Stations in Life

“Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, ‘Wherever you turn, they will attack us.’ Therefore, I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points… at the exposed places…each of the builders wore his sword by his side as he worked.” Nehemiah 4:12-13, 18.

In reading this passage this morning my heart swelled with gratitude and humility in realizing that God stationed my grandmother at some of the lowest points of my life. I had a less than stellar faith throughout my adulthood. When my walls came crashing down during my daughter’s drug use my lack of faith was completed exposed. I felt spiritually naked as I constantly lived in fear, doubt and hopelessness. Faithfully, God placed a few spiritual giants around me, armed and dangerous in faith, such as my parents and grandmother who stood by my side, and prayed for my family constantly.

In rebuilding my emotional walls, I finally knew the importance of building with a new architect and a more anchored foundation. My anchor was cast and my faith was stabilized through daily prayer and Bible Study. The more time I spent in the Word the more alive my faith became.

We are told in Ephesians 6:17 to ‘…take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.’ To ‘take’ is to carry or transport something from one place to another. Through my time with God, He transported His message of love and hope. He carried my faith from my intellect to the inner chambers of my heart. He strapped His sword to my side and it never leaves me.

Through my trials He has now stationed me in GriefShare to serve alongside those who walls have been torn down, and find themselves at some of the lowest points in their lives. Their emotions are raw and their hearts are totally exposed but each night we meet I see God’s message of love and hope taking root. I thank God that at this point in my life I have been stationed in His army to help rebuild the lives of the heartbroken. I am well aware that there will be future times when I am the one who needs someone carrying the emotional load… ‘but I will wear my sword by my side as I work.’