I promised after I wrote about MY FALL, that I would also share the story of MY RESTORATION. In "The Devil's Dominoes" you read about how I stupidly TURNED to Satan for my ultimate happiness and fulfillment. I was in a bad marriage, I had drifted away from God, and I was DESPERATE for LOVE. Instead of turning to MY HEAVENLY FATHER for comfort, I turned to SIN. As you can imagine, my Sin DID NOT comfort me.... it SHATTERED ME!!!! .... I was left BROKEN and TOTALLY ASHAMED!!! _________________________________________________________________________________________
My RESTORATION........
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
If you read the scripture closely, you see that being RESTORED requires 4 steps. My RESTORATION was NO DIFFERENT. At the time I didn't realize that God was leading me though this exact process, but looking back on it I can CLEARLY see HIM guiding ME EACH STEP OF THE WAY.
Step 1: HUMBLE YOURSELF.....
It took me a while to reach Step 1. I was not IMMEDIATELY HUMBLE after my game with the devil. At first I did not ADMIT that I NEEDED to change, and I did NOT ask GOD for help. I continued trying to FIX my life ALL by MYSELF! I joined on-line dating sites and went out with many different men: some Christian and others NOT Christian. I did this all with the HOPE of finding the ONE who would FULFILL ME!
I had not STOPPED long enough to realize that what I NEEDED THE MOST was to HUMBLE myself and SEEK GOD'S LOVE! At this point, I was no longer listening to the devil, but I wasn't LISTENING to God either. LUCKILY, God chose to step in HELP ME anyway!
GOD STEPPED IN............ and I reached the FIRST stage: HUMBLING MYSELF
It is funny how God sometimes LEADS us where He wants us to go by OPENING and CLOSING doors along our path. He did this with my dating life. He opened every WRONG door you could imagine. I think God had every "emotionally unavailable" man in the greater Atlanta area ask me out. I laugh looking back on it, but I now realize that He did this for a MUCH GREATER PURPOSE! He DID this so that I would FINALLY give up and TURN to HIM!
I had been so busy dating that I had not REALIZED that the MAJOR problem in my life was ME- I WAS NOT WHOLE!!!! I could NOT do this ALONE!!! I was NOT OK!!!! I NEEDED MY LORD AND SAVIOR to HEAL and RESTORE ME!!! I was NOT ready to date!! I NEEDED TO WORK ON MY FAULTS and FAILURES!!! I NEEDED TIME WITH MY SAVIOR!!! I was NOT HEALTHY... I was STILL BROKEN and I NEEDED GOD'S HELP!!!!
AND SO............... I ENTER STAGE ONE: HUMBLE YOURSELF
Stay tuned for Stage 2: PRAY...... coming soon :)