Where or how has the enemy been upping the ante? If there's a battle raging about you at this time, know that God has you right where you're meant to be.
We finally moved into our new house, just before Christmas. It has been hard work! In fact, the last three years of building have been challenging in more ways than one. We firmly believed God wanted us in this suburb but plenty of water has gone under many bridges in the battle to this point in time.
The event I’m going to tell you about involves this past Christmas and New Year season. Our daughter and her baby girl were already with us from Alice Springs, with the rest of her family joining us within days. Our son with his new wife were isolating due to a close contact situation and therefore so were we. The impact of the pandemic meant that life was getting trickier.
There was still so much to do in cleaning, sourcing or finding lost items and many boxes still to unpack. Then one day, having successfully completed the removal of a caked-on-hard label, I was up a short step ladder with a knife and strong cleaning solution, I began my descent. I have a very healthy respect for cars, ladders and other things we take for granted that can cause damage, after a fall in 2010 that did serious damage to a number of my bones. I am usually slow and deliberate but unfortunately, not on this day. On this day, I was not mindful of the dangers of even a few steps up in mid-air.
I fell hard onto tiles, on the softest and fleshiest part of my body (thankfully), my bottom. Thank you, God, for gracing me with extra flesh on this part of my anatomy!
I yelled loudly and said some words I won’t repeat here, then desperately launched into prayer. With my current full family schedule, a physical problem could ramp it up to chaotic. My daughter came running and ice was applied to many different (and interesting) parts of my body. Of most concern was my lower spine. I was in a great deal of pain but kept up my prayer because I knew after my former medical experiences, medicine cannot offer complete healing. No weapon formed against me (Isaiah 54:17) and healed by His stripes (Isaiah 53:5), were my main prayer statements of faith.
The knife that had been in my hand was later found on the ground pointing away from where I fell. How I fell away from that, I have no idea. As I prayed, I continually praised God for His grace and mercy that I had come down, dropping the knife, as it could’ve been so much worse. Within a few hours, my foot had nearly doubled in size – my right foot, the one that had been immobilised 11 years prior. The one that meant: I couldn’t drive, swim or do most other things I take for granted. The same foot that had had an operation five years ago and had caused me to fall and lose my balance several times (with resultant cracked ribs, several times). Get my drift? It wasn’t looking pretty and I was desperate.
That desperation kept me praying. Where else could I go for help?
When I woke in the morning and put my foot on the floor, the pain had reduced by 75%, so I was able to put weight on it and I realised the pain in my buttocks was also reduced by about the same amount. Into the shower I hobbled and believe it or not I then went to my second favourite place, next to my prayer couch. The sea. I limped in and I swam very gently in the all-over ice pack, the cooling waters anaesthetised the pain.
But then, I first felt stings to my lips before I saw (and swerved from) a jellyfish next to my face, the only area uncovered by my all-over protective wetsuit. The stings are uncomfortable for hours but non-life-threatening. I said to God in my head — really God? Another part of my body in pain? Really?
My husband and I know we are meant to be in this suburb. ‘No weapon formed against us will prosper!' So we are here to stay — Mr enemy of our soul!' I suspect that as a result of the last major physical issue/attack 11 years ago and the resultant ministry God has entrusted to me since then, that God must have something awesome in store for us in 2022 right here.
What about you?
Matthew 7:14 NKJV tells us:
‘…narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life...’
So when you ask ‘Really God? Really?’
Trust Him. He’s going to bring you through with flying colours — and bigger and better than you were before!
Blessings Peta
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