A Character No One Can Deny - Encouragement Café - June 17, 2015

A Character No One Can Deny

Café Menu for Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Today’s Special is:  Great is HIS Faithfulness

Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Tara Gilpin

Main Ingredient:

Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him.  If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

2 Timothy 2:11-13 NIV

Entrée: 

My pastor husband and I are blessed with three beautiful, healthy, busy children.  We are busy, we are loud at times, we meet each other coming and going, we say weird things that we never thought we’d say like, “No, you cannot dig a hole in the backyard in your church clothes, it doesn’t matter if the dog did it, and you’re not a dog!”  (I said that one yesterdayJ) 

When our firstborn daughter was born I was amazed at the miracle of it all, and though I had eight baby showers in preparation for her birth (EIGHT – isn’t that pretentious!) there is no way that I was ready for that HUGE, life changing event of parenthood.  It doesn’t matter how many bags you bring home from Babies R’ Us – you just don’t know what in the world you are doing with that first little helpless baby. 

I remember calling my Mother at three in the morning when I was going out of my mind with sleeplessness and crying hysterically that if she didn’t hurry up to my house and help me that my child was certain to die.  She said in her sweet and comforting way, “Darling, you are going to feel so much better in six weeks,” to which I sobbed, “I’ll be dead in six weeks – I’ll never make it!”  When we made it to the first well baby check-up and neither of us was dead, I felt pretty proud of myself (and she’d gained weight as well!!!) 

When you buy a toaster or microwave oven you get a three-foot thick instruction manual; but when you have a baby, a nurse (who looks like an aerobics instructor) waves goodbye and says “GOOD LUCK!!”  I have never felt so nervous, anxious, insecure, and downright FAITHLESS in my life!

My husband and I then took that tiny baby and moved eight hours away from my family.  We went to Seminary in blind obedience, trusting in God’s provision, but leaning also on our own understanding.  We look back on that time as difficult, but it is a pivotal moment in our faith journey. 

When we were far away from everyone that we knew, we learned to trust our FAITHFUL God in a new and fresh way.  He provided a teaching job for me, safe and reliable daycare for our daughter, and a precious church family who supported us through some difficult days. 

Please do not think that we were giants of the faith – we cried a lot, we wrung our hands, we worried ourselves half to death.  My husband and I were at a point where we thought we’d have to move back to the Carolinas when our FAITHFUL God provided full seminary tuition, a living stipend, a full scholarship that paid for EVERY textbook, and a reassurance that we were in HIS will. 

When we are weak, small, tiny, and helpless, HE IS FAITHFUL because HE cannot be anything contrary to HIS character!

Take Out:

Trust GOD in every situation and lean on HIM because HE is so, so, so marvelously faithful and true!! 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Dessert:

Sweet Heavenly Father,

Thank You for demonstrating Your faithfulness in our moments of deepest need and dependency.  We praise You because YOU ALONE are worthy!  Increase our faith and trust in Your everlasting arms!

© 2015 by Tara Gilpin.  All rights reserved.

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