After almost a year-long battle with Ross’s youngest son, the Holy Spirit busted through all the deception and addictions and made an amazing about turn in his life. The bondage was broken and the light has returned to his eyes. I thought about how we’d prayed, and called on others to pray, while releasing him into God’s hands to do whatever He needed to do in order for freedom from bondage to take place.

It was astounding how one of the hardest things for my hubby to do was to completely let go and say “God, he is Yours, and whatever You have to do, I will stand firm in Your truth. I will fight for my son’s freedom and I will am willing to fight with him for that same freedom, saying “no” to letting him out of the circumstance he had created by his own poor choices.

That very circumstance grew dark and ominous before God broke through, but the surrender had to happen first.

This last weekend the Holy Spirit spoke loud and clear through the NCWA Renewal keynoters and it was, honestly, stunning.  I’m amazed at how they parallel what God was doing in our family just the week before they were spoken from the stage.

Finally, the closing keynote by Joanna Weaver, author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, illustrated the weighty call to write within the story of Joseph…

The call [to write] is fancy food for the flesh.

Don’t let your chosen-ness go to your head. 

Learn how to ponder your dreams, rather than parade them. 

My church home is my church home, not my platform.

There are way more things He wants to do IN YOU than all the works He wants to do through you. 

Hold your dream to be a writer, and all that comes with that calling, lightly … you never know how God is going to get you there.

Joseph pursued God’s presence more than he pursued His promises. We should do the same.

Today, I’m focusing on the truth of those keynoters who encouraged us to surrender our dream, hold it lightly while God leads us on a twisty-turney journey toward fulfilling His call on our life, where we endeavor to focus on His presence, not just His promises.

He wants to transform us … and that usually comes from a dark night of the soul where it gets a lot darker before the turnaround.

Each keynoter recounted their story of a time when God refined and sanctified to new levels. The evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in each one as they illustrated the truth of His presence as each walked through the fire. Just like the Lord did with Ross and I during these last months and especially just recently. The light broke through the darkness and brought healing and change.

When you think of us, please continue to pray for our circumstance with Ross’s son. Even though we see the extreme evidence of change, we know there is still a long way to go before he has found true freedom.

So, how has He been transforming you? Have you experienced your own dark night of the soul?

Thanks for hanging out with me today!
Athena