Page 7 - RiseUpWarrior

Chapter 1 6 a family. God asked me if I would be willing to allow The God of the universe Him to decide when and IF I would ever get pregnant. God asked me if I would instead serve Him with my actually wants to talk whole life, 40 hours a week; just grinding away on an assignment that He would give me. At the time, I didn’t to YOU personally and know what the assignment was going to be. have a relationship with What assignment could be worth sacrifcing having a family? I couldn’t think of anything so valuable. YOU. But, I decided then and there that the only way to actu- ally live this Christian life is to go all-in. How could I It seems to me that some Christians can get away with say “no” to God? Thankfully, I had a husband who un- whatever they want to, while others of us are stuck on derstood, and also wanted to serve God with his whole strict orders. Perhaps it is because they are “parked heart and life. cars.” But nothing makes what God asked of me any easier. I have been a Christian for 35 years, and yet God has I have had people treat me like I had no faith, or that me on some very strict orders. I don’t get to do what- I must be in sin to not be able to get pregnant. I have ever I want with my life, like I see others getting away had so many people over the years lay hands on me with. There are times I am tempted to be jealous of their and pray for me to get pregnant. Each time someone “freedom”. prayed, I also asked God if maybe this time my orders had changed. Every time He would say no. So I quietly God set us free “to be free indeed”, right? let people pray for me; knowing the whole time that “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand God was saying, “NO”. They wouldn’t understand that frm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened God had actually asked me to give that up, so I didn’t again by a yoke of slavery.” tell them. Galatians 5:1 Dwight and I have found many little pairs of baby shoes But that is talking about following the law, including that were hidden in our home by well-meaning Chris- all kinds of religious rules. That is not what I’m talking tians. I have also been treated like I was being unfair to about. I am talking about when you actually ask God my husband, not allowing him to have a family. what He wants, and give Him the reins to your life. He I have been tempted to try medications or adopt chil- is the boss and can ask anything of you. dren. But every time I was tempted, God asked me the Verse 13 of the same chapter says: same question again. Are you willing to let me be boss of your life or not? “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the fesh…” Was I going to take my life back into my own hands, or let Him run it? For me, this was the most costly thing And in verse 16: God has asked: to give up having a family. I have had “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify strict orders to not go to the doctor, not investigate my the desires of the fesh. For the fesh desires what is infertility, not foster children or adopt children. My contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary orders were to just let God have my life. When God to the fesh. They are in confict with each other, so decides I can have a family; that is when I will get preg- that you are not to do whatever you want.” nant: no sooner and no later. It is in God’s hands. So, in the end, we are free; but cannot do whatever we And so, sometimes allowing God to be the boss is dif- want. fcult. God is offering the best life to all of us, but some people But, of course, the joys far outweigh the pains, and the honestly just are not accepting it. I call it the “best life,” fulfllment of actually participating in the army that is but when you are given an order that is hard to follow, making a difference in the WAR is such a great feeling! sometimes it doesn’t feel like the best life. It would be worth it if it was just for here on earth. But as you know, God also promises us great rewards in Early on in my life, God asked me to sacrifce having heaven!