One Month to Live Challenge: Day 4

This is the title to Chapter 4 of One Month to Live

I have a dear friend, Lori, who I remember always saying..."we have the power source, we just have to stay connected".  Oh so true!

In John 15 is the analogy of the vine.  God is the vine we are the branches....do the branches have to work hard...NOPE, just stay connected.  But there is a pruning process.  No one likes this because it is painful.  But I have a "heavenly Father who know what He's doing, He's an expert".

The Make it Count Moment asks:  What are some ways you've seen God prune areas of your life?  How have you handled the pruning?

Three years ago I experienced a big time of pruning.  The biggest challenge to my faith EVER!  I was diagnosed with a brain tumor!  To say I was scared is an understatement.  I did not handle this well at all.  I ended up on medication because of anxiety....

I struggled with trusting God.  I always prided myself in my health.  I tried to eat well, rarely took any medication, I really thought I had it all together...then an awful diagnosis.  I lost control of my health...how could this happen to ME?  The question of WHY was always there.  I couldn't believe GOD would do this to me!  

Come to find out the medication that I was put on to "help" anxiety was partly to blame for my state of mind.  I look back realizing that IF I would have just accepted this as part of God's pruning in my life, it would not have lasted as long as it did.  The effects of the medication lasted for another 2 years!  As the author states:  "Relying on God would have reduced my stress and allowed me the freedom to be fully engaged in life".  Instead I held off the surgery for 3 months...all the while fighting with God....waiting for that healing which never came.  Finally had the surgery, finding out that this tumor was 100% curable with surgery!  No cancer, no death sentence!

Even now I'll admit I still have an issue with trust....silly, isn't it?  God brought me through something that could have been much, much worse and I still have trust issues!!!  So what can I do to help me through?

STAY CONSTANTLY CONNECTED TO GOD!  

by conversational prayer....constantly throughout  my day.  Whether it be annoyance over a problem in school, if I become angry at someone, a decision I need to make (like "what's for supper?), a nice surprise...just keep talking.  

and by constant confession....keep the communication alive by keeping sin out!  It's just part of the constant conversation going on between me and God.  I remember hearing it called "keeping 'short accounts' with God".  Easy to do if I am talking with Him all day :)

I can move from "willpower to His power just by staying connected" !

"All you have to DO is connect to the vine, the power source, and He'll give you, not willpower, but REAL power.  He'll give you His power to do everything you need to do.  We'll grow spiritually as never before as long as we remain connected to the vine."

LET GOD WORK.....JUST ABIDE

SUCH A LIBERATING TRUTH