In an uncomfortable position?
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Sometimes God has got to move you from where you are to push you into your destiny. Although the pushing seems uncomfortable, it's all for your making.
When my husband and I first relocated from Buffalo, New York to Wilmington, Delaware, boy was it ever a culture shock! Everything was different. There were cobblestone roads in certain parts of town, old-world village-type neighborhoods, and the quintessential small town feel. We thought Buffalo was slow until we went to Delaware.
I remember feeling so homesick and sad. Many days I cried and prayed. God, why have I been uprooted from everything familiar to me? Why am I in this space? How am I supposed to make this adjustment?
Everything I knew and loved was back home, you know? I was pitiful. While hubby would be off working in Philadelphia, across state lines, I would be at home in Delaware with the kids, trying to create a sense of tranquility and normalcy.
But truth is, while I would play and laugh with the children, deep down inside I felt so displaced and alone. My heart ached and yearned after the comforts of home. I didn’t know how I would ever be reconnected to a network of people or a good church home.
The culture was different; the mentality was different; the mannerisms and temperaments of people were different. Everything felt different.
It was hard, lonely, trying, and sometimes, downright depressing. But you know what? God matured me through that process of uprooting. He nurtured me and developed in me a level of independence and drive I had never known before.
It wasn't until I moved to a strange place that I discovered who I really was. God began opening my mind to new things and planting dreams in my heart. I didn't even understand why at the time. Empowering Everyday Women Online Magazine and this very blog you’re reading were both launched during that season in Delaware. No one knew me in the Tri-State region. I didn't know where the readers would come from. But God told me to launch.
And I did.
I believe to this day that had I not been moved from my comfort zone, I would have never tapped into my destiny. Though I couldn't see what God was doing then, I now know that there was purpose in the move.
Are you going through a transition of some sort that has you baffled and feeling uncomfortable? If so, you're on your path to destiny.
“This may not be your favorite season, but it still is your FAVORED season. God is favoring you even in the midst of unfavorable circumstances!”
In Genesis 39, we see Joseph, a man God promised to make into a powerful ruler. He was uprooted from the comforts of home and forcibly sold into Egyptian slavery by his jealous brothers. What a culture shock!
He went from being his daddy’s favorite son to being a slave in a foreign nation. But God was going to use this experience to bring the best out of Joseph and to accomplish His plan.
Joseph’s Master, Potiphar, noticed what an excellent servant he was and as a result, promoted him. Joseph became administrator over everything Potiphar owned. This was great on-the-job experience for Joseph’s future position as the Prince over Egypt and second in command to Pharaoh. Had Joseph not learned to manage Potiphar’s affairs, and eventually his entire household, he would not have had the strong administrative skills he needed.
Even after Joseph was thrown in jail because a false accusation of sexual misconduct was levied against him by Potiphar’s deceitful and seductive wife, he excelled behind bars. He interpreted dreams, which eventually exposed his gift to the king’s cupbearer. Years later, that very same cupbearer would introduce Joseph to Pharaoh when he was in need of a dream interpreter.
See how strategic God is? He used unfavorable circumstances to get Joseph to the place he was ultimately supposed to be.
Friend, I know you may be in an uncomfortable situation right now. Things might not make a whole lot of sense. But this road is leading you somewhere great. You have an amazing destiny despite being stuck in a not-so-amazing situation today.
In this current season, you may feel very uncomfortable and imprisoned by your circumstances, but you’re not in prison. You’re in prep school. God is preparing you for what’s coming. Hold on. This isn’t the end of your story. God is getting you ready for an incredible breakthrough. Just as Joseph reached his place of divine purpose, so will you. Your day of release is coming.
And let me leave you with this. After Joseph settled into his new role as governor and got married, he had children. He named his second son Ephraim and I want to stir the words he said about the naming of his seed, found in Genesis 41:52 NASB, into your cup of inspiration. Joseph said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, know that your land of affliction will also be your place of fruitfulness. God is on your side. He is preparing you for your breakthrough. Your wilderness is leading you to your promised land.
Keep your expectation up and keep going.
As you do that, please join me in praying for the individuals who asked to be included on our “Thoughtful Thursdays” prayer list. As you interceded for them, I believe God will intervene in your situation.
Kristen wrote:
My prayer request is for my mother, Dixie Moritz Alter. Her 58th birthday was last month, on January 24. About 8 years ago she started having memory problems. Doctors couldn’t give us a diagnosis- some said it was caused by an overload of stress, some said it was a hormonal imbalance, some said dementia/Alzheimer’s. As I sit here and reflect, I can’t imagine how hard it must have been on her. To be told that she has dementia and that there is no cure... I can’t imagine how she felt on her way back home that day... or any of the days following... My relationship with God has grown TREMENDOUSLY. At first I was so angry at Him that I didn’t even want to pray. But through the struggle I have put my faith completely in Him. I know that, regardless of her diagnosis, HE CAN HEAL HER. I have been faithfully praying for her to be healed. And I NEED you to pray with me. Please help me pray for her healing. My other family members know that God can, but some of them have lost faith in God. I pray that mom will be healed and can be a living testimony to God’s healing power. I want anyone who is willing, to help me pray for her healing!!!
De’Asia wrote:
Dianna, I got a bad health report. Polyps on my lungs turned into cancer. My grandmother died of lung cancer exactly 3 years ago and the spirit of fear has gripped my heart. Please pray for me that God would take me on this journey of healing and help me trust Him through it. Thank you to you and your prayer team.
Mya wrote:
I am praying on behalf of my mother. She has a serious drug problem and needs Jesus to save her. She is an atheist and says God does not exist. But I know God can turn her heart toward righteousness. As a kid she used to be into God and the church but she has been through so much hurt. I know she believes deep down that God is real. I just need someone to help me pray for the salvation of her soul.
Anonymous wrote:
I am a secretary at a law firm and I was sexually assaulted by one of the lawyers. The details of my account have all been corroborated and the firm wants me to settle. I need the money but I don’t want other women to be hurt, and I feel in my heart I should seek criminal charges so this guy can’t do this in the future. Please pray with me for direction.
Amber wrote:
I am praying for my mother May Davis. She is 60 years old and she has hip replacement surgery. It went well but then she got an infection after the operation and she is very sick. Please pray for healing. It’s not looking very good.
Anonymous wrote:
My husband left me. We got married 5 years ago and I know the woman he cheated with. They are together now and it is breaking my heart. How could God let this happen to me? I am trying not to be angry but I feel bitterness rising in my heart. I need all the prayer I can get. My heart is hurting. Our 3 children don’t understand why daddy left to be with another woman and I don’t understand.
Gina wrote:
I am addicted to prescription drugs. I had back surgery two years ago and got hooked on the pills. I don’t know how to break free. I am embarrassed about my addiction and I want to stop. I don’t know how. I know God is able to set me free. Please, please, please pray for me!
Audrey wrote:
My father died two weeks ago. It has left me very depressed. He was only 43. I just started college and he will never see me graduate. He will never see me walk down the aisle to get married. He will never see my children. I can’t cope. I don’t know how to deal with grief. I am asking that the prayer community will lift me up… me and my whole family need so much prayer at this time. Some of my other siblings are not coping well and they are resorting to drinking to numb the pain. It has been very hard.
Now let’s pray.
God, some days, I feel so frustrated, confused and discouraged because of these difficult situations I’m facing. But still, I believe that through this affliction, in the end, You will get the glory. In the meantime, please help me not to grow weary. Today, I declare by faith that I’m about to walk into a new season of deliverance, answered prayers, blessing and favor, and I thank You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
