This Too Shall Pass (Testimony)

August 23, 2022 3 Comments

                                 

This too, shall pass. How Many times have you said or heard the phrase repeated and thought to yourself, this is so true? It is one of the most comfort phrases used over and over in many of life’s events. I was attending a conference years ago, when small decorative size stones were passed out with scripture and other memorable phrases written on them. The assistant host pastor gave them out randomly as the Spirit of the Living God directed her to do so, she implied.  As each person was handed a stone, the phrase was shared out loud so everyone could hear. Most of the scripturally inspired sayings were resounded with great encouragement with food for much thought, but there were also sayings of cautionary measures, which were also met with appreciation and confirmation.

When it was my time to be given such a token of love, my stone was imprinted with “This Too Shall Past” on it. When I read the phrase out loud because each person was sharing, I began to wonder and say through my mind… what is about to happen now, how long will it last, and am I ready. You know how we can consider and wonder about some things, which seem to land in the very path we are traveling. In that few seconds my mind began to wonder if my husband, my children or grandchildren would be involved in what God would be allowing to come our way. I quickly changed my train of thought, because following these thoughts in my mind would bring about a spirit of fear, and that is not good.

 

 

There have been many bumps on this journey which challenged me to my very core. It didn’t matter what they were, or the intensity of each one, God has always brought me through with His Righteous Right Hand…while working it out for the good - God wanted to establish in my life. Initially, some of those times were met with question marks, but at the end there would be signs of growth, or room left for desired growth. Here are a couple of examples of what I am communicating here, and it may give somewhat of an understanding how God intends for us to look and believe in His Master Plan.

As I reflect on some of my life’s living, this one comes to my mind. Memory brings to mind about growing up being the 1^st born in our family, and the sound and status of that sounded great – but living through it was sometimes tedious and overwhelming.

There were times the responsibility of this status went beyond my idea of what being the older sibling is supposed to look like. How would you feel being the #2 mom over 6 siblings, being responsible for their actions/non-actions, behavior, and everything else related to being in charge? I did have one ally in the sibling group… but that verbal understanding came with strings attached, and I never knew when she would switch sides if one of the other siblings offered a better bribe or threatened to tell one of her well-kept secrets.  

                                                        

 

How would you feel when this status is in full operation only when the #1 mom and dad are not home? This was no piece of cake for me, especially when the 2 younger brothers under me thought they should be in charge because they were boys. Go figure that one, ladies. I can say - I had a back-up plan which was better than having an ally in the house. The ally was Aunt Eddie, who lived within walking distance in the back of our house. She was a Great Force to be reckoned with, and no one played games with her. If she said she was coming for you, know for sure, she meant business and she would be bringing along her own form of chastisement. She knew how to bring order out of chaos, and mom and dad trusted her with us. The best part of having her around - was the fact she knew she could trust my judgement that I would not be bias against any of the siblings.  Aunt Eddie knew what I was up against with those brothers of mine, especially the eldest of the other two.

Living through many aspects of my life, I felt getting through this particular time could not come soon enough for me to leave the family nesting so that I could carve my way, and my own way of living into adulthood. I would then be able to choose my own responsibilities with the realization that this time/phase in my life was not permanent, even thou it felt like it was at times, for our summers always felt very, very, long. At least my life was not coming to an end yet, because Fall for me brought another birth year – Yea! while knowing This too shall pass… and it did.

Years later in my continuing life’s steps of living, my husband died leaving me with 2 teenagers, 1 elementary age, and 1 ready to start kindergarten in a few months. This was devastating to say the least and with him being so young.

Even though he had provided me and the kids with good provisions, my mind was not on money. My thoughts were of him being the man of His house, my king in shining armor, the godly strong man watching over his home, the man loving his wife and children - was gone. How could God do this to me? We were a husband-and-wife team; praying together, enjoying our together times, attending church together as a family, spending much time with the children, while teaching them about the love of Jesus. We were active in our church, so God - Why did you take him so young?

I had prayed and asked God to give me a husband of His choosing, and he was a man that loved God and was sold out in serving him. How could he take him after 13 years? It was too soon, and too quick. My mourning turned into being angry with God. I didn’t feel like praying anymore, and for what - when God would just take the very things I had prayed for, and He granted - away from me.  I sunk in a very deep hole that seem to have no bottom to it. I only wanted to sleep and forget. I wanted sympathy from others, but at a distance. No one seemed to understand what measure of grief I was going through, so they couldn’t console or help me. In those days, there was not much being published about surviving the death of a spouse, as it is today. I needed someone to tell me their story, of how they walked out their journey. By the grace and mercy of God, and the prayers of the righteous, I made it through - day by day.

                                                           

I thank God for my parents, my mother-in-law, my church family, and the many others that loved and cared for us through this ordeal. I learned later, while walking this out, how much God loved me through this period of sorry and grief. The most awesome revelation that came to me, was realizing the wisdom of God allowing me to have 4 children in my care during this season of my life. He knew as He weaved the tapestry of my Life’s journey - that it would be impossible for me to put my needs above that of the children whom I loved and cared for dearly. He knew, because He designed it that way for this purpose and time, and for all the future times that would come. This picture segment in the tapestry would prove to be so important to me and the children. What an awesome and good God He is, to show His love for me that way. He knew with me having the love in my heart (that He placed there) for our children, it would be what was needed to bring me out of my downward spiral going into a dark pit. Since children were already a part of my tapestry, (for God loves children), they helped me to really see how God had an awesome plan for us, in spite of taking my husband - their father to heaven.

