When you decide to blow down the gates of hell. Idle minions do not just let you ransack their province with the glory of God just as you wouldn't just allow an individual to ransack your home. Immediate reaction and retaliation is put into action to ensure the safety of both the individuals and the property that is being attacked. And then after you blow open Hell's gates, counter attacks are to be expected and yet many times WE stand idle as the devil tears apart our home after we take a step towards Christ.
I have both a prayer request and a testimony that I would like to share. I work at a dry cleaning place at the Broadmoor hotel in colorado springs and I cross train in the alterations section of the building as well. I enjoy what I do. And upon hiring it was understood that if work was slow, and we were not busy in the dry cleaning area I can go to the alterations room and work there in my spare time. And I love it. To make a very LONG story short. There has been opposition from co-workers who did not know the agreement set up upon my hiring. For the past week, a new Broadmoor dry cleaner's holiday was established, and it is called, "Let's ALL hate Ashley day!" Lol it was literally a dry cleaning uprising as people in ignorance, judged, called me names, glared, and refused to work beside me. It was overall a terrible week. But as I was bagging the last of the clothing for the day to be put away today. I thought something profound. I don't want to leave, hide or otherwise run as far away from this place as I possibly can. I love my work and I love my job. But most of all, I mourn for these people that so easily cast a stone at an innocent person without justifiable cause.
Not a week before this incident another incident had taken place where a co-worker literally tried to cut my hair off. I ran for my precious hair life! Ha! It was so strange in which the incident transpired. I had just gotten a perm and they wanted to see it so I took my hair down. Literally a crazed frenzy came over the women she became intensely intent upon sheering my beautiful brown locks. And with haste and glorious motivation I ran from her as she fumbled for scissors and yes . . . She followed in suit running after me with scissors in hand. It was a terrible experience and afterwards with my hair safely pinned up I worked in shock and with a slight case of a nauseated stomach.
These are two scenes that have happened within the past two weeks RIGHT AFTER I started to continually pray and fast for the people of the Broadmoor. Bringing names in prayer, and praying in my spare time for the souls of these people have gotten the attention of the enemy and their counter attacks are evident.
I began to think on the idea of, what if she had cut my hair? Oh my word! I am a child of God, a born again Christian, baptized in the mighty name of Jesus Christ by which all must be saved and filled with the infilling of the Holy Ghost by evidence of speaking tongues. And I am under the protection of the Creator that I serve. I would pray for mercy for these souls that do not realize what they are doing to themselves. They are "heaping coals upon their own heads" they are bringing judgment upon their own lives and I fear the consequences of their actions. The Lord protects His own. And though I am facing hard times at work, I know the Lord has me in the palm of His hand protecting me and guiding me.
I am hurt because of what is going on but listen to me well. I LOVE these people! They have hurt me but I love them still! I pray for them still, I will continue to fast! And I will continue to love them, be their friend, and not lay a finger upon them. What they choose to do is up to them. But I will be as Christian as I possibly can. I am extremely proud of myself to day especially. Because as they openly talked about me IN FRONT OF ME. I did not raise my voice, I respected them as my elder, I continue to work hard, I left the correction up to my supervisor, and I responded to all of them in an even and calm tone! Haha! Who would of thought that would be possible for me?! All I could think was this, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of fools pour out folly. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit." -Proverbs 15:1-4
The Lord knows my plight, and I did the best that I could do in the situation that I was in. the Lord will bless me and continue to hold me in the palm of His hand if I will continue to lean on Him in these trials BUT even in anything in life!
Look at Moses and the children of God as they were watching pharaoh and his army descend on them to destroy them simply because they were the children of God. "And Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. ' The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.' And the Lord said to Moses, 'why do you cry to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward." Exodus 14:13-15 So I will continue to go forward! I will continue to speak gently, to be kind, to be loving and to be their FRIEND! And the Lord will fight for me and His glory will be revealed through this trial.
But this is the truth of the matter. I probably would not be facing this trial if I was not fasting and praying actively for the souls of these individuals. I must realize that I am fighting more than just a physical battle but a spiritual battle. It is written "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." -Ephesians 6:12
I absolutely LOVE ephesians! It is a book of battle and action! But above all thing truth and faith, that book in my bible has just had the mess highlighted right out of it :) but this is what I want to get across. Adversaries and hard times in your life are not necessarily a bad thing, for it encourages growth. I am growing through this uncomfortable time at work. I am learning things about myself and others. But most of all, I don't believe any true positive change can come about in these people's lives without first a battle from the adversary taking place. Because it is only then you realize that the Devil is not in complacency but rather in defense. As a result you realize that your prayers are being heard and spiritual actions are being prepped and packaged to bless the Broadmoor with a whole new beginning.
So what do you do when the adversary strikes back? You continue to pray, you continue to fast, you continue to fight! And as Ephesians says to put the whole armour of God on. Ephesians 6:13-18
1.Girded your waist with truth
2.Breastplate of righteousness
3.Shod your feet with preparation of the gospel of peace
4.Taking the shield of faith
5. And lastly the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God.
But I love this last scripture and it goes like this, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." WOW! How beautiful. Never stand still go in and continue to fight for truth and you can't go wrong.
So in closing I encourage a few toes to be stepped on. Because its when their stepped on that any change or reaction can be made!
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