FMF::Gather

It's Sunday rather than Friday, but I'm still linking up for Five Minute Friday with Kate and the lovely hearts who write with her each week.

The idea is simple.  Kate posts a word late on Thursday.  We, who love to participate, take her word, set a timer for 5 minutes and type what flows.  No editing.  No rewrites.  No second guessing.

And better late than never.

This week the word is... Gather.    
Linking up also with Testimony Tuesday and Holly Barrett.  I hope you'll make a stop over there as well for some beautiful testimonies of God's grace and love!

Go!

This is us.  My Sun Tanned Feet Man, my nickname for my husband, and me at the ocean ~ one of our favorite restorative places.  We've been married for almost 27 years.  Most of them lovely and a few challenging; therefore I see our almost 27 years as an ongoing victory.

The last four years have been some of the best for us ~ relationally.  

But in those "challenging years", we came to that proverbial place - the crossroads - where we would either go on together or go our separate ways.  

We needed help.

  

And probably the only reason we sought help was because of the commitment we made way back there at the beginning as we gathered together and promised before God, "divorce was not an option".

We had no biblical basis for divorce.  However, we were stuck and we had built walls of unforgiveness and resentment.  

With help, as three of us gathered together in the name of Jesus, we were able to break down the walls of resentment and stop blaming and truly forgive one another.  We no longer felt stuck and hopeless.  

We realized, at this crossroads, we would rather journey together, knowing more rough terrain would surely be traveled, than go our separate ways.

We're grateful to God He brought us through this marriage crisis.  He allowed us to struggle through to come out on the other side with more defined spiritual muscle.  Individually (and as a couple) our faith has been stretched and strengthened.

Father knew what we would need as a couple.  He knew we would soon face a more fierce battle; the challenging circumstances of health, care for an elderly parent, and job loss.

So, as we've recently struggled through some of the darkest days in the perfect storm of all these difficulties crashing over us at once; we've faced them together.

  

And gratefully, my Sun Tanned Feet Man has been able to reach for my hand, walk me to our prayer room and ask Father for the things we desperately need right now ~ wisdom and breakthrough.

Jesus is faithful to His word as we agree together, asking Father for help.  We gather together, me and this man, as followers of Jesus, and Jesus is here among us!

He hears, He knows, and He will calm the storm.  

Amen.

Blessings of GREAT JOY on your amazing adventure journey with Jesus!