It was too early in the morning, I thought, for someone to call. It must be really important. I remember thinking about my day’s schedule as I picked up the receiver. I answered with a tired “hello”. The person on the other end was an acquaintance of mine at the weather station. He told me there was a major storm coming. A storm that would change the course of history, and I needed to evacuate fast.
I was stunned. Why, there had been nothing on the news about any life changing storm. I told him it was too early in the morning for jokes. He said it was not a joke. From his studies and calculations, there was a life devastating storm coming my way and it was moving at a horrific speed. He said the other men and women at the station laughed at him. They said he was very wrong with his calculations. They didn’t even bother making some kind of announcement on the news. As he and I were talking, I heard a big bang against my front door. Then the whole house began to shake. The winds from the storm were coming and it was very real. By this time, I was fully awake and aware that my life was in danger, that I needed to take some kind of action. But what kind of action? What does someone do in the middle of a life changing circumstance? How does one prepare for such an event? My instincts wanted me to run and hid. To find a small, soft, and quiet space to curl up in and pretend that all this was a bad dream that would soon blow away. But I could not deceive myself. I could not run and hid; it would not solve the problem at hand. I knew deep with myself; I knew that I had to do something and prepare to depart quickly. I ran around my house trying to gather emergency supplies. I looked at pictures on the wall. Quilts passed down from generation to generation. The family China, the hall post with the notches in the wood to indicate my height throughout the years. So many things with so many memories that could not be packed into a small bag. So, what was to be done? Only what was needed for survival was taken. Canned food, bottles of water, warm cloths, blankets, matches, and flashlights. Whatever I felt was of the utmost importance I grabbed and threw into the back of my 4x4 red dodge ram pickup truck. I locked up my house and drove off to where my friend had suggested I wait out the storm. However, apparently the storm had its own agenda and decided to come ahead of schedule. The sky that was a short time ago bright with puffy clouds and birds singing, grew blacker by the minute; it was only 8 o’clock in the morning! The rain came fast and heavy. Falling hard onto the car making like it were stones falling from the sky. I had to drive an inch at a time which made progress ever so slow. Lighting began to flash all around me lighting up the darkened sky. The rain gutters alongside the roads were over flowing with the tremendous amount of water falling from the sky. Trees began to fall down from being stuck by lighting and the rain softening the ground around their roots. The world was in an uproar and increasing its intensity and strength by the minute. Danger and death starred me in the face. There was a river not more than 3 miles from my home and already it was overflowing its banks and rushing into the street creating more difficulty for traveling. It felt like I was the only one out there in the world facing this storm. I felt so alone, abandoned, persecuted though none pursued me, and neglected and forgotten. I looked back to see if I should turn around and just maybe stay in my home. What I saw melted my heart like butter in a hot stove. Lighting had struck my house leaving it with out much of a roof. Rain was spoiling all my things. Yet the most horrific sight was the dame five miles away breaking and rushing down in my direction. Breaking every house in its way as if they were made of straw and stick. Bushing over trees and taking some with its waters. Speedily the thousands of gallons of waters of destruction were rushing down to still, kill, and destroy all in its path. I was in its path. Behind me was nothing but destruction, and ahead of me was an unknown, scary, dark world, trying to survive this unexpected and table turning experience. Copyright Ⓒ 2022 C. Joy Sharp All rights reserved
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I never thought it could happen to me. I never thought that the thing I most dreaded could ever take me. Sure, I know I’m human. I know I’m not a superhero with special powers to defeat all that stands in my way. Yet I still never thought it would happen to me.
I can still remember yesteryears. Filled with peace, tranquility, and purpose. I knew why I was waking up in the mornings, and I laid my head down at night with anticipation for tomorrow. Yester years now seem like eternities ago. But still as fresh in my mind as if it was yesterday. Oh the bliss I felt. The joy I had! The years gone by, the memories they hold. How could this have happened to me? Never will I forget the day it happened, that morning was like every other morning. The sun was shining, the birds singing their heart and soul out. There was no indication of a change. There was no sign, why couldn’t I have had a sign? Why was I not warned? Why, why; is all I can ask. I stretched and yawned from a peaceful sleep and stepped onto my fuzzy green rug. The sky with it’s puffy clouds made the day just seem so, perfect. What happened to me, I still can’t bring myself to say it. How do I put it into words? How do I describe what that morning was like? I received a phone call that changed, no, complete turned me upside down and inside out. My life would never be the same. Copyright Ⓒ 2022 C. Joy Sharp All rights reserved Image if you will, the race of a lifetime. Picture the course. 100kilometers of mountain terrain. Rocky slops, heat the melts candles. Then the prize! The prize for those who win the race. All expenses paid trip to anywhere in the world for 2 months. You sign up for the race because, you want to win that prize! It is your goal! It is what your heart desires!
