Jesus said to her, "I am the one who brings people back to life, and I am life itself. Those who believe in me will live even if they die. John 11:25 (God’s Word Translation, 1995)
I was dying. Not physically. My dreams were dying. Slipping away. Colleagues and friends had gone on and surpassed me. They were national correspondents and authors. They were on television. I was raising children—-a stay-at-home mom. My dreams of being a foreign correspondent. Gone. Dreams of publishing a magazine one day. Gone. Writing. Gone. Creativity. Gone. Confidence. Gone.
I laid in the bed one night and deep in my spirit I said, “I’m dying.” I didn’t say it out loud. It was just a settling in my spirit. A voice inside of me that said, “Give up. Let it go. Your dreams are dead.”
But then I heard another voice. It wasn’t mine. I don’t know if it was audible or just in my head but I heard it loud and clear.
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
It was a still, small voice but firm and certain. Authoritative and matter of fact.
Do you have some dead situations in your life? Some people, things or dreams that you let go of long ago. They aren’t alive anymore. Has the thing that made you smile, that gave you hope, a sense of purpose, brought you joy and made you feel fulfilled slipped away? God, what happened? Where were you? What were you doing when my marriage fell apart? When my child died? When I lost my job? Why didn’t you stop me before my decisions led to a catastrophe? Why didn’t I see? Why didn’t you get here sooner? You restored sight to the blind. Couldn’t you have kept my dream alive?
It’s dead. Lazarus. The one you loved. He’s dead. It’s been dead so long that it stinks.
Well, I’ve got some good news.
Jesus brings dead things back to life. He has that power because He is life. And if you believe in him, one day, even when your body dies, you will live again. God resurrected Jesus from the dead. And He is the resurrection because he revives, restores and redeems. He’ll resurrect your old dream or give you a new and better one. He can do it in unexpected ways or in the fullness of time. In his perfect time. At the right time that we can’t see.
Maybe he’s waiting so that He gets the glory and there’s no doubt that it is only by his power that you are alive. Maybe you’re in the wilderness so that He can purge some things, perfect you and let you see Him and depend on Him instead of yourself.
I’m alive. My dream is alive. You’re reading it right now with more to come. I said goodbye to fear and others expectations. I said goodbye to how I thought it was going to be and started embracing what was and what could be. I stopped caring so much about what others thought of me. I redefined success according to God’s Word and realized that a life of significance in Christ is so much better. And true success is not determined by my bank account, fame, notoriety or society’s standards, but by following God’s Word.
My confidence is in Christ. And I boldly declare in Jesus name that I am determined to be a woman of the Word of God, a helper to my husband and a world changer, starting with raising up the children that God gave me because raising them to be men and women of God is my first ministry and most important mission. Because I am not just raising them, I’m influencing their children’s children.
I’m determined to leave whatever place God has placed me in a little better for me having been there and I am determined to minister God’s love and grace to every man, woman or child that God allows to cross my path.
I’m alive.
Jesus brings people back to life. He just asks, “Do you believe?”
This also appears in the Winter 2012 issue of The Well Magazine. To read the magazine, click on the cover below.
The Well Magazine Winter 2012
