It wasn't all bad...the perks.

I understand totally, that the thought of another entity living inside a human can seem other worldly or like science fiction to those who have not experienced this phenomenon.  But that is exactly what true Christians experience.  When we accept Christ as our Savior, repenting of a life of sin we are "sealed" with the promised 'comforter'.  The Holy Spirit, who is the third in our Triune Godhead.  We have God the Father, Jesus the son and the Holy Spirit.  

When Jesus was preparing his disciples for his leaving them after his death and resurrections, he told his disciples in John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate (also translated as Helper, Counselor) to help you and be with you forever--

He promised his followers that even though he was leaving, they (we) would not be alone.  Other scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit comes to live within us.  He helps us, guides us, strengthens us, directs us, comforts us.  

We can learn to live by the Spirit.  When we are in fellowship with God we can learn to "hear his voice".  In John 10, Jesus tells how a sheep will follow the sound of only his shepherd.  I think they learn this because he spends time with them, taking care of them.  Just as a baby knows the sound of his parents voice too.   When we spend time with the Lord, through reading Scripture, praying and worshiping him, we can sense when he's leading us.  I can't explain it well and its not something you can understand unless you too have the Spirit.   

I don't hear an audible voice of the Father, but I do on occasion, have thoughts that I know are not my own.  Sometimes they stand out as obviously from the Spirit, other times its just a gentle knowing this is what I should be doing.  Sometimes its to do something for others, sometimes its chilling in its amazing clarity.  I do have a chapter in my book on Hearing the Shepherd's voice because sometimes, I'm amazed at how clearly I 'hear' his voice. His still small voice that is just a thought that goes through my mind and I know.  I just KNOW.  That thought was not my own.

I explain all this to say that recently, a friend texted me out of the blue that she felt she was supposed to tell me to get writing again.  Hmm....I am sort of in limbo with my book right now.  And, Satan keeps telling me (thats a whole other topic) lies such as that my book is just not good enough to do anything further with it now that I have written most of it.   I'm sure the manuscript I have now is really REALLY rough and needs a lot of work and editing.   But, with my friend telling me this, I have to believe that God has something in mind with this book.  
Even so, with lots going on in my life right now, I got busy and haven't returned to writing, partly because I felt I was 'done' the first draft and need someone to read it and help me fix it up.  That's going rather slowly and all I can say is that I believe that is either God's timing going on here OR the deceiver (Satan) is trying everything he can to keep this book from being read by people it could help.  

My book will give some people hope.  Hope when their situation looks dour.  Hope when they feel that death is better at that moment.  Hope that God, our creator, is working in our lives and even when we feel we know whats going on, we don't.  Only our God does.  Sometimes, it is just to bring him Glory somehow.  Sometimes, it's our loving Father wooing us and saying, come home dear one.  Come back to fellowship with me.   Sometimes he's our Father disciplining us because we have gone off into sin.   We don't always see what God is doing when he's working in our life but other times, we get a glimpse into the Glory he receives through working in our life.  My life shows the Glory of the Father.  And Satan.  Well, he doesn't want others to see that so he works overtime keeping me silent.  

And then again today, she texts me..  Will you get back to writing.  Please.  Hmmm.....

So here I am writing.  So, my friend, you have been one of the few who has continuously encouraged me to write.  I appreciate it.  

The interesting thing is that the first time she texted me, I wasn't sure I had anything else to write.    Then, today, BEFORE her text, I was thinking about my book and I realized something.  I have emphasized a LOT of pain and hurt and how our life was negatively effected.  Because, unless you can get a sense of how much I hurt and how negatively our life was effected, you might miss how incredible my healing was.  And why do I want you to see how in credible my healing was for me, my family? Because I want my God glorified for all that he did for me!   

Our life was very different than it would have otherwise been but there were some good times and I think I need to share some of our good times also.  For my sake.  For my family's sake.  For God's glory to show that He hadn't left me wallowing in my own mire, but he was there in the details and giving me good things.  I should have been more thankful for those things and seen His hand in even them.    

I want to take the time to think back on some of the good things, the happy times, the times that I should have thanked our God for providing.  The times that might have hurt and yet now, I can see how they have been for my good.

So Stephanie, there will be another chapter.  or half a chapter.  or maybe just an addendum and I believe it is through his guidance and your willingness to speak out to me when I wasn't maybe hearing his voice at first.  Sometimes, we have to hear things from other people.  Sometimes they have no idea that the Spirit guided their words to be just what a person needed to hear.  But, this time, she knew she needed to tell me.  And she knows, this was not of herself, she doesn't get the credit, God does.  However, I can be thankful that she followed the leading of the spirit and obeyed!  And I am.  Thankful that is.