Life in the Libby home is good. We are all settled into the farm, the view here is absolutely amazing, we are all in cozied up in a smaller space and absolutely loving more family time. There is truly no where else for the kids to go, we are always in each others space and 99% of the time it has proven to be a sweet blessing and grown us closer than ever before. Nothing says quality family time like Sunday prancing around the house wearing gift bows and singing "I've got boobies!" and endless episodes of Duck Dynasty. There is a lot of laughter in our little home. We are blessed, truly blessed and have so much to be thankful for.We know we are exactly where God wants us to be. It seems to be a pattern in our lives that when we are exactly where God has called us and are experiencing the goodness and richness of seeing His glory revealed in our lives, family and ministries, right alongside the highs would also come a slough of attacks from the one who doesn't want us to be in that surrendered and obedient posture and space. His attacks have come in all forms over the last three months; condemnation, guilt, anxiety, stress, doubt, sickness, heaviness.... every way you can imagine. This morning I could not stop laughing because truly He is going to all means to distract us and tear us away from God's calling and purpose in our lives. As a mother of four, a quiet, long, warm, sometimes even uninterrupted shower is a little piece of heaven. The last two times that I have gotten the kids off to school, Sunday settled and myself into the shower, mid shampoo the smoke detector has started screeching and bleeping at a horrendously ear piercing pitch. I swear that thing is the devil himself. I give it a minute in hopes that it will stop but then can't even handle the loud shrill noise echoing though our 900 sq feet. So with shampoo in my hair, and water dripping all about, I grab a towel, run into the girls room, bang on the thing to no avail, rush into the dinning room, grab a chair, lug it across the house in one hand, holding my towel up with the other, praying that my grandparents don't hear the commotion and come in to help... just as i get back to the girls room, and get up on the chair, ears ringing because of how obnoxiously loud this thing is, it miraculously stops. All on it's own, it stops. Twice this has happened to me, TWICE. I am telling you, the devil is using every means. It gives me hope that God is doing something great in me, because even my shower is fair game at this point. Lord have mercy!
The unending stream of spiritual attacks came hand in hand with David and I choosing obedience to the Lord in a few radical life decisions. David working full time and back at school. Yay seminary. We have moved out of our charming and spacious home, in a lovely neighborhood close to our church and friends to 900 sq feet way out of town on a sweet little farm with my generous and loving grandparents. We are not exactly sure at this point why God has asked us to do this. We had lots of great reasons in the beginning of this adventure that led us to make this decision and now some of those reasons have seemed to dwindle, AND our house hasn't sold yet and our lives are busier than ever now trying to juggle everything.... the odds sometimes seem to be stacking up against us and more and more our decision makes no sense to the world... But, we are certain He has asked us to do this, so here we are, walking by faith, trusting in His goodness and believing that His ways are higher than ours.
It is easy to walk by faith in the light when you can see clearly and have a plan... but what about the times when He calls you to take His hand as he leads you through the darkness of night with no plan, no control, no idea where He is leading you. How firm are your steps then? How great is your faith? How confident are you in His goodness and faithfulness? Isn't this when our faith counts the most, when it really matters? This is when our faith is proved genuine.
1 Peter 1:6-7 "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
So this is it. It is in the darkness, suffering, uncertainty and fire that God grows our faith, refines us, purifies us and proves our faith genuine for His glory and honor! I don't think we are the only ones that see Him at work as we walk by faith, hanging on every Word of truth, completely dependent on Him to come through for us... the world is watching us too. And when we come out of our trials brighter and stronger than ever before His glory and goodness is revealed to the world. They get a glimpse of light that their hearts long for. And our faith is strengthened in the process as well.
Here we are, the Libby's are in a good season, but a crucial season to our faith. I feel like what we believe to be true about God is being put to the test. We are following Jesus even though we don't know why he has brought us to this place. I know all the truth of His Word, I know He has proven himself to me time and time again, but now when faced with attack after attack in the dark, and things aren't quite going my way, my tendency is to doubt His goodness, to let go of His grip for a moment to shake my fist at Him and ask Him why....why are we here? We have obeyed, we have trusted, why are we still in the dark? Why haven't you come through for us yet? It doesn't seem fair that obedience would bring us to this place. Right?
Nope. Not right. It makes sense to me that God would immediately bless our obedience by selling our house, providing for our medical bills, giving us clear direction and a plan.... but what God has grown in both David and I in this season of waiting on Him, is more valuable than instant gratification. He is building us up through the trials, making us stronger and equipping us for the future, whatever it may be. He is growing passions in our hearts and bringing people into our lives that we can encourage, love and speak truth to. He is using every single bit of this trial to bring glory to His name. And even though I wish he would lead us out into the light, what He is doing in us while we hold firmly to His hand, His Word and His promises while we wait, is precious, genuine and enriching the deepest parts of our souls - It is of greater worth than gold.
Sometimes the richest, most fruitful and beautiful seasons of life and ministry come hand in hand with trials and darkness. The darkness makes the light even brighter. The trials make me all the more thankful for all the beauty and blessings that surround me. I have been overwhelmed with gratitude for the very life I have been given, the precious and priceless moments I get to share laughing with my husband, cuddling with my kids, and dancing around the sweet little house we now call home. This was my view this morning as the sun came up. Just a small little reminder that Jesus brings light, life and hope to the deepest parts of our souls through the darkness. If He can bring any glory at all out of this season of my life I say, "AMEN, All of the glory belongs to You". We serve a God that reaches down into this broken world, holds our hands in the darkness and births beautiful faith that is eternal through our trials. He is GOOD, even in the darkness, He is GOOD and we always have something to be thankful for.
John 1:4-5 "In Him was life, and that life was the light of mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
