I Was The Obstacle In the Way - Alan Anderson

Psalm 71:12 “Do not be far from me, my God; come quickly, God, to help me.”

In similar fashion to my personal blog Scarred Joy located on WordPress, I make every effort to be genuine, authentic and transparent etc. in our InScribe blog. I have no reason to stray from this direction of my writing.

In using this month’s prompt as direction I am going to write about a time when I experienced a great obstacle and God opened a new opportunity for me through it. In this post I am giving readers a glimpse into my spiritual life as a Christian including a recent obstacle preventing me from moving forward.

At times I have experienced wandering through a dry and weary land, so to speak, in reference to life. There have been times where God seemed distant. A typical response from my Christian circle of believers is, “Well, God hasn’t moved, so you must have.” Regardless of who moved if anyone, I am being real about such a time in my life. I am not a new kid on the block when it comes to church life. I know being part of a church is an amazing part of life. As I once heard a speaker say, church can also be hazardous to one’s health.

Before I go any further I am being up front with you by saying I am the obstacle in the context of this blog post. As an obstacle I also infringed on my own spiritual growth. I became frustrated as a leader by having to review our church vision, or mission, or reason for being. I expressed this to my church elder partners. I’m not sure they heard me. Perhaps they didn’t care. More than likely they had a different perspective than me. I have no problem with difference of opinion.

I came to a point in life where I sensed something was missing in my life as a Christian. Things in church, of course, were busy; there was always ministry to do. To me, there still remained a missing piece. Being busy wasn’t and isn’t enough. Busy does not always mean fruitful ministry. At least that is how I see it.

After my third term on the church board I took a sabbatical. I needed a break, a rest from involvement that had become drudgery. A thought in my mind at the time, my obstacle, was “I don’t need this constant hamster wheel experience” of church life. It was a challenging time. It was a grueling period in my life. Like the psalmist my cry was, “Do not be far from me, my God; come quickly, God, to help me.” It is what loneliness feels like.

God was still there. He was present. He stood and walked beside my wife and I even when I thought He had left. The best way I know to describe it is, God gave us a spiritual makeover.

I don’t know how to explain it in the confines of this post. I can say we are now with a body of believers who are a well-defined community of Christians. We are learning an ancient contemplative liturgical way of worship so meaningful and beneficial to our souls.

I am no longer an obstacle to anyone, or myself as far as I know. Church is no longer drudgery and stressful. I now look forward to being with my church family. I can see light ahead with a church still on track with its original vision of family, community, worship and care for each other.

Blog: scarredjoy.wordpress.com

An Obstacle Opens a Door to Opportunity by Nina Faye Morey

The Lord replied,

“My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

During your times of trials and suffering

When you saw only one set of footprints

It was then that I carried you.”

~ “Footprints in the Sand” (Anonymous)

In December 2010, in what felt like some cruel twist of fate, I was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. I felt as though I’d suddenly stepped from the firm, well-travelled path I’d been walking onto the shifting sands of a deserted beach. Uncertain about where this difficult and lonely path might lead, fear clutched me in its icy grip, evaporating my hope and eroding my faith. Burdened by those devastating twin afflictions of helplessness and hopelessness, I experienced times of despair when I felt as though God had abandoned me.

But that raucous rollercoaster ride of emotions that swiftly follows on the heels of a numbing shock eventually came to a halt. As I travelled this difficult and troublesome path, I once again felt that my fervent prayers for help and guidance were being heard. As God removed the obstacle of fear that had threatened to sever our relationship, I sensed He was once more walking alongside me. He became my source of strength and security, offering me the hope and peace I needed to carry me through this trying time of trial and testing. He renewed my spirit and refreshed my soul, allowing me to contemplate my future without fear, worry, or sorrow.

Jesus teaches us never to worry about what tomorrow will bring because worrying about the future does nothing to lengthen our life (Matthew 6:27). His lesson has been confirmed by modern medical research, which concludes that the stress caused by worry does indeed shorten our lifespan. When I was able to once again place my health and my future in God’s hands, my sense of wellbeing was restored. By laying my worries and fears at His feet (1 Peter 5:7), I became a wellness warrior rather than a resigned worrier. During my year-long course of treatment, I became a regular at the Saskatoon Cancer Centre Library, checking out reliable books, taking notes, and following any sensible sounding advice.

But my primary sources of solace during this difficult and uncertain time were prayer and the Holy Scriptures. I wrote out several comforting verses and posted them by my computer for daily contemplation: Matthew 8:16-17; Job 5:18; Jeremiah 29:11; Daniel 10:18-19; Philippians 4:13; John 14:27; and many others. I searched God’s Word for verses on the power of prayer and God’s promises for healing (James 5:14-16; Psalm 46:1; Psalm 107:20; Jeremiah 30:17). They gave me the willpower, strength, and courage I needed to fight this deadly disease and maintain a confident and positive spirit. A positive perspective is a vital key to health and healing (Proverbs 17:22).

Casting my cares upon God, I became determined to fill my life with positive thoughts, people, and activities. Instead of dwelling on my disease, I decided to focus on the things I enjoyed in life, including writing. I hadn’t pursued my writing seriously until I’d stopped working in my early fifties. At that time, I was successful in getting some of my writing published in various newspapers and magazines. But after a few years, I returned to work and once again had little time to pursue my writing dreams. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I knew I needed to quit working in order to deal with my surgery and treatments and concentrate on getting well. Once my treatments ended and I’d regained my strength, I was determined to devote my time and attention to my writing once more. While it seems strange to call such a burden a blessing, my cancer became a catalyst for change. So what initially felt like an insurmountable obstacle had actually opened a door to opportunity!

Photo: Pixabay