Seasons of Rain

Seasons of Rain

By: Susan Deborah Schiller aka Tender Lily

Previous Article: Seasons of Fire

Last summer our little pastoral town of Ashland was evacuated. It was Fire Season and hundreds of square miles of forests, farms, houses, cattle, and fields are now but charred remainders of once verdant ranches. This week, I was out four-wheeling through the ash-laden forest and my heart sang for joy to see all the velvety green meadows sparkling like emeralds among their brethren – dead trees, like fallen soldiers, that will never guard the forest regions again.

Wildflowers of all colors bedazzled my eyes, sparkling in defiant contrast to their grief-stricken homeland, as if declaring to anyone watching, that Death itself is swallowed up in Life. For me, my own season of fire (Hell, let's just call it what it was) is now swallowed up in Life, as I embrace radical self-care and welcome the season of rain.

There are seasons for reasons. For me, I was bound by fears and doubts, worries and stress. Like a forest fire, God allowed a season of burning in my life to expose the weaknesses in my own soul. The Fire of God is a blaze that destroys only that which is not of Him… the very fears, doubts, worries, and stresses that prevent us from reaching our destiny.

After the fire comes the rain. God never brings pain. The hurt comes only as we lose what we think we need, only to discover in the healing that the pruning has strengthened and enlarged us.

In the midst of a great personal hell, I was praying and listening to hear the whisper of Papa God's voice, and this is what I wrote in my journal:

"Joy is My way. Release your faith, even though there may be tears. You cannot even begin to imagine the joy that is yours if only you would reach out to receive it. Tell Me your fears; release them to Me. I'll catch them and throw them far away from you. Wait upon Me to receive your daily peace. You win when these trials don't drag you down to their level – hell.

I love you, Little One, more than you can possibly know. If it weren't for those chains of fear and doubt holding you down, you'd be jumping and flying and dancing with Me.

Take in more of Me – greater measure. Give, give, give – Give Me the job of straightening out the crooked. Give Me the job of thinking out the solutions. Give Me the pain. I've already made provision for it at the Cross and I've got you covered.

Be still and know that I AM GOD. There is no other like Me. I am able to defend – to shield – to  buffer. I  AM gentle, meek, and kind. I work hard so you don't have to.

Bless those who curse you. You can't change them, but I can. Try Me and see if I will not open up Heaven to you!"

It's about moving in the opposite direction of where you want to go. To bless, when you want to curse. To sing and dance, when you want to lie in bed in the dark. To let God do the thinking, instead of struggling to find solutions with your limited resources. To believe there is JOY, even in the worst places and times of your life!

He loves you, my friend. Take this as His love letter in your hand. Absorb it into your heart. This is "Love from Papa" – His love is able to heal to the deepest level of your heart, if you are able to open to Him. It's okay, it doesn't happen overnight. There are seasons. He is not in a hurry and you're going to be all right!

You're getting your life back 🙂

With all my love,

Sue

PS  Try this today: Find a quiet place where you don't have to think. Slow w-a-y down. Ask Papa God to speak to you, as you would your best friend. Maybe start something like this… "Papa, it's dark right now and I can't see my way out. You are Light – Show me the way home!" Sometimes words are too hard to formulate. Sometimes it's all you can do to say, "Abba… Papa… Daddy…" And that is enough… He will come!

Susan Deborah Schiller knows how it feels to lose everything: marriage and family, church and reputation, finances and businesses, and more. Susan's upcoming, interactive memoir, "On the Way Home," tells the story of how she came to be known as "the most abused woman" her counselors had yet met and how she learned to navigate her way out of hell to a rich and satisfying life. In her lifetime, Susan has served in duties ranging from home school mom – to pastor –  to full-time deliverance minister – and to Midwest regional prayer coordinator for a large international ministry. These days you can usually find Susan soaking in her favorite hot springs pool, reading a book (or several), blogging, baking bread, or hanging out with her family and friends. You can get a free copy of Susan's upcoming book, "On the Way Home" by registering here.

Copyright 2012, Susan Schiller, http://TeamFamilyOnline.com. Permission is granted to copy, forward, or distribute this article for non-commercial use only, as long as this copyright byline and bio, in totality, is maintained in all duplications, copies, and link references.  For reprint permission for any commercial use, in any form of media, please contact Susan Schiller.

Tagged as: "Love from Papa" Series, Choosing Love Today, Deborah White Dove, Getting Your Life Back, On the Way Home, PTSD - post-traumatic stress disorder, Turning Pain to Gain, Unbuckle Your Christianity, Writing a Life Story