The Problem of a Testimony

"Look what the Lord has done!"

There are as many claims of the miraculous working of the Heavenly Father in human affairs as there are grains of sand on the seashore.  Stories range from being mildly humourous to out-rightly jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring and incredible.  Even spurious tales are rendered, raising an eyebrow or two.
What is undeniable though is that people have attested to the manifested works of a being greater than themselves taking an active role in rectifying  difficult/well-nigh impossible situations.

I will confess that testimonies are heartening and even entertaining at times; they inspire hope and courage.  There are times I go to scripture for a somewhat tarot experience(nuh badda come gwaan like a me one), that is,  I go looking for something in scripture that will pacify my fears and grant me the assurance that all will be well. This, of course, stems from uncertainty about the future.
I treat with my devotionals in a similar way.  At one point I noticed that my dependence on them made them out to be some sort of Christian horoscope.  What was related in the word that day would have, to a large extent, determined my expectation for that particular day.  I now see that as a very dangerous practice.
See, what is right for me, may not be the prescribed course for you and vice versa.
It is quite true that God works in mysterious ways; not only is it mysterious but it is varied.   The variety in nature indicates the plethora of creative ways in which God moves.  His service to us(mankind) is highly individualized.  It is wise also to note that each person's circumstance is fundamentally different.
 For example, we may need money for tertiary education(perhaps advanced studies)-for one God may soften the hearts of the persons in the finance department so that they exercise sensitivity towards the situation.  For another, He may lay the burden on the heart of a family member to cover the payments while yet to another He may unload a financial package from the sky or in a bin somewhere, to another He may provide an excellent work-study opportunity as well He may just facilitate the approval of good ole' student loan.  For me, He gave my father the strength and wisdom to work to pay my fees.  It is really dependent on what God is aiming to achieve in your life-the lessons He's tailor-made to instruct you, for some it's faith, to others industry etc.
Note, there are no identical stories in the Biblical of God executing His might; it's always different.  There are some irreconcilable tales that bear a questionable mark-
Rahab http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua+2&version=NIV
Jael http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges+4&version=NIV and
Jehu http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+9&version=NIV
are among my favourite examples.

So anyhow, *clears throat*, dis lady aggo see mi inna mi jewelry(heh-hey) an' aggo start fi share wid mi 'bout how when she did young like me, she did turn back(backslide) too.
TUN BACK? Go weh? Who seh ME TUN BACK???
Ah cudda drop dung!
Mi dis waa tell har seh, " Lady, yuh testimony naw connec', it nuh line up none 'tall!"
She bore her story telling of her struggles-none of which I could relate to.

When I told her what my struggle was, she assured me that it was not the case AND she was vehement in her stance too.  She went on the relate to me of what my struggleS truly were.  This was a highly informative session because I had not known of the weaknesses she had diagnosed( and still can't quite identify those things).  I left bewildered.  I was neither ennobled nor lifted by her testimony.
It reconfirmed to me that people really do judge you based on their lifestyle-it's their only point of reference.
Aye sah!

The gist of a testimony is what is important-the general lesson.  God provides, He heals etc.  How He'll do it, when, or even if He'll do it for you, is another story.
Testimonies give us a chance to share in each other's life experience but to an extent.

Call: Praise the Lord church?
Response: Praise the Lord!
Call: God is good?
Response: All the time!
Call: And all the time?
Response: God is good!

Continue to pray for me as I continue to pray for you.....

I am your faithful Jodi

Peace

It's new dawn...it's a new day!

Gosh, have I been missing in action.  I've had so many ideas for posts but then life takes place and that's the end of that.

As I pang away at the keyboard, I know not what I will come up with but I'm just typing away none-the-less pretty much like my life at present, there's so much that's happening-mostly disordered crazy shiz and most times it takes a concentrated, deliberate effort to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
There is a time and season for everything under the sun.  This is my season for shedding, renewal, growth, searching, finding, testing, reviewing  and introspection.  This process is by no means easy.  It's rather undesirable but is an absolute necessity for my development.
There's more to life than humour, more to it than joy, more to it than peace and even more to it than love.  It is the opposition that yields the resistance we need in order to develop virtues.
I wished it were easy to escape this season but just similar to an experience I had  when in primary school it cannot be side-stepped or avoided.  Some public health nurses had RANDOMLY dropped by to provide immunization. Had this information been communicated to me in advance I would have been unavoidably absent on the day in question.  Now as a Jamaican, I admit to loving 'free' things BUT.......uh-uh.  I hid myself, thinking I'd escaped the fools only to be cornered by some sadistic teacher who grinned with total satisfaction on having me secure in her unwelcome grasp.  I cried and demonstrated theatrics befitting an Emmy award, but di darn people jus' leggo di neegle(needle) unda mi flesh.  I wailed in absolute displeasure-not so much because of the pain, because admittedly, it was quite short-lived but what ached me most was being in a situation I had no control over, having had to submit to measures of disease control I deemed unnecessary.  I hated the chucked up room, the smell, the way each child was thrust into this experience one by one-namelessly-just the callous announcement of "NEXT".  It was void of the personal care and attention and the after-event comfort that I would have wanted.
Years later I realize, Hun, that's life.  You don't get to choose when, how or what kind of blow is dealt to you.  Be assured of this though-it's for your benefit.  Time will heal.  You'll look back at this season and laugh.  There is merit in engaging this season, dark though it may be to discover important life lessons.  Let it help you determine standards and protocols.  Let it reaffirm faith in God and in yourself.
Cry if you must now, cuz it's just a season boo.  Just a season.  This too shall pass.

I release all that I've lost.
I open myself to receive all that I'll gain.
Thank you!

Summer's coming guys-new season ahead!

Touch your neighbour say-BATHING SUIT!!!

Don't allow any situation to get you down-stay afloat!

See you at the beach!

I am your Jodi!!!
MWAH!