From fire to fall

Sometimes I think I’m just putting this stuff in space to just take up space. Who knows if anyone is reading. But here I am, I had a weekend that I have to write down and have to share.

Earlier last week I got a vision of a painting as I was  reflecting on Resurrection Sunday and the crucifiction of Jesus. I knew I was supposed to paint it but also knew it would be hard and it wasn’t a joyful painting. It was supposed to represent pain. Agonizing pain.

I went to a women’s conference at a church that I love and dislike at the same time. It’s a place that fans a fire inside of me but I also don’t agree with everything they do. I guess every church is like that to some degree. It didn’t fail to deliver this past weekend. Worship was great and the Word even better. 

Fast forward to Sunday and I get the nerve to obey. Even though I’m nervous I go ahead with the painting. It started with a red background to really show the pain that Christ experienced. Then as the worship continued I felt the need to paint over all the work in white. God wanted me to tell a story of the pain Christ experienced with the redemption that it brought. You wouldn’t know that it went from a bold red to those soft tones by seeing only the end result. It was one of those you had to have been there moments.

You’d think I was so on fire that nothing could touch me. After an awesome weekend and a sense of closeness with God....in comes Satan. Straight to the heart of my life...He came at me through circumstances with my husband. I then proceeded to have a loud, snotty, angry, crying fit. Did I mention this occurred in the sanctuary? Well it did. We are supposed to be real in church right? No masks. Well I was real, it was ugly and it scared the mess out of everyone around me.

The moral of my story? God is amazing but we still live in the world and are always going to be attacked until Jesus’ return. We have to cling to God. Just because He’s close doesn’t mean we are immune to the thief who steals joy. No matter where we are in our walk we have to always be ready. Don’t let down your guard because you are on a spiritual high. 

“Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:36‬ ‭NIV‬