore I’d never do. I can’t imagine what 20-year-old Jennifer Stevenson would have said if she found out 45-year-old Jennifer Simmons would be a divorced teacher with a master’s degree, but here we are. I’m grateful God is the author of my story.
When my husband, Nate and I walked through the treacherous fire of grief losing our sweet boy Nehemiah. He was born sleeping at 9months. Our marriage was already on the crackling rocks that you hear as one is falling off a cliff. Turns out, God camps out at cliffs. He took broken people in a broken situation and blew sovereign love, hope, faith, restoration, and peace into us. We tell of our wounds so that people will know wholeness comes by way of wounds sometimes. Oh how sweet and kind is he.
I started to write a story the day this question was asked, but got interrupted, and then my computer rebooted so I lost it. I'm catching up on missed days today and want to try again.
Several years ago, my husband and I co-led a small group on parenting. Our children were already grow, so we saw ourselves as the been-there, done-that fill-ins, in case the regular hosts couldn't make it.
So I was taken aback one night when the lesson broke me. I went up to my bedroom and cried out to the Lord, "Is there any way you can make something beautiful of the mess I made of our kids?"
The Spirit immediately brought to mind "beauty for ashes" so I searched my Bible app for the verse (Isaiah 61:3) and decided to read the whole chapter for context.
Isaiah 61 starts with a passage that Jesus quotes, so I immediately knew he was speaking to me. The entire chapter nourished my soul and gave me hope and encouragement that God could, in fact, make something beautiful of my children. I don't know if I misinterpreted the passage, but I took great comfort in them being called "oaks of righteousness." I wept!
The chapter ends with a reference to a garden, so you can imagine my surprise when my daughter called the next morning to say, "Mom, I planted a garden." More tears!
My weakness definitely revealed God's strength and has given me eyes to see what He is doing in all of us!
This is an overwhelming section. As I went to each person you listed and read their stories - I was exhausted and weepy. What courage and fortitude. I mean - giving your child up as a little boy……I struggle to comprehend that and doubt my ability to do it. I walked that valley in a different way, as my son had cancer when he was 11, and went thru a year of treatment thru St Jude Children’s Hospital. He is well and healthy now - but that fear of losing him never leaves my heart. It changed me forever. This list of warriors for God and what they did is mind boggling. I’ve got to sink into this some more.
This resonated with me: “There is no doubt I am strong in friends, but don’t ask me for advice. I have been made strong in my weakness.”
I recently experienced great loss and several people have mentioned that I’m handling it well…they’re proud of me…maybe I can lead a support group one day…. Honestly, I don’t have any answers or advice as to how I’m handling it “well” (still not sure what that means). I’m simply doing the best I can on a day to day basis and assume the Lord is giving me strength in weakness.
Your story hits very close to home. As a small, fear full, immigrant boy I was a disappointment to my parents and teachers. I felt my prospects were slim to none. My only relief was alcohol and drugs. I finally fell exhausted and defeated at the feet of the Hound of Heaven. I’m weeping even now as I remember that rescue. What could He possibly do with this piece of junk? Like the demoniac of the tombs of Gerasene (my favorite story), I now sit , clothed and in my right mind, at the feet of Jesus. God doesn’t own a clock, so while others retire I was ordained into service in the Anglican Church. God has sent me to places I would never have thought to go, but fear is just some of the raw material He uses to build anew. And I too now have friends, with intimacy that makes me tremble, because it pierces my lifelong “defense” systems. And my story isn’t over yet! What can separate us from the love of God? Not a thing!
Praise God! He writes such beautiful stories. I LOVE this: "fear is just some of the raw material He uses to build anew." I've been so convicted over the years by the "raw material" God works with--it's so often what I'm quick to throw away.
Thank you for sharing your homecoming story! God is so good and faithful to swoop us up and hold us in our most broken spaces, without judgement, questions, or frustration. He knows his creation and he knew he would save all who ask. I appreciate that Yahweh continues to use you and your story today, serving His people.
Hearing loss affected many in my mother’s family including me. I first realized it. when I started school . It was post lingual so I could speak well, but was missing some. Of course, I always felt different, awkward and left out. However I kept going and trusting. By college, I wanted to be a nurse . I really wondered if I would even get accepted to nursing school. The interview went well—I confided my concerns to the school. I was accepted!
It opened up a ministry of serving and learning. Only because of faith leading me on.
