Acts 29 Today

5. Patience, Perseverance, Character Growth. This is the most difficult season of all. It seems to be a time of just slogging it out one step at a time. The vision has dimmed, the glamour of it all is gone, and the way seems dark at times. In my own life, I went through a series of painful, personal seasons that seemed to make the way darker, dimmer, and more confusing than ever. Yet this often seems to be the most important part of the entire process as God shapes the heart more fully for Him. It was a time when my identity became less about ‘the vision’ and more about simply being the child of God. It was a painful, difficult, necessary, growing-up phase.

LARRY WRITING NOW:

After 17 years of great ministry time, it seemed like everything had come to a complete stop, but the worst was yet to come. Out of nowhere another divorce, and this time I was completely devastated, finished, kaput.

I have no words to describe the feeling of loss that consumed me, physical pain is one thing but heart break is a pain like no other, and only if you have been thru it do you have any idea of what I am talking about.

Now I was over the falls and falling fast, no where to go and nothing to do, I just hoped that when and if I ever hit bottom I would just disappear. The world and everyone in it would surly B better off without me around. (just being honest)

I felt like I was in the valley of the shadow of death and I was hoping the death would happen fast, (but I am still here). It seemed like the pain would never end, but like they say (whoever they R) time is the greatest healer.

Now there was nothing about any vision or any of that kind of stuff, everything was…. O V E R.

After a few years as so often happens in the darkness, Gods greatest work is done, and I could never convey to you the transformation that is taking place within me as a child of GOD.

Its truly like the caterpillar, we crawl into a cocoon, earth bound and limited, and spend time in the darkness, invisible to all the outside world (think Moses on the back side of the desert and Joseph in prison) then one day the great transformation is done……. AND WE FLY AWAY A BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY.

It is a PAINFUL EXPERIENCE

It is a DIFFICULT EXPERIENCE

It is a NECESSARY EXPERIENCE

It is a CONFUSING EXPERIENCE

It is a GROWING-UP PHASE

AND IT IS NOT…………YOUR BEST LIFE NOW

It is probably the most important part of the entire process of our spiritual growth, because it shapes my heart more fully for Him.

I ended up after landing at the bottom of what seemed like the endless falls in the river again (so to speak) and was in another country and not the USA. Life is getting back to some kind of semblance of normal (not really) I guess you could say. Its one day at a time, one foot in front of the other, lots of time with GOD.

Will there B another burning bush experience for me on yet another backside of the desert?……I don’t know, but in this season, its more important for me to…………. get to know the one…………. who can make the bush burn without being consumed………….. than it is to be or do anything else.

Next time:)

6. Contentment. This may be the fruit of step five through which God becomes greater, being-with-God becomes more the point than anything else, and there is less of the push to ‘do something’ or try to ‘be someone.’

Remember…NO ONE CARES HOW MUCH YOU KNOW

UNTIL THEY KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE.

Larry