So, my brother, Kevin, has been brutally criticizing me this week. Telling me to stop my videos because I’m coming across as a weak woman. Also, no one wants to hear about my family and me talking about Ceri twenty times in one video. Hearing this from Kevin, who has been my biggest supporter and encourager of my work for God, hurt your girl a lot.
But God knowing every thought we think, had a special message lined up for me from Megan Williams on Facebook ONLY HOURS AFTER KEVIN’S REMARKS. She incredibly spoke about Jeremiah and how God told him that He knew him before he was born and that He was the one who appointed him (not the church, priest, father, or mother). Jeremiah told God that he couldn’t speak (that’s me!), and God told him that he must go where He was sending him and say what He was telling him to say. Jeremiah was not to be afraid to speak what God was telling him to speak. Megan said that we should not back down from our call and use what we got in our hands.
Wow! Do you see the deep love of God? For me to feel so hurt by Kevin and for God to speak through Megan to me as if saying, ‘Nik, I’m the One who knew you from before you were in your mother’s womb, and I’m the One who anointed and called you to speak (not your brother!). You speak what I’ve told you to speak about, and go where I send you!’ Yes, Boss! (HUGE SMILE)
The testimonies I give are about our family rolling with God today (up to this moment!) and dealing with the stresses, messiness, and challenges all families go through, but I add in the crucial God perspective. Then, about talking about Ceri so much, it’s only God and me who know the many mornings I would ball up in my bed in emotional pain, having to replay the messages from Ceri that I uploaded to YouTube to get out of bed and take my sons to school.
Ceri would tell me that no matter the dark places we enter in life, God is there with us. That we could rejoice and be joyful in God despite how terrible the situation may seem because God could instantly turn any situation around (He has!!!). Most importantly, Ceri taught me to be obedient to God. That obedience led me to last night and having the most beautiful dinner with my husband and our youngest son, Joshie, sitting in the middle of us. We then went to bed with Joshie messaging hubby and me rubbing medicine on him. I prayed a special prayer for hubby before he slept, asking God to please give him extra support, help, wisdom, guidance, love, joy, and charisma as he takes on his essential leadership role for our family.
God even went as far as confirming that He was the one giving me the words to speak and that Ceri was correct in what he taught me. I mentioned in the video today how hubby and I went through a “rough patch,” but Ceri taught me that God was there with me in that dark place. Fast forward a few minutes later, I decided to open our over 700-page devotional Jesus Calling, and look what the very first day I opened to said (written as if God is speaking):
“When you encounter ROUGH PATCHES (WINK! Wink!) along your life-journey, trust that My light is still shining upon you. My reasons for allowing these adversities may be shrouded in mystery, but My continual Presence with you is an absolute promise. Seek Me in good times; seek Me in hard times. You will find Me watching over you all the time.”
No way this “ROUGH PATCH” showing up in this huge book and Megan’s message were some random coincidences. God orchestrated them to let us all know that His invisible Presence is always with us!!!
And about that weak woman thing, these soft qualities are what God has been teaching me to teach you guys about:
LOVE, MERCY (FORGIVENESS WITHOUT PUNISHMENT), GENTLENESS, PEACE, GRATITUDE, JOY, AND PATIENCE
I tell hubby that if loving him is wrong, I don’t want to be right!
THANK YOU, KEVIN, CERI, AND GOD, FOR ALL BEING THERE FOR ME THROUGH MY ROUGH PATCH!!!