🛡⚔️ 'JUST STAND!' 🙏🏼✝️

✝️🇺🇸 Achieving and maintaining, a consistent, victorious, Christian lifestyle, in today's American society, is not an easy task, to say the least! 😐 And, being a saved, consistently Spirit-filled, prayer warrior, "Bible thumping," etc., Believer, does not give one immunity from temptation, trouble, tests, trials, etc., because, he/she, is not only going "against the grain" of society's mainstream, but, he/she, is also, affected by "spiritual warfare" being fought by unseen (to the mortal eye) forces, in the realm of the spiritual (Ephesians ch. 6) surrounding him/her! 👻 Thus, trying to avoid the intense "spiritual battling," which is happening around him/her, even a, strong and serious, warrior for Christ, sometimes chooses to "lay low," "hunkered down," and/or, completely hide and avoid, being a bold witness for Christ, so as to "fit in," be comfortable, avoid conflict, persecution, and the such. 🥊 And, believe me, I totally understand how a person can get to that point, because, I have been there! 😩 In Ephesians 6:10-19, Believers are told to, "BE (a choice) strong in the Lord," and to, "put on (just do it) the "whole (spiritual) armor of God," and to..."STAND!" 🛡⚔️🤺 The decision to STAND (spiritually speaking) starts deep inside one's being. 😌 Last evening, I was thinking about the subject matter of "STANDING," in respect to this 'blog-post,' and, the scene from the movie, 'Enough' (starring J Lo), came to my mind, whenever, 'Slim,' is determined to take her life back, and, is in her "home," lying on her back, on the floor, with her abusive husband "thinking" that he's "beaten" her! 😩 There are some really good movies available for our enjoyment, and even, improvement, if only they'd leave out the cursing! 😏 Anyway, she's "knocked out" briefly, but then, she realizes where she is, and, she remembers what her "coach" taught her.  At that point, when she knows that "the bully" (representing satan - to us) is going to stomp on her - ensuring her defeat, she chooses to "dig down deep inside of herself," listen to that still, small voice, and, DOES exactly what she had trained to DO - "WHOOP" that "JERK," and, STAND! 🥊 However, whenever she was lying on that floor, exhausted, scared, etc., she could have accepted defeat, and, given up! 😔 We, as Believers need to do what she did, whenever we "feel" defeated! 📖 We need to act upon what the 🕊 Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance of what we have read and studied from HIS written WORD! 📖 We must cast away what we "feel like" doing and/or not doing, and, by faith apply HIS TRUTH to each of our- situations and circumstances - of life, especially, when we "feel like" quitting!! 📖🙏🏼✝️ So, this morning, as I was doing my devotions out on the deck, I was thinking about how I haven't seen any Cardinals for a while, and, whatta ya know, but, in ten minutes - or so, there were two, frolicking around on a tree - beside me! 😃🙌🏼🌳🐦❤️...I am sure that, 'The Lord' let them be right there, at that exact time, for me (another "God-hug and/or wink")! 🙌🏼🙏🏼...HE knew (of course) that I really needed to see them this a.m.! 😌 Praise HIM!! It's also, most likely, connected to my uncle Gene (in Heaven) asking God to - through the angels, use the "red birds," to show me his, love and approval, since, this afternoon is my seventh appointment, of one time a week, for seven weeks, chaperoning my auntie B., his widow, during her "getting new dentures saga" (Hebrews 13:2, Psalm 104:4)! 😬 I believe that, there are NO COINCIDENCES in LIFE!! (🙌🏼📖🙏🏼✝️ You see, I'm kind of in a state of "shock" this morning, because, an eleven year "saga," of sorts, ended for me last night! 😮 Eleven years ago, my husband, David, who is called by God to be an evangelist of "The Gospel of Jesus Christ," and I, decided to "temporarily" go help his aged father, who, at that time, was pastoring, a small, struggling church. His father had stepped in as interim pastor, a few years previously, so that, it's "doors would stay open!" ⛪️ Anyway, as I've always attempted to do, I supported my hubby, and, "jumped in," serving 'The Lord,' with gladness, knowing that, it was a temporary situation, and, David would be back evangelizing full time - asap (we had left a church where David pastored eight years - for him to evangelize full time, a couple years prior to this)!  