In the last post, I introduced you to my friend, Lori Clifton. If you missed it, click HERE.
We left off with Lori in the middle of a season that held tremendous promise and yet it resulted in judgment and pain. Can we, as believers, stand at the edge of faith and dare jump again? What’s a woman to do when provision does not come as a neat package with a bow but comes with repeated incidences of judgment?
Sometimes in the middle of our pain, it’s hard to get perspective and we need to look at things through the eyes of the Lord to really gain our footing. When Lori sought the Lord about her painful season, the Lord changed the way she saw it and showed her the image of a spider web.
For us humans, a spiderweb is a nuisance. But for a spider, her web is the best means of collecting provision. What lands in the web is her provision. As yucky as that may seem for us, that is the spider’s life. The provision that came for Lori did not come the way she expected. Without eyes to see, provision appeared as judgment, but the Lord didn’t waste it. He tucked the treasure of provision in the middle of the really difficult circumstances. It’s the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to reveal a matter. It was what the Lord had in her story. This was training her to see the unseen. To look past the obvious and see beyond.
By faith, as a step of bravery, Lori removed the glasses of how she saw her pain and judgment and began asking to see the Lord’s provision in a new way. She settled her heart in knowing she would see the Lord’s goodness because he loves. Sometimes, we need to do this. When the world around you is constantly disappointing, be on the lookout for the Lord’s goodness.
Not long after, Lori was invited to a meeting where she knew it was possible to see a person who had previously judged her. The long history of pain that stood between Lori and attending the meeting could’ve held her back. The months of being ridiculed and judged flashed in her eyes as she debated whether or not to show up. Sometimes, showing up is the bravest thing we can do.
So, she chose to be brave and the outcome was not what she thought it would be. In the Lord’s goodness, the person sought Lori out and apologized for the harsh judgment. Lori had already forgiven this person in her heart and the words of forgiveness fell easily from her lips.
If you’re facing a situation that seems impossible, Lori would encourage you to look at it through a different lens. Instead of seeing it as im-possible, break it down and see it as “I’m Possible” and speak that over yourself. Why? Because you have grace for this. The divine influence upon your heart is a reflection that other people see. You are possible because of this grace. You have the grace to do this. You can stand at the edge of the cliff of faith and jump off because of the grace that’s within you and all around you. You are possible, no matter what other people see.
Want to hear more from Lori? Check out her page on Facebook HERE.