Then, the day of the race! Your pumped! Your heart is racing with excitement! Your feet trembling with anticipation for the moment to run. They raise the flag and you’re off running your heart out! 5kilometers. 10, then 25! You begin to feel tired. You may even begin to question is this really worth the prize! 50 kilometers you are half ways done and you feel half ways dead. You want to quiet. Your body is screaming at you! 50 kilometers more seems like an eternity. It is at this moment that you need to persevere! What is perseverance? Defined by the dictionary it is an act of continued, patient effort. So, it is an action. What is an action? An action is made up of willpower, the ability to take the willpower for something and put it into motion! Idea + willpower= action. An action is our choice, something that we must do. So perseverance is a choice, and action that we choose to take. No one can persevere for us, we have to do it ourselves. How does the Bible define perseverance? In Ephesians 6:18 the word to describe perseverance is persistency. In other words, not giving up but pressing on. What does Hebrews 12:1 say? “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”. Run with patience or run with PERSEVERFANCE. And what else did that verse say? Looking where? Looking at the difficult journey? Looking at the trials and difficulties that lay in the course? Looking at other people around us? No! It says, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith!” Why are we looking to Jesus? Philippians 3:8, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ”. Paul is saying, “Come on people! Seriously? This race is nothing! All the training, pain, and difficulty in running this race is nothing compared the PRIZE that await me at the end”…Then in Hebrews he says, “So run your race with patience and when things get tuff look to Jesus to remember why you are running!”. What is our race? It ranges from small to big. From short to long. We have our race work. Maybe we’ve been doing well with our fincas or jobs but it feels like we hit a wall now. What about the race of marriage. Every marriage has its ups and downs. What if one day you wake up and think, “who is this person I married? How can I keep my marriage going? This is harder than I thought? Then there is the race if children, leadership, and so many others. What are we going to do when we hit a wall? What are we going to do when the road just seems to go nowhere and the course is hard? Are we going to quit our job and give up? Will we end our marriage thinking that it will be easier? Do we give up on our children or abandon them? What will you do? There is only one thing, PERSEVERE! Run with patient the race that is set before you! Will it be hard, yes! Will the road be tuff, yes! Listen to Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, to everything there is a season and a time! There will be easy days in our race and hard and persevering days. But we will NEVER, NEVER get the prize if we give up! Where would Joseph be if he gave up when he was sold as a slave? Not in Potiphar’s house. What if Joseph said it was just too hard in prison and he committed suicide? He would never have been second in command over Egypt and help save thousands of lives. Where would Daniel be if he gave up while in the lion’s den? Or what would have become of him? We would not have had those amazing prophecies and visions about the end times. Where would Paul be if through all his sufferings he said, “No more. I quiet!”. Where would Jesus be if He said, “The cross is too much for me, I’m out of here”. If you throw in the towel, what will become of you? Where will you end up? What will you gain by quitting? All our races are important. But one of the most important races that we should never quit is our spiritual one! The Bible says, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul” Mark 8:36. Why save myself, my body, my pride, my social statues, my wallet, my home, my job, my friends admiration, to quit my race and lose all of that in the end? Many run the race to get to heaven but not many run the ultimate race of Mount Zion! Psalm 24 asks, “who shall ascend the hill of the Lord”. Who shall run up that hill and win Mount Zion as their dwelling place with God”. Who shall sacrifice all and leave all for the sake of dwelling with Christ? I will tell you who, the faithful! Not the called, not the chosen, but the faithful! You can be called to run a race. Hey, Miss Johnson, I would like to enter you into the qualifications for this race. That does not win you the prize. Hey Mr. Smith, you have qualified and have been chosen to run in this race. That does not win you the prize. Congratulations, Mr. Brown! You where faithful to the end, you win the race! Perseverance, continues, patient effort wins the race and the prize! Friends, we are now in times that require us to get up and run or quit. There is no in between. It is one or the other. If right now you can’t persevere in the small things, how will you persevere when the bigger things come? I’m preaching to myself here. There are many things in my life that I have had to learn to persevere in the small because it has created in me discipline, faithfulness, and perseverance so that when the bigger comes, my muscles are ready to take on a greater challenge. This question is for me too. An honest and open question. How are we going to get through the difficult times when the Anti-Christ is here, and persevere if right now we don’t perceiver to read our Bibles daily? How are you and I going to be able to run our race when the enemy is attacking very heavy if right now, we don’t persevere in getting our life straightened out? Let me tell you, it is not 5 years from now, it is not tomorrow that you beginning training and preparing for a race. It is NOW! How are we going to be faithful runners if we are not practicing faithfulness right now, in the small things! How are we going to look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith when we are going through a hard time in our race if we do not begin to practice that NOW! We have to persevere! Run with patient, continual, patient effort to get to our goal to our prize! And you know what happens to those who persevere! They become an overcomer! WHY!? Because they overcome those obstacles, the pressed on toward the mark! THEY WERE VICTORIOUS and it all started with