Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Purpose and Destiny




It was late in the year of 2009 when I heard Him whisper it to me again.

The kind of whisper that you cannot deny.

Cannot shake.

Cannot stop thinking about.

You eat, breathe, sleep the whispered words.

It's time daughter. It's time to do the second Pearl Event.

I remember shaking my head.

I remember saying out loud....not yet Lord.

We had just moved across the country in the summer of 2009.  New schools.  A new place to live.

A husband who lived and worked in another state.

I argued with Him for days.

And then after a week or so of telling Him all the reasons that I couldn't do it again- not yet anyway.

I went to sleep that night and as I crawled into bed completely exhausted I said these exact words....

"I love you Lord....... but I can't."

The reason I remember everything so vividly is because after I spoke those words to my heavenly Father I went on to have the most incredible dream that night that I have ever had in my entire life. It was one of those dreams that changes your life. It was His way of speaking to me. Of ministering to me. Of helping me along and prodding this daughter of His who has sometimes had to fight her way through her own crisis of faith.

I want to share pieces of it. In hopes that it will bring encouragement for the journey that you are on.

Here's hoping...

I was on a field outside of some sort. There were lots of people there. As I walked across the field there was a person on each side of me walking with me.

I didn't know them.

I didn't recognize them.

But they were holding me.

Carrying me almost.

And they knew me.

They walked me up to a stage of some sort and I stood in the background behind the scenes where people were working and they were in a big hurry. Lots of urgency and scurrying around. There was lots of equipment and people with headsets on and such.

Someone motioned for me and I panicked.

I began to call for another person in my life- I began to tell all of these people working backstage to get this other person. I told them how wonderful she was and what a great job she would do.

They got the other person.

Afterwards I looked out to see all of the people leaving.

And just about that time someone came up and called me by name and asked for a picture.  (Isaiah 43:1)

There was once again two people standing next to me. One on either side.

I was so confused.

When I woke up I couldn't move.

I couldn't shake it.

I couldn't forget it.

And so I began to ask the Lord about it....

Lord, what is this all about?

Daughter I have called you. I called you but you wouldn't come forth.

I've called you for such a time as this.

I've called you for this window.

There is a window here.

I was there. My spirit was there. The people who needed to hear my words were there.

But you wouldn't come forth.

But Lord,

Not me.

Not me Lord.

Who were those people?

Who were those two people on either side of me, walking with me and standing next to me for the picture.

It was purpose and destiny daughter. It was purpose and destiny standing with you.

Tears.

I'm sure I gasped and couldn't breathe at this point.....

More questions...

But Lord, why was someone taking a picture? I don't understand what this is all about.

Purpose and Destiny carried you to your place. 

To the window I have opened. Carried you to your season.

When you wouldn't come forth. Wouldn't obey my voice.

I had someone take a picture of you WITH purpose and destiny.

So you could look at it. Remember it. Be ever mindful of it.

I wanted you to have a picture to keep because you have never seen yourself  WITH  purpose or destiny......

Tears.

Only the Lord could offer up a dream so beautiful. So healing. So full of hope that whatever this is....

This ministry. This Pearl Event. This desire and passion to see women set free of every single thing that would hold them back in life. This force within me that will not let up. This burden that will not allow me to sleep for very long. This heart that feels someone else's pain and cannot shake it.....

Only He could bring something forth from a life that thought it was so over.

So dead.

So worthless.

Only He could take someone everyone else threw away and place a ministry inside what they deemed as garbage.

Glory to His name.

Sometimes (a lot of times) when God extends His hand and begins to prod us and lovingly push us out into what He has called us to do.....it will not make sense.

It most likely will not make any sense.

It does not make sense in my own life, with everything I am walking through right now, to do another Pearl Event.

But God.

He will orchestrate things on our behalf if we are willing and obedient.

There may not be very much support.

I would dare say that there may be hardly any...

It may just be you and Jesus.

But I want to encourage you to push through all of those things.

The things that do not make sense. The lack of support. The friends who may laugh or judge or roll their eyes at whatever IT is that you and the Father are up to...

Do it anyway.

Do it with fear and trembling.

Do it completely alone.  Sell everything you own if you have to. And sometimes you may have to.

Be willing and obedient.

I love that scripture.

IF you are willing AND obedient you will eat the good of the land.

Notice how it does not say ....

If everything is perfect in your life THEN be willing and obedient.

If everyone is for you and lined up to help you THEN be willing and obedient.

If you have 10,000 dollars sitting in your savings account THEN be willing and obedient.

It just simply says this, "If you are willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land." - Isaiah 1:19

I just want to encourage you today. I know every single one of you reading this have God dreams on the inside of you. Things so special, so sacred, so dear to your heart that you may not have ever even shared them with a single person.

