A Season of Suddenly

Two years ago, I read these words, written by Janet Paschal, and they stuck with me. (The mark of a fantastic writer, I believe...when her words stick two years later.)

In his articulate, compelling way, Pastor Hayford talked about how we sometimes pray regarding particular needs for long periods of time without any resolution or perceptible change. We forge ahead, looking neither left or right, with an almost stubborn determination that God is hearing us and working in our behalf. We believe, but not because we see any response to our petitions. Our belief is based solely on who He is and what He promised. Our assignment is to ask, seek, knock, and to keep on doing it.

In January, when we least expected it, God answered a prayer in such a way that we knew He had orchestrated the outcome. Much like dominoes, other prayers were answered and events triggered until we found ourselves in the throes of a visible, real time, act of the sovereign God of the ages. All we could do was stand back and utter words of gratitude and disbelief at the same time. Very quickly, God took a handful of impossibles and rendered them done. Asked and answered. And better than we hoped for.

God moves in the events of my life and I am rendered a mere observer, as helpless to stop His sovereignty as I was to start it.

So, here is the crux of the matter: that God is working even though we cannot see it, that He longs to take our most painful events and make them beautiful in time, that when we call on Him, He answers. Sometimes suddenly.

These words so moved me that I actually wrote to Janet to thank her for them. In her response to me, she said this: Press in to Him, don't look back, and listen closely. Your season of suddenly will break when you least expect it.

And He has been. He opened the door for my book to be published. He opened the door for me to leave a job that had taken a toll on my spirit. Furthermore, He opened the door to my dream job, and I had no idea it was even my dream.

These last two years have been beautiful...unexpected...and all ordained by His hands.

And I'm so, so grateful.

I say this to you today because the day I read Janet's words, I was grasping. I needed hope. And her words came through on the right day. So if today is your day to need hope...to believe that such a thing as a season of suddenly really does exist...take heart.

It's true.