Back to Our Roots

Piper and I followed and financially supported certain worldwide Christian ministries for many years.  Some from the beginning days of our marriage that I still support today.  Others, although we still believed in the message they taught and the good work around the globe that they were doing, tended to slide a little bit under our immediate radar, although we would occasionally catch them on TV, read an email or see an article about them on social media.

As the months have turned into almost two years now, since Piper moved through the veil into the wonderful realm of heaven, I have sensed the Lord impressing upon my heart, the need to reconnect with some of those ministries from our past who had much to do with the establishment of the firm foundation of our personal faith.  I most definitely believe that this is all a part of His divine plan for the healing of my shattered heart as I slowly proceed through the process of re-entering into life and the plans and purposes that He still has for me to pursue on this earth.

In Philippians 4:9, the Apostle Paul encourages us to “Follow the example of all that we have imparted to you and the God of peace will be with you in all things.” (The Passion Translation)  When I read that verse, I hear the Lord instructing me to go back to my Christian roots.  I briefly described some of Piper’s and my Christian experiences and training in my last post (“Certainties” 7/23/20) and although some may seem unrelated to each other, they all had the common core of agreement with the ministries I mentioned above… and a lot more of them!

I can see the Lord wanting me to re-settle the foundation of my faith.  Especially now that my long-time partner is no longer at my side and has left a large and unsettling void in the balance of that equation.  Does that make sense?

Yesterday I was listening to a sermon given by one of our favorite ministers from our past who is based in the deep south.  He was teaching on one of those core scriptures found in Mark 11:22-24 that is so important to the methodology behind Piper’s and my strong and active faith in the supernatural abilities of God in and through His Word.  I’ve always been amazed at how something as quick as a fifteen-minute clip of the teaching of the Word spoken in season, can quickly bring peace, calm and a sudden understanding to parts of life that up to then, had been very confusing!

I had been asking the Father for some wisdom and direction concerning a few important steps that I feel are necessary for me as I continue on with life.  But I know enough in this stage of my Christian walk to NOT move until I get a sense of where He is leading me… and that is where the difficulty has been… I haven’t been hearing or seeing anything!  I have been told on more than one occasion that I am a patient man… but this seemed ridiculously long and my patience has been wearing pretty thin!

But as the Minister was repeating verse 24 where Jesus said, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (KJV) a light suddenly went on in me in many different directions!  I literally jumped in my desk chair and startled the dog laying on the couch behind me in the study!

Certain phrases and words in that verse seemed to pop out at me and I saw some instant directional steps that I should take.  In one request that I had made, I realized that I needed to make a correction and be more specific in what I was asking of Him.  Praise the Lord!  I’m planning on watching that video again this afternoon to make sure that I didn’t miss anything!

So, what am I rambling about here today?  I guess that I am trying to point out that sometimes it is profitable to go back to your roots when needing to branch out into something new!  Many times, I have heard men describe their wives as their “better halves” and I’ve come to realize that they are right about one thing… when their spouses are no longer in the picture… as in my case… you most definitely DO feel like HALF of you is missing!

So, for me to go back to my roots, is to go back and reaffirm and re-establish that part of my foundation that I used to share with Piper.  It is like I must re-balance the basics of me across the whole of who I am now… as a newly single individual.

 

What about you?  Are there places in your life that you may need to re-establish or re-balance by remembering the roots that made you who you are today?

Hummm… that could make for an interesting exercise… just as it has been for me!

Have a great weekend… and in whatever needs to be adjusted in you… keep expecting God’s best!