Page 6 - Grace.Spring.2021
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STEADFAST                                                                                                        Please Lord, change His heart. Let His eyes be opened to you.


                                                                                                                                     “God, I can’t do this anymore. I cannot live like this. Please
                                                                                                                                      take his life. Let the cancer take him . . . I just can’t do this.


                                                                                                                                      Soften his heart, God. Help me to love him the way he needs


                                                            and                                                                                                                to be loved.”




                                                                  DESPERATE                                                    In 2010, I sat on my bed one            around and around. It was the same thing over and over,


                                                                                                                               night in the dark, tears
                                                                                                                                                                       nothing was changing, and I felt stuck. There had to be
                                                                                                                               streaming down my face,
                                                                                                                                                                       more to life.
                                                                                                                               praying something similar to
                                                                                                                                                                       By 2012, still not much had really changed. If anything,
                                                                                                                               the prayer written above. My
                                                                                                                                                                       life had become a bit harder. Austin had been on Social
                                                                                                                               husband, Austin, had been
                                                                                              Jessica Wall                     diagnosed with terminal brain           Security Disability for almost 10 years due to not only his
                                                                                                                                                                       initial prognosis, but the chemo and radiation had taken a
                                                                                                                               cancer in January 2003 and
                                                                                                                                                                       toll on his memory, mental clarity and emotions. Now
                                                                                                                               was only given 3-5 years to
                                                                                                                                                                       they were saying because he hadn’t died in the 3-5 year
                                                                                                                               live. We were now several
                                                                                                                                                                       timeframe initially given, he was now okay to return back
                                                                                                                               years into that journey and
                                                                                                                                                                       into the workforce world. Therefore, they were
                                                                                                                               his mental health had taken a
                                                                                                                                                                       terminating his disability payments. Austin and I fought it
                                                                                                                               toll. My husband was angry
                                                                                                                                                                       in court on our own and thankfully, while they reviewed
                                                                                                                               with God. He had a hot
                                                                                                                                                                       his case, his payments continued. But this caused a lot of
                                                                                                                               temper and felt of very little
                                                                                                                                                                       stress between the two of us.
                                                                                                                               value in this world. The inside
                                                                                                                               of our four walls was a very
                                                                                                                               dark place full of pornography

                                                                                                                               addiction, alcohol addiction,                Again, I found myself crying out to
                                                                                                                               wild parties, depression, and                              God in desperation
                                                                                                                               brokenness. (We knew the
                                                                                                                               Lord, but didn’t live a life

                                                                                                                               through Him.) I loved my                In desperation for SOMETHING, ANYTHING to shift. In
                                                                                                                               husband and I really wanted             October of 2012, I had stumbled upon an online Christian
                                                                                                                               to like him too, but I had lost         women’s ministry who posted a new blog every day. I

            “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial,                                                             all respect for him. I just             woke up every morning with anticipation of the day’s blog
                   for when he has stood the test, he will receive                                                             simply felt that life as we             and how it would speak to my heart. I was hungry and
          the crown of life, which God has promised to those who                                                               knew it could not really be as          holding on to every word I read. They then began
                                                     love him.”
                                                        James 1:12                                                             good as it gets. I felt like life       promoting the marriage conference they were hosting in
                                                                                                                               was just this same revolving            January 2013. I felt a huge nudge from the Holy Spirit

                                                                                                                               door going around and
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