Today I have an added blessing. My cochlear implant has helped me feel almost normal in conversation! I am so grateful! God blesses.
I rejoice with you, Laura. A limitation became a strength and an opportunity to minister to many in the occupation you serve in, all while you are learning and growing in faith! I love that! Yahweh is so very good and generous. Yes, we must take the step into fear, to only find God right there with us, making the path. My heart is lifted!
Growth in faith comes in many forms, physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. I am a wheelchair user. I truly feel like I can do anything I want to if I think about it enough and create the adaptions or the team. However, that is not true in all areas of my life. My marriage of 33 years ended. I have been in a place of emotional healing and recovery for several years. I have found that fear resides in my emotions that must be surrendered to Yahweh, a loving, gentle, understanding, helper. In this space I walk. I walk with a slow pace, and with hope. I know the paths we have traversed before. I am not in a race and I will find faith and healing here too.
I read a large portion of this to my daughter. She struggles with friends. I did too at her age. I remember walking to Scott Hall and asking God for friends. He did so - abundantly. My cup runneth over. It was good I think for her to hear that same message of hope from someone else. Thank you for sharing that.
To answer your question, I too could tell dozens of stories where God made strength from my weakness. To make a very long story very short, I’ve done so many things I swore I’d never do. I can’t imagine what 20-year-old Jennifer Stevenson would have said if she found out 45-year-old Jennifer Simmons would be a divorced teacher with a master’s degree, but here we are. I’m grateful God is the author of my story.
"I’m grateful God is the author of my story." Amen, girl.
(And I'm delighted to get to talk to your daughter that way. If she's anything like her mom, she's surely a force.)
Best compliment ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you!
Oooh I like this. I’ve needed a big shift in how I see myself in the midst of failure and shortcomings and this 👏🏻 is 👏🏻 it 👏🏻!
Wonderful!
When my husband, Nate and I walked through the treacherous fire of grief losing our sweet boy Nehemiah. He was born sleeping at 9months. Our marriage was already on the crackling rocks that you hear as one is falling off a cliff. Turns out, God camps out at cliffs. He took broken people in a broken situation and blew sovereign love, hope, faith, restoration, and peace into us. We tell of our wounds so that people will know wholeness comes by way of wounds sometimes. Oh how sweet and kind is he.
Amen and Amen. God camps out on cliffs—so good. Thank you.
I started to write a story the day this question was asked, but got interrupted, and then my computer rebooted so I lost it. I'm catching up on missed days today and want to try again.
Several years ago, my husband and I co-led a small group on parenting. Our children were already grow, so we saw ourselves as the been-there, done-that fill-ins, in case the regular hosts couldn't make it.
So I was taken aback one night when the lesson broke me. I went up to my bedroom and cried out to the Lord, "Is there any way you can make something beautiful of the mess I made of our kids?"
The Spirit immediately brought to mind "beauty for ashes" so I searched my Bible app for the verse (Isaiah 61:3) and decided to read the whole chapter for context.
Isaiah 61 starts with a passage that Jesus quotes, so I immediately knew he was speaking to me. The entire chapter nourished my soul and gave me hope and encouragement that God could, in fact, make something beautiful of my children. I don't know if I misinterpreted the passage, but I took great comfort in them being called "oaks of righteousness." I wept!
The chapter ends with a reference to a garden, so you can imagine my surprise when my daughter called the next morning to say, "Mom, I planted a garden." More tears!
My weakness definitely revealed God's strength and has given me eyes to see what He is doing in all of us!
This story is so powerful! Thank you for sharing it. It gave me goosebumps!
This is an overwhelming section. As I went to each person you listed and read their stories - I was exhausted and weepy. What courage and fortitude. I mean - giving your child up as a little boy……I struggle to comprehend that and doubt my ability to do it. I walked that valley in a different way, as my son had cancer when he was 11, and went thru a year of treatment thru St Jude Children’s Hospital. He is well and healthy now - but that fear of losing him never leaves my heart. It changed me forever. This list of warriors for God and what they did is mind boggling. I’ve got to sink into this some more.
This resonated with me: “There is no doubt I am strong in friends, but don’t ask me for advice. I have been made strong in my weakness.”
I recently experienced great loss and several people have mentioned that I’m handling it well…they’re proud of me…maybe I can lead a support group one day…. Honestly, I don’t have any answers or advice as to how I’m handling it “well” (still not sure what that means). I’m simply doing the best I can on a day to day basis and assume the Lord is giving me strength in weakness.