The Devil Comes To Steal, Kill and Destroy!
He stole my son, he killed him, but he did not destroy him!
2022, a year of fear, heartbreak and miracles. The devil stole my child. He killed him. He did not destroy him! Alex is in Heaven! The devil didn’t destroy our family; quite the opposite. We ran to Jesus for comfort and turned to God for peace. We allowed the Holy Spirit to shine bright through us so we could share our story. Satan isn’t pleased with the outcome of his plan, but we know God’s plan is not to harm us but to prosper us and give us hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
I look forward to God’s promises this year. I heard His message from the Bible, Wait Upon The Lord.
How difficult is that command? I turned to the Fruits of the Spirit for help. I entered into a sanctification process with Him so that He could mold, shape and transform me into the image of His son Jesus. I search daily for the Godly qualities God wants me to “put on” into my personality and the qualities he wants me to “put away.” The divine nine qualities are where I begin.
Love ranks above all the others. God wants us to learn how to love Him, love ourselves, love one another, and even go as far as to love our enemies and those who try to hurt us.
Joy of the Lord is your strength. By staying close to Jesus during the dark times, I have understood the difference between happiness and Joy.
Peace, when you pray for it, God will allow it to flow like a river. It is a peace that surpasses all human understanding. Without this gift, I would have been destroyed this year!
Patience, to wait upon the Lord, I needed patience. God works on a slower timeline than we like. It becomes a battle of wills-His will versus mine.
Kindness– I struggle to be kind to myself. I fight negative thoughts and insecurities. Kindness goes hand in hand with the gift of Love.
Goodness is a magnet. It is a powerful tool to have. People are drawn to good people. Alex is remembered for his goodness – people were drawn to him, he lit up a room, he was there for a person in need, he was everyone’s best friend.
Faithfulness– God loves faithful people. He loves when we are faithful to Him, our spouse, children, parents and good friends.
Gentleness– I try to be gentle when sharing the Gospel. I am hyper-focused on how short our time on earth is and feel a sense of urgency to share that you can’t earn your way into heaven. Being a good person is not enough. The way is so simple! Alex was a month and a half into his 24th year. We do not know when our last day will be. If you know Jesus, you know you go to heaven. I long for the day I will see my Savior and son.
Self-control combats the desire to want everything now with the gift of patience. I am going deeper in Love, so I see everyone as Jesus sees them. In Christ, there is no condemnation.
All 9 fruits are powerful. They are giving me the ability to touch all those around me. They are the Divine 9!
