Stress Center Peer Support

Hi everyone,

I shared this on the prayer conference tonite. If you haven't been on yet please come next Wed. God does great things. Ok this is the part I shared.It's from David Wilkersons newsletter titled "The Healing Power of Afflictions"

The right response in any affliction is an inquiring heart. This is a heart that askes, "Lord, are you saying something to me in this?: Have I been blinded to something you want to say to me?" Through the years, I have learned that when afflictions come, I am to run to the Lord with an open heart, asking "What is this all about Lord? What you do you want to show me?
THE LORD IS GOOD TO ALL; AND HIS TENDER MERCIES ARE OVER ALL HIS WORKS" Psalm 145:8-9

The Holy Spirit never fails to show me. Sometimes he'll say, "This is a snare of Satan, Beware." Or, without condemnation, he will reveal an area of compromise, saying, "Obey, and the hevens will open to you. All will become clear."

Our salvation is not in jeopardy, Yet, though we are saved, we still are not fully sanctified. We have many issues that hinder God's fullness in us, issues of the heart we are blinded to: secret lusts, covetousness, laxiness about the things of God. If we're willing to hear him, the Lord will always reveal them to us. Most imortant of all, if we are enduring the fires of affliction, God will reveal to us his tender, loving mercies and compassion.

When God shows us what is in our hearts -- impatience, the besetting sin, the "small" but deadening compromises...these things become grievous to us in our time of affliction. It is why David prayed: "Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant. Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight." Psalm 119:76-77

No matter what we're going through, God's mercy is there for us. As David says, his mercy is "over all his works" in all of his people. God isn't out to condemn or punish us. Like any loving Father, He tells his children, "Let me love you through this. I want you to know me in the midst of it. I'm using it to show you the depths of my love."

Isn't that awesome?? Oh, that we would all know the depths of HIS LOVE.

That was wonderful! I needed that. I came home from work today after I set there feeling really bad and then just felt the earge to get up and leave. People around me said that I didn't look well. I came home prayed and ate and still I am not feeling the best but it is okay because I will soon. My chest has been hurting this morning and I am not really sure why but then it triggered my panic and made me feel panicky which is what I haven't had a problem with lately. I know that it is satans way of trying to make me worry, but it isn't going to work! I guess I need to rest. Maybe God had something else planned for me today and maybe he needs me at home. That is how I am looking at it. I tomorrow wont be at work my daughter is having problems with her ears and I wanted to get them checked out. I thank you so much Barb for this wonderful passage. I wish I would have heard that last night. That helped to calm me down today and a wonderful reminder that the Lord is in control and no matter what I go through he is right here with me. God bless you!

JEnnifier

Thank you Barb for posting this...

There are some reasons for my affliction that I believe that the Lord has been showing me... but I have not been quite accepting of it... now after hearing what you read last night, I have come to the Lord more humbly to ask him why there is a difference in his estimation and mine...

The kool thing about this process is that the Lord is so patient and He continues to evolve us into His image...from glory to glory... this takes a lot of time and it takes our full cooperation with the Holy Spirit when he does give us a gentle nudging that there is something that we need to change about our ways or small besetting sins...

God is GOOD all the time...He desires that we SHINE and be HAPPY...He says "Ask that your JOY may be FULL" ... Our God is a Father who wants us happy and if we are in error, it hurts us more than anyone...I've come to the realization that God corrects us for us to be at peace and to have full joy; not because he is angry nor a mean task master -- but rather a Loving Father.

I thank Him for the correction and the adjustments; I thank Him for making me a vessel of honor and not a caste-away...

And I thank you Barb for being lead by the Spirit last night to read this...

God Bless,

Doggone, I took a long time writing. It was a very long post and it didn't go thru. It was a valuable lesson I learned from a wonderful movie tonight with Kirstie Allen. It was called "Profoundly Normal". I wish I could buy this movie,it was on Lifetime TV. Does anyone know if that's posible? Oh I wish I had time to write it all again. Just will say it had been a horrible day and night with MORE ongoing problems with this house. The basement flooded and my husband and I were both totally stressed and tired since he discoverd all the water on our boxes and stuff at 3:30 am. Long story short I used some of my tools from the program one of them being assertive enough when i felt I was losing it and could have easily had a panic attack, I instead went to walk many laps around a gym close by.

That helped me to be more able to focus when I got home. We had friends come help us bail water all afternoon. I'm just excited because thru this affliction God so encouraged my heart as if to say, My Barb, this really was a growth spurt and you've passed. I've really struggled the last couple months and especially this past week. I thought hubby was going to have a nervous breakdown. He is VERY worn out from these constant problems. He's taking care of things from work and very stressed on his job. He got a haircut yesterday and the barber commented what is wrong because he can definitely tell something is. More and more people are learning what our contractor, friend(?) is like. Well I feel bad that after I wrote all about the movie it didn't go thru. I thought I'd written a really well post but all I'm saying is Jennifer and Enlightended when you thanked me you encouraged my heart and thru my growth spurt I pray I've encouraged someone elses. If anyone saw that movie please comment to me. I haven't been touched by any movie like I have with this one in a long time. Maybe another day I will tell you what I started to say earlier.

That was beautiful Barb thank you for this post...Yes God is with us always....Like the Psalmst David he was a mighty worshiper. Regardless of what he was going through even with his life on the line he praised God all the way through.......WOW

Barb, I definitely agree. I wrote this and posted under "Triumphs" but it really fits here.
I can see my own sanctification coming out of my trials.

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Something wonderful and positive that has come from my battle with anxiety/panic- gratefulness!

Almost 2 yrs ago my panic was so bad ( I was having a nervous breakdown), I didn’t think I’d live or I’d end up in a mental hospital
forever. By the grace of God and by using this program, I have recovered so much. I do have little setbacks here and there but they are getting fewer.

What is so amazing is that when other kinds of problems arise in my life (unrelated to anxiety) they are so small in comparison to what I’ve already been through. It makes me so much more grateful everyday for the good days, for the days and weeks when I have little to no symptoms. When you have been to the bottom, everything else looks wonderful! I have such a new appreciation for life and for everything.

I look back from where I came from and I am just so thankful. Sometimes it is easy to focus on the negative and think things like “why aren’t I 100% better yet”? or “I wish I could go back to my old life before getting the panic dis., I’m sick of dealing with it”. But the positive side is that it has produced endurance, perseverance, patience and compassion in me. These are the fruits which I’ve always wanted in my life- and it takes ‘pruning’ to produce good fruit.

I just wanted to remind others of the good that does come out of this and also encourage those who are newer to the program that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that there is a purpose behind it all.

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(We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us – they help us learn to endure. 4 And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. Romans 5:3-4)

(Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. James 1:2-4)

(These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:7)


Pressing on and persevering with you all!

Thanks Barb for beginning this Post.....