Without Her… BUT With HIM!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  Mine was a little on the quiet side, but the weather was wonderful and I enjoyed Fiver’s and my walks along the golf course and the errands that I needed to run.  It felt good to get out of the neighborhood and go to the store, to the gas station and even to KFC!  From what I can see, things are on a path to some state of normalcy here in Oklahoma!

When I went to my local Walmart this morning, I noticed a lighter atmosphere as soon as I walked up to the front door.  Most people that I saw looked happier and seem to be walking with a bit of a spring in their steps.  They were also more willing to smile, say “Hi” or even engage in a conversation.  I guess what I am trying to say is that most people that I saw and or talked to in my neighborhood and at the various places of business that I went to over the weekend, just seemed to project a sense of hope in their futures… which is something that I can’t honestly can say that I saw in people just a few weeks ago!

On our first walk to the park and pond on Saturday morning, we had no less than six people stop and tell me what a good-looking dog I had!  After that… I could have sworn that Fiver was actually holding his head up higher and prancing on the way home!  It was as if the mom’s walking with their kids and the men and women golfers were just looking for something or someone to share some happiness with!

With this in mind, I got to thinking during my Bible study times over the weekend and again today, about what it would take for me to experience some happy times again.  I came to the realization that there are still all kinds of things that I would like to accomplish, places that I would like to travel to and ministry opportunities that I would love to jump into… but the problem is that I want to accomplish, go and do all these types of things… with PIPER!  I also discovered that there is a great void in me when I read verses of scripture like Ephesians 3:20 where the Apostle Paul boldly encourages his readers to:

“Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. (‘this’ being our experiencing the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions, as stated in the previous verse) For He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest requests, your most unbelievable dreams, and exceed your wildest imaginations! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.” (The Passion Translation) 

For as long as I can remember, I have always been one to have goals set before me.  To enjoy dreaming lavish dreams, and explore the depths of a rather vivid and at times wild imagination.  There was a time where, at the drop of a hat, that I could write a song, draft a sermon or create a storyline to flow within the dozens of puppet skits, plays and lesson plans that I imagined and wrote for all the kids, youth, and adults that we ministered to over the years.

But, over the past year or so, whenever I think about the “infinitely more” of God in connection with my “greatest requests” my “most unbelievable dreams” and my “wildest imaginations” I’ve tended to draw a blank!  I'm learning though, that with time, comes healing and the beginnings of a clearer vision of continued purpose and life without her.  Piper often times talked about the scriptures that spoke of God knowing us before we were born, when ministering to people with low self-esteem or to those who felt like they had no special purpose in life. 

One of her favorites that came to mind today is found in Jeremiah 1:5 when the Lord spoke to a young and seemingly unprepared Jeremiah saying: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart for my holy purpose…” (God’s Word ©)  And I had the sudden thought on the way to Walmart this morning, that although I am positive that God had nothing to do with Piper’s illness, that in His omniscience, He must have had a plan for me after her untimely passing through the veil.  And while all of that brings up a lot of questions that I have no idea how to answer, I found peace in knowing that He knew me before I was formed in my mother’s womb and had… at that time… set me apart for a special purpose… just like I believe that He has for everyone.

So that gives me hope!  And even though my world was… and to be perfectly honest… still is turned upside down and inside out… I can go forward, I can be free to ask for things… with GREAT REQUESTS, to dream UNBELIEVABLE DREAMS once again, and to allow myself the luxury of having WILD IMAGINATIONS… knowing that according to His Word, that He’s been thinking about me… well, since before I was born… (remember that Psalm 40:5 tells us that “You think of us all the time with Your countless expressions of love”- TPT)  And on top of all that… that He still has a plan for me. 

The exciting part of these truths, is that He has also known you for a long time and has special plans for you!  So never give up and never give in to the lies that say it’s too late or worse yet, that you’re not good enough.  The Word of God says differently… and I think that it is about time that you and I believe IT instead of those nasty lies… and then go on and do something about it!  Are you with me?

Have a great new week, and as you do, say with me…  “I am expecting to ask God for GREAT REQUESTS, to dream UNBELIEVABLE DREAMS and allow myself to go WILD with my IMAGINATIONS!”