Knock Knock

The first thing I think of when I hear the word Newlyweds is, "new love". Newlyweds are always talking about one another and spending time with each other. They can't seem to get enough of the other person or what their thoughts and words are. Take, "Billy and Jane" (my made up characters) for instance: Billy loves Jane with his whole heart, she makes him happy, she completes him and she knows his thoughts somedays when he doesn't even know them, she finishes his sentences and she is beautiful. Why would he not want to marry her? he wants to spend every last waking minute now with her so he gets down on one knee and proposes. She gladly accepts knowing how happy He is going to make her. He has been there for her through some pretty tough times and she knows she can not live her life without Him either.
3 months after the wedding things are GREAT...they are happier then ever and still spending lots of time with each other although work has gotten back under way so it has cut out a small portion of the time they were alloted when they were dating. Billy and Jane have a very good relationship for the next few years. One day Billy came home and announced he had lost his job. Jane was devestated. She immediately began to worry and wonder how they were going to pay their bills, etc. Billy tried and tried to find a new job but for months was not able to. Jane's spending habits had to be cut back which caused some stress for her as shopping was often her stress reliever. She became resentful towards Billy and slowly began being more interested in friends at work. She even started talking to another guy although it never led to anything it was still a mental process she was going through of disconnecting from Billy. billy too grew cold and frustrated at himself, at her and at God. His prayers had gone from "Lord, thank you for this beautiful home and wife and job you have provided for me to have" to "Lord, why do I not have a job now? You know I can't provide for my family without it, I am going to get MY home taken away from me if you do not help me find something soon. and my wife she's all over the place these days. I have no clue what is going on and I am starting to get upset with it and not even care. "
As you can tell both of their hearts had grown distant from one another and in turn from God. Isn't it true that we too in our christian lives can be SO ON FIRE for God at the start of a relationship with Him or at a church service where everyone is making decisions and we too want to dedicate our entire lives to the mission/ministry of Christ. We will be willing to go to Africa or Asia just as the missionary up front was speaking about. We even go home and start reading up on it and thinking about it or praying about it. Or we often get in a good few weeks, sometimes even months or years of sticking to whatever decisions we made but then something occurs that knocks our embers off the burning pile and singes them on the dirt below.
I am currently in my reconnecting with God/connecting with Him FOR THE FIRST time for REAL in my life. I grew up being taught the bible and going to church but it never was as real to me as it has been in the past month and a half since God has been working in and through me. What a transformation. I look at where my life was 6 months ago...a deep dark ugly nasty pit of regret, hate, discouragement and no hope for anything. Was on the brink of losing my marriage and my family. This is my ON FIRE time so to say. I believe that I am in need of rekindling the fire daily so as to not let this fire burn out. I know how easy it is to fall and grow lukewarm and lose interest in the things that once were desirable. Right now I can't imagine not having this joy and this vibrance for God and life, but it can happen in the blink of an eye. Satan can come in and work his little tricks and put someone in your life who can pull you down or something that occurs that causes you to doubt and the doubt turns to fear and the fear turns to worry and the worry to regret , pain, anguish, and so on...we've all had hurtful situations occur.
In James 4:8 it states, "Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you." So, if we are DAILY doing this and keeping God in our routine for our pattern of life it will be easier to withstand the devil when he seeks to devour us. We will be able to hold onto that newlywed type of faith, hope and love that we once had/I currently still have. I ask that anyone reading this keep me in their prayers because I know how quickly I can falter and I need encouragement, as we all do. I pray that each of you and myself would be encouragers to one another and lift one another up in the Lord daily so that the FIRE for HIM will continue to shine brightly and keep you with that WARM feeling all year round for year after year.
Jane ended up in a car accident and badly injured on the way home from work one day. billy rushed to the hospital and there by her side cried out to God to save her from dying and that he would do anything if He would just allow her to live. He would give his life back over and rekindle that flame with God and with his wife. She ended up living and Billy went on to become a preacher and she a pastors wife. They daily commit to one another now and rekindle their marriage flame as a part of daily routine. To this day he wishes he had not had to have something so devestating happen to bring him to his knees, but is greatful for where God has brought he and Jane through it all.
Revelation 3:20 says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with h im, and he with me." the Lord is knocking on our doors today asking us to rekindle the flame. Will we be like billy and Jane who lost their flame and got it back after something serious occurred? Or will we get back into the routine of daily seeking Him so that it does not take something drastic in life to bring us to our knees?
I pray for a daily "newlywed" type of faith and love for my Savior!