Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Grab your pots!

Tuesdays with Tiffany
by Tiffany Colter, the Writing Career Coach

Last week I posted a blog on my main writing site where I basically gave a dose of tough love. If you haven't read it, go check it out. I didn't tell my regular blog readers but that book was written by a pastor and was addressing the Body of Christ.

For the last 5 years our family has struggled to adopt a special needs daughter, and then to raise her. We've struggled through my husband's cancer diagnosis, treatment and healing. We've battled financial giants, unemployment and maintaining our testimony in the midst of it all.

We are now in a place financially where we can see the end of the battle [financially] but we aren't quite there in the physical yet. I've spent a great deal of time seeking God and His wisdom. I know that the key to our success and victory in this will come with faithful obedience to God and His call. I also know I'll have a role to play in executing His plan.

This last week as I sat alone with God I began to meditate on the story of a woman who had lost her husband and faced losing all she owned and all she loved [her sons] to a creditor. [2 Kings 4]I cannot imagine the misery the woman must have felt. The situation seemed impossible. She sought the prophet for a word.

The prophet said to her "Tell me, what do you have in your house?" [verse 2, NIV]

The woman only had a bit of oil.

The prophet replied to her, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side."

Go to the Bible and read the rest of the story in detail. When she obeyed God multiplied the little bit of Oil she had in the house. She was able to sell it to repay the debt AND live on what was left. But the key was to USE what she had, ASK for help when necessary and OBEY the unusual direction from the prophet. This woman's blessing was only limited by her willingness to respond to what she was told.

That morning the woman was losing all she had, by evening she had more than what she needed.

That is the power of our God.

Knowing that, why aren't you following her example?

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Tiffany is a speaker and teacher. Find out about available topics for your group's next event.
Tiffany is a National Examiner. Read her articles here.
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Common-sense money management is free at The Balanced Life website. [www.TheBalancedLife.com]
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog. [http://tiffanycolter.blogspot.com]
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer's Rest.[http://writersrest.blogspot.com]

4 comments:

Eileen Astels Watson said...

Tiffany, this is a powerful message. I must go reread Kings now. I don't recall this story, but it sure is a powerful one.

Your Coach for the Journey, Tiffany Colter said...

I'm so glad you are going to read it. REALLY, it is one of the stories in the Bible that can be understood on so many different levels. I've read it over and over. I pray God ministers to you through it.

Warren Baldwin said...

Being able to read a Bible story and then flesh it out with current parallels is a gift which you showed with this post. It is also something that makes the Bible come alive. The Bible really does have something to say to every circumstance of our lives. Good job.

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Tiffany -

I "just happened" to stop in today. Thanks for this message. I needed the reminder that God is my provider.

Blessings,
Susan :)