21-Day Fast: Breakthrough Stories
by gingerhohm on May 13th, 2010
filed under Journal
My husband has cancer.
I remember hearing those words for the first time. My friend was distraught, but hopful – so was I. We serve a big God and I knew He alone held the answers. In the months that followed, my husband and I spent countless hours with both of them. He introduced her husband to Jesus and I shared my faith with my friend. So many times I thought, this is her day, only to see doubt and grief cloud her mind. Dale passed just two months after my own mother. My heart was tender and I longed to see her find peace.
I spent the next two years in pursuit of my friend. I called, I took her to lunch, I took her out for coffee. Did I mention I called? Slowly she stopped attending church and our time together became less and less frequent.
I remember getting a phone call about one year ago. It was around 6 pm on a Wednesday evening. It was Jo! She spoke five of the most beautiful words to me, “I want to come home.” I immediately began to cry. My friend had finally received her breakthrough, and I was allowed to share this moment with her. She attended our Life Group that night. In fact, one year later I can say – rarely does she miss a Life Group meeting. Not only is she attending church, she is involved with the our women’s group, she is involved with our Life Groups, and her only son is going to the Philipines this summer with our youth group!
Why do some breakthroughs happen immediately and others take time? I have learned that God often uses time as a tool to unlock our hearts. The Bible tells us that “the Lord is not slow in keeping His promises as some understand slowness to be.” The Lord does not view time the way we do. When we find ourselves in the “Waiting Room” of life, we must learn to put our trust in Him and Him alone.