Good Day, Meetpastodan Readers…It feels great to be behind my keyboard again. I know I said that the last time I wrote, but I want to bring you up to date on what is, and has been, going on in my life. I have been living a bit of a rollercoaster, and it has taken me a while to work through it. It’s hard to put my finger on when it all started, but my best guess is when I backslid into some old patterns of thinking. Believe me, this has been a time of learning new lessons – both good and bad, and I am unabashedly sharing these experiences with the hope that they might be useful if you feel you might be losing your way. (?)
I have been abundantly blessed by God throughout my salvation. But as Apostle Paul has written, “We all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23) When that happens – that chink in our spiritual armor – it opens up the door for spiritual warfare. That happened to me big-time, and satan hit his target. “Look at you…you’re supposed to be a Man of God? You’re a hypocrite; a liar; a cheat; a thief. You are pathetic; how can you look at yourself in the mirror.” Unfortunately, I listened to this and began seeing myself that way. Truthfully, it took me to a pretty dark place, and I began really doubting myself! But thankfully, when I was picking- up my car at the Carriage House, I walked by LIFE church in that same mall. A sign in front of the door said, “Need prayer? Come in.” That sounded like the life jacket I needed, so I went in!
Six people met me inside; they loved on me, prayed for me, and asked me all the right questions. It was easy for me to admit that I felt like a fallen pastor because they didn’t know me. But they loved me all the more!! (I’m convinced two of the men were indeed angels.) They said they were going to be there for the next two days, so I kept going back, and they kept loving me. In fact, they got me back on my feet by convincing me I was listening to the wrong voice. “Satan is trying to take you down; rebuke him!” they said. Focus on the truth of who you really are! Your identity is “in Christ.” You are One with Him. Nothing can separate you from His love. No one can snatch you out of His hand. You have been chosen to be His ambassador! It was working…they were right, and the dark haze began leaving my mind and the beautiful light started shining even brighter. Thank you, God, for your orchestration and your lesson.
Everything was looking brighter; I was spiritually on solid ground again and feeling great So, Pam and I decided to take a five day cruise to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. (We had planned to fly to Barcelona, spend a few days there, then go on a ten day cruise to France and Italy, but Pam’s two consecutive strokes nixed those plans. We had planned to go with another couple from church; they went and are there now taking a lot of pictures for us.) But on our five- day cruise, my hip replacement from 30 yrs ago gave out and down I went. After that, I was wheelchair bound for the next two week. But then I came to me senses and started praying for spiritual healing. Because both Pam and I are believers, and because I was part of a spiritual healing ministry in St. Louis, I have witnessed and experienced spiritual healing for both of us. So, I’m walking now, but not without a slight limp and pain. I can get around pretty good for -maybe 8 hrs, but then the pain rears its ugly head and I slow to a halt.
I’ve already become a familiar face at FL Orthopedic hospital, and a new hip replacement is imminent – maybe 10 days two wks. I have a meeting with the surgeon Tuesday. I keep telling people I feel great, and I do! I have the love of Jesus in me so how can I feel anything but joyful. So yes… I am looking forward to the surgery…but not the recoup time. YIKES!
So, that is the roller coaster part of my life. I was victorious in the spiritual battle; I saw the lies and realized they were lies. Now I have every indication that my hip and walking issue will be relieved. What affect did all of this have on my relationship with God? I know I am closer to Him now because I depended on His truth and His promises to keep me going. He said He would never leave me nor forsake me…and He didn’t. Jesus said, “If you are weary and heavy burdened, I will give you rest.” He did. Regardless of what we are experiencing or going through, there is only one answer…MORE JESUS!
Apostle James makes that perfectly clear in James 4:10: “When we come humbly before the Lord and admit our dependence on Him, He will lift us up and give us honor.” He also exhorts us to be grateful for our trials and tribulations because these are chances to grow. The valleys in our lives provide chances to put our trust in the Lord, and the more we trust the Lord, the stronger our faith becomes.
I know I have written on this subject many times before, but God has done it all! Because He doesn’t want to lose anyone, He has revealed Himself through His Word. He has told us what He thinks, what He thinks about us; what His plans are, what His plans are for us. He absolutely wants us to be victorious. As the hymn tells us, “Trust and obey for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!
Today I feel great, whole, and have a firm intimate relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Life is what it is, but victory can only be obtained in Christ!! May God bless you my Brothers and Sisters…Dan Presgrave (a.k.a.Pastor Dan@meetpastordan.com)