I almost didn’t write this article. I was exhausted. I thought about sending an email the night before last, asking if it was ok to skip this month’s submission.
I just felt I needed to let go of some things to focus on other demands that needed my attention and I wondered that this was something I could put aside because I was so tired. But what happened yesterday changed everything.
The way that I was encouraged, first began yesterday morning, when I was on my way to the dentist to get a wisdom tooth removed. It was early in the morning and the city was busy. I pulled up to the traffic lights and was first in line, when I saw a father carrying his young (maybe 4 year old) daughter as she rested on his shoulder.
She was just blissfully relaxed as he carried her and it was like he glided across the crossing in front of me. It grabbed my attention because it looked so angelic in every way.
I noticed how the little girl rested with all her weight being carried by her father and I noticed the energy of her father too - it was like he was entirely focused on where he was going and taking her, but he moved so gracefully, with a strength that looked effortless. Here they were in the centre of the busy and noisy city, but it was all irrelevant - she needed a rest, so her father carried her.
I felt encouraged, like God was showing me that He carries me like that. It’s interesting how we so easily slip into depending on our own strength when we feel weak, but the truth is that when we are weak, we are divinely strong and Christ then has full reign of being at work in us. Our flesh gets totally out of the way.
“So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength]” (2 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 10).
When the Lord speaks at the dentist
When I parked and got up to the 12th floor dentist, I was in the waiting room. I had brought a Christian book on single parenting with me that I’d wanted to read.
I opened up to a page and chapter that spoke to me instantly and encouraged me. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians chapter 6, verse 9).
Following that scripture, the author also wrote, “I know it’s tough, but persevere. I know you are tired, but persevere, I know you feel alone, but persevere. Your harvest is coming” (Doing it Solo, Kristy Quaziz).
More encouragement! On another note, I’d just become friends with the author of this book. Another friend had introduced us. Interestingly I had been led to her church recently and after praying for confidence, had ended up sitting beside her on a sermon entirely about confidence. How perfect to get a biblical teaching on confidence and see that modelled to me through her as well - a beautiful, confident woman, with a story similar to mine, who has achieved things I only dream of.
I showed her the message I’d recently sent to a friend asking to pray for confidence for me, when it was announced the sermon was on confidence because of the perfect timing. It’s beautiful how God does this - shows evidence of hearing our prayers and fulfilling them. It’s so evident God goes ahead and orchestrates these things.
There’s a little more to the dentist story too though and it goes back to being in the waiting room - there was also a special needs dentist reception area and the waiting room was shared between them both.
An older retired man walked in with someone who could be his daughter’s age, in a wheel chair. I’m not sure if he was her carer or father. But he definitely displayed fatherly love.
She was making some noises that showed she was in distress. The man was holding both her hands as he sat with her and comforted her. The love, gentleness and perfect comfort displayed in this imagery touched me too. At one point he was rubbing both her bare feet for her too as that was what she seemed to need to feel peace. Not once did he appear burdened, just devoted. He looked attentive and full of love the whole time and he comforted her perfectly.
If like me, you also need supernatural strength or encouragement, I pray you receive everything you need. I pray the Holy Spirit illuminates things on your path and gives you revelations you need and that you feel comforted, loved, seen and known and equipped for everything that comes your way.
We have a perfect shepherd that goes ahead of us and provides everything we need. “The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need. He makes me rest in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” (Psalms chapter 23, verses 1-3).
Diana Fowler is a full-time mother, residing in Adelaide, South Australia. She spent the majority of her life as an Atheist, before being drawn into popular New Age spirituality in 2012. In 2016 she started attending Church as a New Ager, but after many undeniable experiences, came to know Jesus as Lord and the one true pathway to God.