They Laughed at Noah

I don't know many things for sure but one thing I do know for sure is God joined my husband and I together.  Twenty-one years ago, the second weekend of February 1991, He brought us together at the Grace Bible Conference, in Bentley, La., two days later God said to me in my heart "This is your husband".  My response was, "Lord, I don't know if I even like him he is arrogant."   Then the Lord said again, "Never-the-less he is your husband love him."  I not only loved him, but he became my best friend. We were married on July 6, 1991. This young bride quickly learned marriage is not a fairy tale it is something you must work at we had our ups and downs, victories and failures, joys and sorrows just like everyone else.

What happened to bring down my marriage, that part of the story is not mine to tell, it belongs to my husband, perhaps one day he can share it as part of a victories testimony.

This I do know, God has shown me without a doubt  Todd Wiley Deloach is my husband, I am to love him as Christ loves me and he is the only man I am to give my love to until God takes one of us home.   

Trying to explain this to people often is met with a shake of the head, a pat on the hand, give it a year you will feel differently, or after all he has done you should move on to something better, God doesn't want you to suffer. Or the most dreadful words he divorced you get over it and move on he did.

I will shamefully admit, when I am away from close fellowship with the Lord, full of self pity and doubt, I play with these thoughts, when the circumstances seem impossible to ever change I think of giving up.  But the Lord just won't let me go, the closer I draw to Him the stronger my love for my beloved becomes and the more sure I am that I must stand in the name of Jesus for him and our marriage.

The other night was one of those nights I was up to the wee hours of the morning praying,  I told the Lord.  Father I know what you want me to do, but I am afraid of being laughed at, what if I am wrong, what if my beloved never comes home, what if I spend all my life waiting for nothing and every one mocks my faith in the end.  God gave this simple reply into the depths of my heart, "THEY LAUGHED AT NOAH".

Wow!! yes they did, and yet he carried on for years, building a boat on dry land for waiting on the never before seen rain, laughed at, mocked, scorned by everyone. Yet he obeyed God and received the blessing him and his family.  

Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. (Genesis 6:22) 

So here I stand before all the world to proclaim God has shown me to stand for my husband and my marriage, that He will one day restore all, and we will rejoice over the great things He has done for us.  Laugh, doubt and shake your head if you will, I do not know many things but of this one thing I am sure this is the path that God has laid for me to walk.  I am not alone He is with me, and though the journey may be long, and at times it appears impossible, He is doing everything to make us ready, for the day when Todd and I will be together again to finish our journey home to our Saviour together.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

  Todd and Kristy Deloach

July 6, 1991

Grace Church, Bentley, La

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Mark 10: 7-9

A Sound Mind

Last month facing yet another dreaded life change and the holidays with all their fuss, I found myself deeply depressed, and at times feared I was "losing my mind".  I expressed it this way to a friend,"I am in my head all the time, I have to get out."  Once again this faithful friend pointed me to the only way out, Jesus, He would have the answers I seek. So woefully crying out to the Lord for help has lead me through a couple of weeks of  teaching and yet another layer of self filled Kristy being peeled away. 

It starts with the mind, most of my wars, are in my mind. All day long, and many nights, dwelling on the past, fearing the future, asking myself what could have been done differently, acting out in my head how if I had done this or that then it could have been different.  My thoughts and imaginations running wild. Sometimes letting these thoughts control my actions and reactions to circumstances that happen.

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  (2 Corinthians 10:5)NKJ

The truth is it is all vain thoughts. The past is gone it can never be replayed. The future is before, a path already laid out by my Lord and only He knows the end.  Satan wants to control my mind in order to hold me captive.  He wants me to dwell in the dark corners of my mind, he wants me to live in fear,despair, helplessness, alone, and unloved.  He wants me to feel as if I am going crazy or if one more thing happens I will tip off the edge.   He wants me to act out in panic or irrationally and live in these fears, dragging myself and all those around me into the pit.  

Here is the good news, I have found the way out if you will.  God has given us the power already, He has called us to take those thoughts captive.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.(2 Timothy 1:7)KJ
 
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2 NIV

So let me take captive those thoughts and replace them with heavenly things,

1) I am not alone or rejected 

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5

2) I am loved

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.  John 15:13&14

3) I am not helpless

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22

4)There is no need to fear the future or be in despair

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Oh, the joy I have found, outside around me nothing has changed the circumstances are still the same, but inside,my mind and soul have blossomed like flowers in the new spring.  Life has a renewed joy, I wake up looking forward and fall asleep thankful.  The Lord has taught that this is were victory over our mind is found, in truth, in light, in the Gospel.  Take the dark lies of Satan and hold them up in the truth and light of God's word, day after day, until the victory is won over your mind.  It is part of the ever ragging battle we must fight on our journey home.  It can be said no better than Paul in Ephesians

For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, To him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Ephesians 3: 14-21

Father to the Fatherless

Late last night I finally found the time to watch the movie Courageous and wept for my daughters.  Now that their father has chosen to leave his family and start another with someone else they are in all sense of the word left fatherless.  He loves them, sends gifts, provides for their care, but he isn't there for birthdays, Christmas, swim meets, he wasn't there to see God open their hearts and save them.  He won't be there to see them baptised, or go to their first formal, the mile stones that they are making as young women he is missing it all.  He is not there to encourage them and protect them until God shows us His will for their lives,he won't be there to make sure some young man is the right one for them.  When he walked away from me and our marriage he walked away from them too.   When trials come up with one of the girls he is the first to run the other way, saying there is nothing he can do.

    

Watching Courageous broke my heart, and left me seeking God's face. "Father I can't change his heart I can't make him be what you called him to be. You are sovereign Lord, and this is the place that you have us for now, how can I fill in the gap for my daughters father, how can I be both to them.  How can I be the spiritual leader he is suppose to be, how can I be wise and protect them from the evils of this world?   How can I teach them not to be angry and bitter toward their father but forgive and love him? How can I be both, when I so often fail in my own role as mother?"

Then it came to me this morning. "I am the Father to the Fatherless"

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. (Psalm 68:5)

     

God alone is able to defend, protect and guide my daughters.  He is their Heavenly Father, who loves them more than any earthly father ever could.   He will use me, He will use their grandfather, He will use pastors, He will use Godly men, that are friends and are in our church.  He will be their Father.  

Will they miss that close earthly relationship like I have with my own father, the talks, birthdays, special moments that can never be gotten back? Yes, both they and he will. However, I rest in this, were it really counts, their spiritual growth and protection God will be their Father and He provide for them.

     

I hope that God will use this movie to cause Godly men to think and realize their role, not only to their own families, but as the movie showed the fatherless ones too.  That their example, their kind word, their encouragement and compassion to a child without a father just may the the only true Godly husband and father a child will see.

     

My hope is that one day, God will call out to my daughters father,bring him to repentance, and remind him of his purpose and role in their lives, that it is not enough to just love them but he is called to father them, this is our prayer. Until then we will continue on our journey home resting in the knowledge that He is sovereign, has already provided and the He promised to be a Father to the Fatherless.

My own father Timothy Murrell is a courageous man of God

Had the honor of baptizing me,1979 When I was 8 years old.

This was a moment I have never forgotten.