What Did People Use to Say About You?
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Photo by vidar nordli-mathisen via Unsplash
Elizabeth, one of our ancient foremothers of faith, had a heartbreaking problem: Though she longed for children, she had none. Eventually, she aged so far beyond natural childbearing years, all hope for a family of her own seemed lost.
But God didn’t intend infertility to be the end of her story. In time, He answered her prayer for a son, and when her miracle pregnancy became public knowledge, the people who used to whisper about her shame were suddenly shouting with her in celebration.
Last year, while reading the account of Elizabeth’s answered prayer, a statement the angel Gabriel made concerning Elizabeth stood out to me. He said: “People used to say she was barren” (Luke 1:36, NLT). Actually, two words in that sentence stood out: “used to.”
As I pondered Gabriel’s statement about Elizabeth, I thought of some things I used to be:
I used to be terrified of speaking in public.
I used to be afraid of being home alone on dark nights.
I used to be painfully shy.
I used to be ashamed of my body.
I’m so thankful that, as He did for Elizabeth, God took my once present-and-painful problems and turned them into my “used tos.” And He’s still doing it! He is at work today in the midst of the things I currently struggle with—the things I trust I will also someday think of as my used tos.
What about you? How has God worked in your life in the past? What has He freed you from? I encourage you to rejoice in what He’s already done while you simultaneously hold on to hope and have faith that, in due time, the God of the impossible will turn your present sadness and shame into celebration!
As always, you are in my thoughts and prayers, and I’d love to hear from you! You can contact me here or through the comment section below.
In purpose and faith,
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