My Personal Job Moment

One day, the devil asked God about me....about my family.  He knew that he couldn't touch Trenton because there was already an everlasting promise out on his life.  LaMar and I had invited the Almighty into our marriage before it even began, so that was pretty safe...from fatal errors at least.  But one day....the devil went to God, and said, "How bout those Andersons?"

God replied: What about them?

devil: They're doing pretty good, eh?

God: Yeah!  So what?  What's it to you?

devil: Did you see how they started tithing on their gross, and I see you gave LaMar a huge bonus this year, they even tithed on that.  They've been going to church every Sunday, TiAnna's been resisting temptation pretty well, they went to Disney World, and they're expecting another little prophet.  TiAnna finally learned how to pray in the spirit.  You even ripped the mouths off of LaMar's enemies. Ain't life grand?

God: Is there a point to all of this?

devil: I'm glad you asked!  I bet that if you took their precious important dream away from them, they wouldn't serve you.  They would turn away from you as if they never knew you.

God: LaMar, TiAnna, Trenton....yeah right!  I've been training them for years, and they know your schemes.

devil:  Yeah, you may have been training them for years, but you've never put them to the test.  Anyways, if you're SO confident, just do this for me.  You have nothing to lose.

God:  Very well then.  I will allow you to take their precious important dream, but you must not lay a finger on them.  Let me warn you in advance, I will restore their life again, from the depths of the earth, I will love them up.  I will increase their honor and comfort them once again (Psalm 71:20-21)  They know the plans I have for them.  Plans to prosper them and not harm them, plans to give them a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)  So, do what you must, but do so knowing that it will be a mistake.

So....we went on with our lives.  Of course, we had no clue of this conversation.  Until one day, our precious important dream, our little unborn prophet that we had such high hopes for was no more.  Gone as if he never existed, as if he really was a faint dream.  

We cried, doubted, and screamed.....but in the midst of it all we prayed and gave God the glory.  We thanked Him for the opportunity to even carry the baby that far, we were even so thankful that He saw us as fit and wonderful parents.  Till this day, we are thankful for all the love and support we received, even from COMPLETE strangers.

Here we are one year later, still in disbelief and grief, however, I can definitely see where God is beginning to restore us.  The road to redemption is long and lonely (sometimes) but it's very necessary.  God didn't promise us easy trouble-free lives; heartache and pain come with job, look at how they treated Jesus.  However, He did promise us that He would supply all of our needs according to His riches and glory.  Jesus also told us about the many mansions of His Father.  On my roughest days, I can literally feel myself sitting in the palm of God's righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).  And let me tell you, if feels so good, and in that moment, that's all I need.

If you've ever had your own personal Job moment...lost a loved one, lost a job, or truly lost everything you had...how did you deal with it?  Does having faith in God help or hurt your progress?