You can set fear aside and push forth.

You can fulfill the call that God has on your life.

You can start over again no matter the circumstances.

You can do it alone. Create it alone. Execute it alone.

You do not have to have cheerleaders and people around you who support you.

God will eventually bring the right people at the right time... just begin.

You may get overwhelmed. Or frustrated. Or sad.

Keep going. Don't stop.

Keep trying. You will find your way. You have God guiding you and prompting you.

Stay close to Him and far away from naysayers.

You may have to remove yourself from a group of friends.

That's okay.

You may have to spend a lot of time alone.

That's okay too.

God's purpose and plans and promises will come to pass.

You will walk in life with purpose and destiny......

And He alone will get the glory.

By His immeasurable grace sweet friends....The Pearl Event II is sold out.

No words big enough today.  Thank you for your many prayers......


12 comments:

Charity said...

Oh how I love that you are willing to be so honest and open and show everyone that everything is not always easy. Thank you for being willing to be one of the people God brought into my life. You have held my heart tenderly as I have cried out in the pain of walking through this journey, you are a precious friend. I can not wait to see how God uses you fully. You are called to such a time as this, you are called Queen Sibi.

Love Ya,
Cha Cha

lizziefitz said...

Glory be.

3 Peanuts said...

I am crying over my salad at my computer today, Sibi. you will never now how much I needed this exact post today. fear has kept me from doing thing that I KNOW God is calling me to do. Thank you from the very bottom of my heart. I need to go now and calm down and then I will be back to reread every word of this.

Kim

paige said...

oh sibi....
i have chills & i have peace
& i have such a beautiful sister in the lord who has THE biggest heart i've ever known to come along side others & encourage them to be who the Lord has called them to be.
girl....YOU are///YOU have been given a calling that i know some days is a burden but is what lights your soul.
i had to sorta giggle through my tears at sweet kim's comment....love that girl.
even if she won't hop on a plan ( WINK)

i'm heading back to read that again...i swear i felt like i was in the field with you. you tell a beautiful story of hope my friend

love you

Anonymous said...

I could barely finish reading this beautifully written post due the tears streaming down my face. Thank you for not only your obedience in writing this but your obedience to say YES to such an amazing God. Glory to God in the Highest for a sold out event that is honoring to his name!

Jenny Beth said...

Sibi, your words are so heavily god breathed i feel him speaking to you through my computer screen. I am just beside myself in anticipation as to what the lord will reveal to me. Thank you for listening to the savior and going through with the event. Malachi 3:10 I sure do think he is starting to throw open those flood gates. I know you feel blessed now but he is going to continue blessing you beyond measure. counting down the days till I can hug your pearl adorned neck!!!

Jennifer said...

i loved this post. it was hard to read because it was as if God was showing me ONCE again what it is that i need to be doing and the faith leap he is asking of me. i am so excited about meeting you and all the other speakers in nashville.

Ephria said...

I read Paige's blog every day. Some days just passing thru quickly, and others deeply - today, I decided to click on a link and here's where it brought me. To you. And your amazing post. I'm so moved, I...I just need to sit in a corner and think right now. This hits home with everything that I'm going through in my own life and, I just want to say thank you so very much. With love, warmth and grace.

Kim said...

What a lovely post.. and so very inspiring!! Why is so hard to say yes to god at times?? Why do we hesitate so? Why do we fight the good we know he has in store for us? Thank you for encouraging us to say , 'yes'! Incidentally, 'yes' is my word for the year!! :0)

Alecia said...

What a beautiful post...God is so good to us. I love how He spoke to you in your dream and just spelled it all out for you. He's AMAZING!!! I'm thankful for your heart to hear Him & surrender to His plan. I soooo wish I could be at the Pearl Event but I'm trusting God for a Pearl Even III.

I can't wait to hear how it all turns out...it's going to be amazing...your date with Purpose & Destiny is going to be WONDERFUL!

Blessings sweet sister.

Bravehearted Beauty {formerly LLH Designs} said...

I came here through my one of my favorite blog friends, Paige. BUT GOD are my favorite two words in the entire Bible. I can't believe you wrote them like that...just those two words on one line. What a gift to me today as I consider what He's calling me to do. (And yes, it looks crazy on paper!) I wish I could join you in Nashville!

xo,
Linsey

Tiffany said...

I just love every word...beautiful.
Isn't God just amazing?
&
Sibi, I think you have cheerleaders. Those you don't even know or think...God has placed you on the hearts of many, I'm sure.
Praying the Pearl Event will be blessed and lives will be forever changed.
GLORY!
:)