Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Jennifer's Glory Story

The following Glory Story was contributed by Jennifer Greene who facilitated a Finding Glory Group earlier this year at McLean Bible Church (Loudoun Campus) in Virginia.  Jennifer, along with six other moms who have children with special needs, met monthly using the Finding Glory study package.  Larry and I had the privilege of visiting with part of the group over coffee prior to the 2013 Accessibility Summit in April.  It was easy to be inspired by these moms who, despite extraordinary challenges, are working to build encouraging, Christ-centered relationships in their lives and put their focus on God's Word.  Their husbands and children are receiving the spill-over of that blessing too.  Please say a prayer for these families today.
"During our mom's small group the other day, I shared about wanting to really press in to Jesus and have a deeper and richer relationship. I feel that I want to be overwhelmed by Him. I so often say I'm overwhelmed by my life's circumstances but I feel that Jesus is saying, "Why not be overwhelmed by ME??!!!"  
So I've been thinking: What if we pressed in and became overwhelmed by our magnificent Savior? Isn't it possible that he is BIG enough to overwhelm us with his love so that we don't feel so completely burdened by our children's disability? 
The moms agreed that this is possible but, in all honesty, they admitted that they were just too numb from life to even want to press in and seek God for something like this.
I thought that this is a reality for so many of us. 
We love God but we suffer under the weight of our child's disability. But God didn't allow our children to have disabilities so that we could travel a road of suffering until we die then have joy only when we get to heaven!  Shouldn't we be overwhelmed by God's goodness and love right here in the midst of our circumstances?  Isn't that the ultimate testimony to our Sovereign God?"

Thank you for listening to the prompting of the Lord and for sharing, Jennifer!

Ephesians 2:4-5
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 3:17-19
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

1 John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!