NOTICE: The following
article is written by the author itself and not by me, I am not trying to
violate their copyright. I will give some information on them.
PAGE TITLE: CBN Daily Devotional
ARTICLE
TITLE:
Peace Forged Through Trials.
DATE: N.A
AUTHOR: Julia Mateer
AUTHOR
INFORMATION: Julia Mateer is a licensed mental
health counselor, author of Life-Giving
LeadHERship, women’s small group director, mother of three and wife
to Mark Mateer. You can contact Julia via her website: www.juliamateer.com.
Standing
next to the mailbox, my fingers slowly opened the dreaded letter from the bank.
A fist of worry hit me in the stomach as I scanned the contents of the letter
finding the word I had anticipated for several months. Foreclosure. Even though
we were working with the bank so we could stay in our home, I knew there was
the possibility we could lose it. Our family home was in foreclosure because of
a series of unexpected events that had occurred over the past five years.
My
husband had been a senior executive in the newspaper industry with a lucrative
salary and a robust 401K. With the newspaper industry sinking in the internet
ocean, Mark lost his job. Although he consulted for the next several years,
jobs were sporadic and several clients failed to pay. Struggling to meet our
bills I increased my work hours as a therapist for at-risk adolescent girls and
cut back on expenses.
However,
in spite of our efforts, our savings disappeared, and we could no longer make
our mortgage payment. Now we were losing the last vestige of financial
security, our home. Memories of birthday parties, anniversaries, holiday
celebrations and childhood milestones filled every inch of our home and our
hearts.
While
the pain of losing our home was intense, surprisingly it did not compare with
the underlying peace that reigned in our souls, a peace that surpasses all
understanding, a peace that comes from knowing deep within that God would take
care of us.
Philippians
4:6-7, says,
“Don’t
worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need,
and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which
exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds
as you live in Christ Jesus (NLT).”
This
peace was forged in our souls through trials experienced over the past five
years. Holding the letter, I remembered one such trial; the heart wrenching day
when Mark and I had to tell our daughter, Caroline, an Irish Dance champion,
that we could no longer afford dance lessons. Guilt and shame welled up in our
hearts as we held her while she cried with disappointment. Little did we know
that God was going to replace dance lessons with something that Caroline loved
even more; horseback riding.
As
long as we could remember, Caroline had been passionate about horses. Posters
of horses plastered her walls, horse statues sat on her shelves, and books
about horses were at the top of her Christmas lists. The next school year
brought a new friend, Mia, who was a seasoned rider and lived on a horse farm.
She and Caroline became fast friends and spent hours at the horse farm mucking
out stalls, grooming horses, and riding.
We
experienced God’s provision yet again when we needed a new car. Not wanting a
car payment, my husband and I prayed for God to provide a new car. A year
later, we received a phone call from Mark’s elderly cousin offering to give us
her 2001 Volvo S40 with only 62,000 miles on it, and in perfect condition!
By
the time the foreclosure letter arrived, my response was peace. I felt
convinced deep down that God would take care of us. Though it made no sense, I
felt wealthier than when our bank account was full.
The
next time you are facing a crisis, allow God to forge His peace in your soul;
the peace that surpasses all understanding. Expect that God will take care of
you in the most unexpected ways. God will surprise you with His provision.
As
John
14: 27 says,
“I
am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a
gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid (NLT).”
What
He did for me He can do for you.
Copyright
© 2012 Julia Mateer. Used by permission.
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