perseverance! What awaits us at the finish line? What do we get if we persevere and become an overcomer? Revelation 2:7, “to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life”. Revelation 2:11, “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death”. Revelation 2:26, “and he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations”. Revelation 3:5, clothed in White garments, name not blotted out from the book of life, and Jesus shall confess his name, the name of the overcomer before the Father and His angels… Revelation 3:12, a pillar in the temple of my God, the name of my God shall be written upon him and the name of the city of my God, New Jerusalem, and Jesus will write on him a new name! Revelation 3:21, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Even as I persevered!) Revelation 21:7, says the overcomer shall inherit all things. Remember, we lost all, we gave it all up and now we have inherited it all! But to be put over all things, to receive inheritance, to get those prizes, you have to be found faithful! The Lord asks, in Luke 12:42, who is that, where is that faithful servant so that I can make him ruler over my household? In other words, where is that person who persevered and was faithful to the end? I want to say to him, well done, Good and faithful servant! Closing You are running a race. It is the race of your life! You come to a hard part in the journey and what will you do! Your marriage seems to be failing apart, your job is at risk, your spiritual race is becoming harder! What are you going to do! PERSEVERE! There is no other option! If you want things to be better you have to persevere! If you want to be an overcomer you have to push through the pain! You have to climb that mountain! You have to endure persecution, criticisms, hatred, rejection, people turning against you! There is a price you have to pay! Are you willing to persevere? Don’t look at the road, don’t look to the right or to the left! Look where? To JESUS the author and finisher of your faith, your ultimate prize! Look to what you will receive if you persevere and overcome! Put your eyes on Jesus! It will be hard! That is why you have to persevere, continual, patient effort to get to the end! Be faithful! Run your race! Finish well! Hit the Mark! Become and Overcomer! Remember, Revelation 17:14 those who are with the King of kings, with the Lamb are those who are have been called, chosen, and were found faithful! Those who PERSEVERED! You know the saying, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade"? Well, I have a knew saying. "When life throws you for a loop, make FRUIT LOOPS"!
Okay! TELL me that I am not the ONLY Fruit Loop lover here?! They are just one of the best sugar, heart-attack...I mean, delicious breakfasts a body can have; next to Lucky Charms of course. When life throws you for a loop...what am I supposed to do? When you think your life is going in one direction and then you turn a corner and...nothing. Or you turn a corner and you come face to face with a major intersection, four way stop light, a police dude directing traffic, or whatever obstacle you want to think of. What do you do? This year has just begun and already I have a few loops in my bowl. I started this year thinking not much was going to happen. I would be doing the same o'l same o'l (school, work, school, work...ext.). Then March comes and with it...a boat load of loops! I turned the corner and there was my intersection offering me different directions that my life could take and each one would change it significantly. I have been taking time out to specifically seek God for direction for my life (something I do on a daily basses) and to show me what He had planned for me this year. The neat thing is that many of these loops just might be my answer to my prayers. But HOW DO I KNOW FOR SURE THIS IS GOD!? Here is what I am going to do...are you ready for this...I am...going to...KEEP PRAYING! The best way to get clarification is by going and talking to that person who can give the clarification. I am going to talk to God and ask if these loops are from Him and I should make some Fruit Loops or if these loops are a distraction and will take me off the course and path that He wants me to be on. Peace is one of God's greatest gifts. When we don't have peace, we know that something is wrong. When we do have peace, we know we can move ahead and things are fine. Right now, I don't have complete peace about some of these loops. If I move ahead when I don't have peace, that will be a mistake. God gives peace, and if my peace is gone, He is trying to say something. Maybe you have some loops and you are trying to figure things out. Maybe you thought your life would be one thing and now, well things are seeming like they could change. I just want to encourage you to go and have a chat with God. Honestly, stop thinking He wants to bite your head off or stop thinking that He doesn't care about you or your needs. Because that is just a BIG, FAT, UGLY, LIE. Pour out your heart to Him (He won't go breaking your heart). Tell Him you are confused, frustrated, anxious, concerned, unsure of what to do, perplexed, and whatever other adjectives you need to say about your situation. He cares. He loves you! If He knows the number of hairs that are on your head, don't you think He cares about your future? He DOES! So do this if you want. Present your case to Him. Ask Him for His guidance and input. Wait Patiently...that's the harder part. Let Him give you peace to either move forward or stay where you are. Wait for His answer. I know this. I would rather be at peace and in the center of God's will, than to take the wrong loops and make a terrible tasting cereal that I throw away. Don't be afraid of the loops that come in your life. Don't be afraid to take them in prayer to the ONE who sees the end from the beginning. Don't be afraid to bear your heart, feelings, and emotions to the ONE who already knows what you will say even before you think it. Then wait, be still, and know that He is God who is working to give you a better hope and future. I often hear the phrase, “have an intimate relationship with God,” but what does that phrase really mean? If someone where to read that phrase, what would they think? How would someone translate its meaning? To the world, “intimate” has a totally different meaning yet for us Christians it means something else…or does it?
