The last two years are a bit of a blur, I have snippets of memories many of them painful. Since my last blog post two years ago, I have lost some things and gained some things. I have lost loved ones and friendships, I have lost trust and confidence in humans, and I have lost the fairy tale dreams of my youth. But for all that I have lost, I have gained much. So this year, 2018, I decided was going to be a GREAT year!
At the beginning of each year I try to collect my thoughts and pray and see what the Lord may have me do or work on for the year. Last year, the phrase "Be Real" was so big in my heart. I tried very hard to "be real" and found that being real isn't all it's cracked up to be. Anyway, I digress. This year the word was simply "Hope." Oh how I needed that word. After a period of hope deferred my heart longed for hope fulfilled.
As a wife to a preacher when the Lord gave me the word "Hope" I thought for sure it was in relation to ministry. Me and my preacher husband have been married for nearly 19 years and have longed to serve the Lord full time in the ministry. So, with the word "Hope" on my lips and in my heart, I started 2018 knowing everything would change for us this year.
Little did I know, how I would cling to the word "Hope" and how it would have nothing to do with ministry. The picture above is a quote I read in AW Tozers "Pursuit of God", it was my first read of 2018. Immediately this quote spoke deep to me. I posted this quote on my Instagram account on January 11, just 8 short days before I began the journey of Chiari Malformation.
"For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease."
Job 14:7
Hello Mrs. Dawn Bond. I am so blessed by your blog post. You being Pastor's wife sharing about couple of by gone years and what you have lost and what you have gained and the year with a promise of hope yet the journey of yours began with Chiari Malformation. I am so encouraged by your post. I am also a Pastor from Mumbai, India. I am glad to stop by your profile on the blogger and the blog post and I am also blessed and feel privileged and honored to get connected with you as well as know you and about your struggles and victories as a Pastor's wife. I love getting connected with the people of God around the globe to be encouraged, strengthened and praying for one another. I have been in the pastoral ministry for last 40 yrs in this great city of Mumbai a city with a great contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. We reachout to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the brokenhearted. We also encourage young ad the adults from the west to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. We would love to have young people from your church to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. I am sure they will have a life changing experience. Looking forward t o hear from you very soon. God's richest blessings on you your family and friends also wishing you a blessed and a Christ centred rest of the year 2018. My email id is: dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Diwakar Wankhede.
ReplyDeleteI have try to post this several times. Maybe now you will get this. Hope is a great word. Without our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we would have no hope. I cant imagine going thru this wicked world of trials, etc without Him. His promise to us that he will never leave us or forsake us. Luv you!
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