ENDURANCE

One of the things I enjoy in life is discovering the true, deeper meaning of words. The Lord has taken me on a journey recently, discovering the real meaning of Christ's endurance. 2009 was not the greatest of years for our family. Sadly, I was not alone. The enemy was hellbent on doing his best to destroy the lives of so many women in my life and others.  Mothers, daughters, aunts, sisters, neices, friends.  Though the outcome has been different for each one, The Lord has been victorious over all.  Though weeping was endured in the night, joy did truly come in the morning. [Psalm 30:5]  Praise be to the Lord.

"And the LIGHT shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it!"

Two very special people, gifts from God, that mentored me in real Faith and endurance had their home-going that year. They shared their wisdom, struggles, love, gifts....everything they were, to show me unconditional love and forgiveness. The lives they lived 'out loud' created strength in my faith that has sustained me even when I thought I would drown from life's burden's.  They were the real deal.  They were the Titus 2 women that shared their wisdom that I may learn "to love [my] husband and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to [my] husband, so that no one will malign the word of God." (Titus 2:4-5)

The Lord called them home in April and in September of 2009.

In September, two days before her sons, my daddy's birthday [who went home in 1991] my grandmother, 96 years old peacefully stepped into Glory. Strong, Loving, full of Godly wisdom. She had a long full life and I was there to be a part of it. Grace was her mantle. She had physical weakness but as she leaned on God her strength was renewed. In pain, she would stand for hours, cooking our favorite meal and then clean everything without complaint. She was an amazing example of endurance, as she lost her mom and dad, her husband [too early], her son [again, too early], and all of her 10 brother's and sister's in her lifetime.  Depression never overtook her.  I have learned so much from her strength, her endurance, but I still have a long way to go. I guess that what life does to you, teaches you to endure.

When the Lord called her home I was not devastated but very sad. Sad, because I would not have those sweet talks we always had when visiting. Joyous, because she was going on to be with her loves and her Jehovah.

The other was my husbands mother, my lovely mother-in-law. She did not go home quite as easy. She suffered...long and hard. But if you spent any time with her you would have never known that she had any disease or pain wracking her body.

The enemy, ovarian cancer. It was horrible.  We watched her as she suffered through pain, nausea, poison from the chemo and radiation and all the while she NEVER complained always strength and grace.  She lost all of her hair, twice, and she wore it without shame.  And she was beautiful.  The children did not understand all she had endured until she was home on hospice and saw what a toll this disease had taken on her.  

Grief can cause a whirl-wind of "phases" in our life. Yet, through all of the anger, denial, and sadness I learned even more about my LORD.  Christ KNEW suffering of every kind.  He knew and ENDURED everything we have ever have suffered or known someone we love to suffer.  There is nothing He doesn't understand.  And therefore, I endured the stages the grief.  As I had done when my daddy died when I was 20 years old, I did when these women went home.

E N D U R A N C E

en·dure/enˈd(y)o͝or/

Verb:

Suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently. Tolerate (someone or something).

All of the giants of faith endured long and with grace trusting in the Lord.  I don't understanding the ways of God.  All I know is He has provided the way.  All I have to do is trust.

Hebrews 6:15
And so it was that he [Abraham], having waited long and endured patiently, realized and obtained [in the birth of Isaac as a pledge of what was to come] what God had promised him.


Hebrews 11:27
[Motivated] by faith [Moses] left Egypt behind him, being unawed and undismayed by the wrath of the king; for he never flinched but held staunchly to his purpose and endured steadfastly as one who gazed on Him Who is invisible.


Hebrews 12:3
Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.


Hebrews 12:2
Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.


There is a favorite book of mine that is no longer available [that I can find] for purchase.  It is called "From the Father's Heart" by Charles Slagle.  It is such a powerful book of 'letters' written from the perspective of 2 or 3 unnamed Prayer Warriors as letter's from the Father to us.  This letter stood out in particular as I journeyed through grief:

BE PATIENT

Deuteronomy 7:21-23

Little One,

Be patient.  I will bring to pass all I have promised.  What now seems to you a needless delay - even a backward move - is actually an important step in the necessary process.  Child, the pains of healing are similar to the pains of the earlier difficulty, but with one significant difference: they are the result of the steady flow of My Life which is, even now, reversing the damages you have asked Me to mend.

Keep your eyes on Me, for I know an important principle you have forgotten.  Often what is quickly acquired is also quickly lost.  Therefore, rest! I AM laying a solid foundation which cannot  be moved. Faithfully,

Dad

[p 46]

I have learned what real endurance is as I watched these women endure in their faith in life.  I have learned, through different stages of grief, that life is hard, but I have a Savior that knows what I endure and He is carrying me through as I lean my whole existence on Him and Him Alone!


From My Heart to Yours,

Revelation 12:11