Stay the Course
Last Thursday, February 2, 2023, I was lying on the couch recovering from a nasty upper respiratory infection. As I lie there, half-awake and half-asleep, I found myself praying. Then in that semi-lucid state, I heard the Lord tell me, “Stay the course.” It was clear, and I knew what He was telling me. He was affirming that I was on the right path.
In the New Testament, Jesus teaches us that the Almighty, God, is a Father. As we see The Father interact with His Son, we better understand The Father’s heart for His children. Why am I sharing this with you? Because some people find it difficult to believe that God speaks. Several years ago, I remembered watching Tyler Perry being interviewed on mainstream, and as he shared his story, he talked about God speaking to him while he was sleeping in his car. The interviewer looked incredulous. Tyler Perry explained that he knew it was God, and it wasn’t audible, but it was clear. The interviewer moved on, but that moment stuck with me.
Let me say this; God speaks to me as a Father speaks to his child. God speaks to me about me. He speaks to me about others but mostly reminds me of my duty to love them. I can’t control others, and I cannot handle all that God knows about them or even my situation, but at times as loving fathers often do, he’ll give me glimpses into what’s going on in my life and the lives of others.
In her book Young, Gifted, and Black, Sheila Wise Rowe says this about God speaking to His children.
“Some of us question if we can hear from God. The Lord is constantly speaking to us, and he is willing and able to communicate in many ways. The Holy Spirit will bring us into all truth, whether it’s through the Word, a still small voice, prayer, a situation, a person, pictures, or a gut-level hunch. We must make the time and place to get quiet enough to pray and listen and remain open to his voice as we go about our day.”
“As we learn to listen for God’s voice and distinguish it from other voices, know that God always speaks to us from a place of love and with compassion and mercy. Even when asking us to face difficult truths about ourselves or a situation, God’s messages always lead to clarity, release, and relief. If you hear a message that is mean-spirited or demoralizing, it isn’t God speaking.” [1]
I digress.
After the Lord spoke to me, something very beautiful happened, then all hell broke loose. A couple of years ago, Fuller Seminary launched its Master’s in Theology with a concentration in Justice and Advocacy program. I initially applied for this program in 2021 but was denied. I was told what I needed to do to get accepted to this program and begin working diligently. After completing everything that I needed to finish, I applied again. I had been patiently waiting to hear back from them about the status of my application. As you may guess, it wasn’t much longer after I heard the Lord speak to me that I received an email from Fuller notifying me that I was accepted into the program for the Fall of 2023 (this was a big deal). I was elated. It was proof that all of my hard work was paying off.
A few hours after that is when things started to fall apart. I recently posted about the challenges that I’ve had with my daughter’s biological mother, so I will not rehash that here. You can read more at Beautiful Life, part 3. I will say that since last Thursday, things have progressively deteriorated. But God’s words to me haven’t changed. Stay the course. Like a loving Father, he was both affirming me and preparing me. He is God, and He sees farther than I do. He knew what was to come, and He wasn’t caught off guard. I take comfort in knowing that. It doesn’t necessarily make the present any less challenging.
Dr. Soong-Chan Rah writes, “Lament creates space for the dialogue [with God] and moves the theology of suffering into interaction with the theology of celebration.”[2] Paul says in his letter to the Thessalonians, “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, CSB). I know God has me on a journey, even if I don’t fully understand the destination. He is teaching me to trust Him and leading me to rely on Him. He is revealing His deep love for me and teaching me that He will never leave or forsake me. I am learning to pray constantly and to give thanks in everything. Not for everything. I am not grateful for this situation, but I am thankful I am not alone. I am grateful that God is expanding my vision beyond the situation. I am celebrating what is to come while I suffer in the moment.
In the midst of my lamenting, I am learning to stay the course.
[1] Sheila Wise Rowe, Young, Gifted, and Black (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2022), 12.
[2] Soong-Chan Rah, Prophetic Lament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2015), 177.