 I was so thankful for all who involved their lives into our family, especially the Fire department family where my husband worked, showing love without end. Above all – I am most thankful for the many ways God expressed His love to me during this difficult time. By the showing of His acts of love, my mind and feet were becoming more stable showing me, I can do this. I began to focus on knowing God does not make mistakes, and He must have a bigger plan yet to be brought into fruition - for This too, shall pass…and it did.

 

                                                                                                                                                        

Remembering some of your most devastating times, or some of the most sullen or sudden changes that required quick decisions making in your life of living journey, will help you to see how good and gracious the love of God has been on your behalf. Even when we make some of the most dreadful and appalling decisions we could ever make, and thinking (later), how could I have done that. Looking back, and seeing where we are today, we have to acknowledge we made it only with God’s help, God’s intervention – came through even when we didn’t deserve His grace and mercy in those areas.

When we acknowledge we don’t consistently walk in total submission to God’s Word, we can then recognize His weaving of the tapestry with our name on it. We can begin to see we are being fashioned with God’s clear understanding of what it will look like when He is finished, even when we don’t understand His ways. If we allow our memory to go back a little further, we can see that God had us in His mind long ago. Each day as He continued to weave the tapestry of what our living life would look like, you know without a doubt, grace and mercy was lavishly given doing those times in your life. When you shouldn’t have survived, or things could have turned out differently than what it looks like today… but yet you are still here. You felt within you even during those times, God had a perfect plan for your life.

You may be feeling that there are too many hills and valleys in your path, and they are too horrendous, too impossible, and you are just too tired to continue, don't give up. Allow the genuine people you know and trust, be a part of your rebuilding. Remember, you have history with the Lord God Almighty, and He holds every string you are holding onto – no matter how thin it is, with His righteous Right Hand. Hold on, He controls everything and everyone and He knows where you are, even if a feather was about to fall on you and He knew it would crush you, He will not allow it to fall. Amen. Since Our Lord walks with us, and never leaves us because of our adoption into Him, you have an assurance, you will make it.

                                                           

There is a plan for you even if you don’t consider yourself a Warrior of the Most High God. He knows who you are In Him, and He knows your ending from your beginning as He keeps bringing you through the spiritual transformation/metamorphosis changes. As the process continues, the landscape of our life and living will also change. The change is the process of upgrading one’s ability to navigate through the obstacles of life while maintaining His inner peace.

In my life’s Living, there has been many times I have been at the crossroads contemplating what I should do next. There have been many wrong choices made, many times walking around the "Same Old Tree” and getting the same results. You know what I am talking about, right?

Even with God, we try to use these flawed ways of doing. After acknowledging, confessing, and repenting my wrongs/sins and turning back to God who was waiting for me, things changed. Not everything all at once, but I found I was in a better place at the end of it and can truly say, This Too, passed in God’s timing. We, as warriors know, there will always be another hill, another mountain, another valley, another storm, but there will also be mountaintops, peace in the valley, still waters, and the sun shining.

Note: This phrase “This too, shall pass” has been used and said for many years, but it is not scriptural as it is quoted. It is a fable handed down to us centuries ago supposedly, but the thought of it has given great comfort to many individuals, because it resonates “Hope.” We need to always remember scripture is the Word of God, and great phrases are used as such. I used this title because it attests to the fact that nothing stays the same, and that God is always on the move in our lives if we have been set aside as one of His.

Here are a few scriptures (and many more) that reminds us in our Life’s journey, there is always hope - in Jesus. He didn’t shed His blood for nothing. Amen!

  2 Corinthians 4:17 – 18 AMP

17 For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]!

18 So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.

 Romans 12:12 – 13

• Constantly rejoicing in hope [because of our confidence in Christ], steadfast and patient in distress, devoted to prayer [continually seeking wisdom, guidance, and strength],

• Contributing to the needs of God’s people, pursuing (the practice of) hospitality.

•                                             Romans 15:13

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.

After we have repented and ask the Lord God to come into our hearts and fill us with the Holy Ghost (Spirit), we were deciding that we would submit to His way of living, His thoughts and ideas about the things concerning kingdom living, and take up our cross to follow Him no matter where it took us. With this, He began making us into new creations, becoming fully aware we have been bought with the precious blood of Yeshua Jesus, and are heirs and warriors for our Father God’s kingdom which is not of this world. 

"I pray my personal testimony will bring hope and healing to someone, while you go through some of the most difficult times of your life. You may feel you want and need to be alone, but we all need help at times from the outside, especially if you have children. The children can suffer in ways we can't imagine or understand, but many times are overlooked and pushed to the side, because they are children. Please know they are human too, but maybe don't know how to express their hurt and pain. Hopefully, in time, I will share excerpts of things I learned later - from my children."

Blessings -

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The Armor of God – Dressed for Battle - Cynthia Pinckney Ministries, Inc.

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