My father had just passed away unexpectedly (within a year before we started there), after a terrible, medical ordeal, and, I was still grieving tremendously over the great loss of him! 💔😢 The years continued passing - as we served 'The Lord ' there, and also, evangelized.  After many occurrences in the church (cannot elaborate on this post), and, in our personal life, etc., and, as I, and others, were praying for God to send us "the right pastor'...eleven years had passed, and then, last night, HE finally answered those prayers, and, gave us a wonderful man to be our new pastor, who has a wonderful wife to assist him!  I am so, thankful and grateful, for the church (everyone), the new pastor - and his wife, for - Dean and Heather (interim - assistant pastor, and his wife), and, for us (David - interim pastor, and me)! 🙌🏼🙏🏼 It has been beyond "a heavy load" for us (1 Peter 3:17)! ✝️ I am very grateful for everything that has happened (souls saved, and helped, etc.) at our little church these indescribable past eleven years, however, I am thrilled that, VICTORY has come!! 🙌🏼✝️ And, ALL the glory for ALL of it, goes to GOD!! 🙌🏼  Going back to the time when we decided that we were going to go help David's father...we should have prayed more about it, and, waited for HIS answer, because, we knew that, David's call is evangelism! 😔 But, whatever HIS answer would have been, the fact is that, we went, and, HE could have SOMEHOW stopped us from going!  I trust Romans 8:28 and other Scriptures concerning this!  I learned a HUGE lesson from this eleven year ordeal...to pray about everything, and then, WAIT for HIS answer, THEN, OBEY HIM!! 🙏🏼 There were times during "the eleven year church scenario," that, I came close to losing the hope that, God would cause it to come to an end, but, 'The Good Lord,' mercifully and graciously, kept me from "throwing in the towel," and, encouraged me - as only HE can do (through HIS SPIRIT - deep, down, in my spirit)! 🕊 Yes, we got "off-track" (and, this was constantly nagging at me), but, God, in HIS providential plan, knew that, we would, and, "allowed" for that...working in, and, using all of it, just like whenever - various ingredients are mixed together, and then, "BAKED," resulting in a beautiful, and delicious, cake! 🎂 A multitude of difficult, trying, personal, circumstances - occurred during the  eleven year time period about which I'm writing...the kind of stuff (of which I wrote at the beginning of this post) which pushes some Believers to "call it quits," and, to stop STANDING!  And, it was just "yesterday," that, I felt like "Slim," in the movie, 'Enough,' as though I was down on the "cold floor," so to speak, and, "seemingly" DEFEATED! 😩 Therefore, I cannot thank God enough for gracing us, etc., and, assisting us in the completion of this chapter of our life! 🙌🏼🙏🏼 Now, I pray that, HE helps us - both (David and I) to get out of it (the 11 year chapter) - EVERYTHING - in which HE desires for us to get out of it - letting HIM make us more Christ-like, etc., better, as a result of - going through it! 🙏🏼 I also, hope and pray that, the church (as an entire local assembly, and, the individuals who are a part of it) is better now - after our eleven years - as leaders -there! 🙏🏼✝️🙌🏼 Wherever you find yourself today, precious soul, know that, you are RIGHT where you are supposed to be!  Ask and trust 'The Lord' to lead you concerning the next step that HE wants you to take, and, if, HE hasn't let you know what way that is yet, then, WAIT (serve in HIS name - where you are) - until you hear HIS voice - with HIS answer, then,  OBEY HIM! ✝️ As for me, hopefully, this "shocked state," in which I find myself, due to being back "on track," and, eleven years - on a "detour," shall end soon, and, I'll continue STANDING (in Jesus' name), while doing God's will - in this new chapter of my life - applying the monumental lessons learned throughout my pilgrimage thus far on earth (thinking mostly of the lessons learned the past eleven years - as I write this)!  God was never nervous about our "derailment," ANYWAY (unlike me)...after all - HE is GOD (omnipotent, omniscient, ETC.)! 😏 😌 God's grace, mercy, love, etc., shall continue to abound - over HIS children!! 😃🙌🏼...👋🏼💜...until next time...