The dictionary defines the word intimate as being extremely close to, friendly, and very acquainted with. Therefore, I believe that my relationship with God is to be an intimate one. I consider this: When I am close to something or someone, I am more able to see what or who the object is. I understand more clearly the parallelism with concept of “marriage” in our relationship with Christ. (We are to be so close to Christ as a husband and wife are to each other). In marriage, the partners become very close to one another. They closer they are to their spouse, the more details they can see in their beloved. Their eyes are not just a white ball with a black dot any more. Instead, they can see the blood vessels, the true color of the eyes, and more details. The closer one is to their loved one, they then can see how many freckles are on the arms, how the hairs lay on their arms, and the patterns in the skin. The point being: a close relationship reveals more. When we come to Christ and are saved, it is as if we behold Him from afar. We know that God is Christ; we can “see” Him, but not in detail. This is where the Old Testament beings to take place: going on from the Outer Court to the Holy of Holies. The more we draw closer to God, the more we being to see who He is. We begin to behold Him in a greater glory, a manifestation of Himself like we have never experienced before. There is no end to knowing God, but there is a way to get intimate with Him: drawing closer to Him. John the beloved, why was he the beloved of Christ’s? He was the beloved because he drew near to God. He had an intimate relationship with Jesus. He laid his head on the chest of Jesus (not in a weird way). John the beloved was one who wanted to be close to God. One who wanted to know all he could about his Master. There was a deeper desire in him than the other apostles had. John was not satisfied with just knowing Christ. He was not content to hear the Master’s teachings only on Sundays and other services. John wanted that one-on-one fellowship. That precious time where there is only a focus on two people. A time to develop each other’s love and knowledge of one another. Did you know that YOU were created for God to have fellowship with? He wants to spend time with you. You were created not for your own pleasure, which is what Satan tries to make you think, but you are to bring fulfillment to your Heavenly BrideGroom. Song of Solomon (a book of the Bible) truly portrays that deep love and affection relationship between a bride and bridegroom. That longing to know one another in a deeper way. Yet, where are we in our relationship with God? Do we...do I long for that intimacy with Christ? Do I seek after Him as a hidden treasure and sell all I have just to gain Him? Does my heart jump at the sound of His voice? When He reaches out His gentle hand and touches my arm, do I long to be taken away by Him and spend time with Him? If not, then something is replacing His love. Something foreign is stealing my affections that belong only to Him. Something is trying to destroy my love and relationship with Him. God is a jealous God and will fight for what is His, yet He will not force someone to love Him. Look at Israel. You might think, “I am better than them. They served other gods and I am serving the true God”. But what you are doing!? Other gods come in different forms: hobbies, family, jobs, and so much more! Dear God, have mercy: where is my heart! Have you lost your love! Have you lost that desire to know God in an intimate way!? To know His nature, thoughts, character, and what and who He is? Have you become to engrossed in other things, (that it has become like fornication or adultery)? What gods have stolen your love for the One True God? What evil lies have you been believing that have drawn your heart away and made it cold? God does not like lukewarm and will spit it our of His holy mouth. God is faithful, but will you be faithful to Him? Will you stay devoted to Him? Searching Him out, walking closer to Him until you can see the details of the details in His pure eyes? Don’t stop at any cost. Keep pressing on and searching out who God is. There is no end to Him. Turn your eyes on Jesus, don’t take them off the prize! |
AuthorHi everyone! My name is Joy. I live in Costa Rica and absolutely LOVE writing (no, I'm not crazy! LOL). I love sharing what's on my heart with the hope that it will make some's day just a little better than yesterday. I love spreading joy, hope, peace, goodness, and most especially, I love sharing about the truth and true love. I hope that my writings, though not something I do everyday, will be of great encouragement to you. |