There's Hope...part 1

Not a really creative title, I know. But God has been onto me all year about getting back to writing. I preach and preach about needing to share our story. I question if you are using the gifts God gave you. Yet, here I sit once again having to admit that I don't always use what God has given me. 

So here I am....a little rusty, but with something that He says I must share and that I need to stop waiting until the "right" moment. 

You see those journals in the picture? Those are the physical evidence from 2017 where I wrote prayers and praises almost daily from March 11 to December 30, 2017. Prayers and praises to God for my husband. 

I had prayed daily for him for years, but in February 2017 something changed and for some reason the next month I decided to write those prayers down. 

Through this prayer time I grew and changed as a prayer warrior. My prayer language changed. They weren't the most eloquent prayers....and guess what, they didn't have to be. Sometimes they were short, sometimes long and detailed. I tried to read through some of them just now, but can't without a ton of tears. 

I stopped writing the prayers down at the end of 2017...not sure why, I just did. I'm sure something else took it's place, but I never stopped praying. Praying for Mark, but also praying for me. Praying for God to keep working on me so I could be the wife He created me to be for Mark. 

I share all this tonight because many of those prayers included the words "patient" or rather impatient. I was impatient. I wanted God to reach Mark right then and there. I wanted my husband at church with me and the kids right then and there. I was impatient!

I was blessed...am blessed...that I have many around me that shared their testimony and through that I remained hopeful. God would open my eyes to the possibilities and reminders to be still and quit trying to rush things as I would hear the testimonies of others. Testimonies of not coming to Christ until mid-life and sometimes later. But oh, I could get so frustrated and jealous sometimes. Frustrated because I wanted things happening on my time. Jealous because others around me had what appeared to be the very thing I wanted.

Now here I am, 4 years after the journal entries, and even more years than that in prayer for my husband. I share with you tonight because for almost 4 months now, my husband has attended church regularly. Not only that, he gets the kids there too. There's no "oh, well they can just stay home" or anything like that. And it's not just a "let's go get this hour over with then rush out the door." Instead it's "let's sit around, fellowship, break bread, and more." Yes, I know 4 months is a short time in the grand scheme of things, but PRAISE GOD! HALLELUJAH! 4 Months! 

I share tonight, because others shared with me and gave me hope. Now it's my turn. Ladies, if you've been in prayer for your husband, keep it up! Trust God. Write your prayers out, what language are you using? What if you changed your language to turn inward and focus on a transformation within yourself instead of something that sounds like "God, please fix him"?

Gentlemen, if you've been in prayer for your wife, keep it up! Trust God. Note your language just like I shared with the ladies. 

I can't help you know the when, but I can promise that all things are possible in Christ. 

God's not done with me. He's not done with my family. He's not done with you. He's not done with your family. 

My husband's testimony is in the making. It will not be mine to share. It will be his. 

Part 2 will pick up with me. You see when there's a shift in how your family worships, there's going to be some changes. Are you ready?