1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:04,400 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast and I wanted to 3 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: thank you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: Hope it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective 5 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: to see God as moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 1: We're incredibly blessed today to have one of the best 7 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: Bible teachers in the country to share God's word with us. 8 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: Lisa Harper is here one of the most prominent teachers 9 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:33,199 Speaker 1: and preachers at conferences in women's events today. She's a 10 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,279 Speaker 1: gifted author, and I think you're gonna really love how 11 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: she makes the Bible just come alive when she teaches. 12 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: And I also think you're going to be encouraged hearing 13 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: God's goodness and faithfulness towards her and her family. She 14 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: has an amazing story, and in fact, she brought a 15 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 1: video just to share a little bit about what God 16 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: has done in her family's life. So we're gonna watch that. 17 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: Then she's going to be up here to preach. And 18 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: so when this video is done and she takes the stage, 19 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: let's give her the best Elevation Church welcome possible. Are 20 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: you ready to hear from God today? All right, you 21 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,119 Speaker 1: guys can take a seat, take a look at the screens. 22 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 1: In April twenty twelve, I jumped off a proverbial cliff 23 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: and into the greatest adventure and joy of my life. 24 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: I began the process of adopting my little girl, Melissa 25 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 1: Price Harper. I love you. Her first mama, Marie, died 26 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 1: as a result of undiagnosed days when Missy was just 27 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: a baby, unwittingly infecting her with HIV, which was exacerbated 28 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: by a tuberculosis, severe malnutrition, and a host of other ailments. 29 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,559 Speaker 1: Doctors Importer Prince didn't give Missy much of a chance, 30 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,479 Speaker 1: but then again they didn't know. My baby girl has 31 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: the heart of a warrior. Our adoption process took two 32 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: long years, but I finally got to bring her home 33 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: to Tennessee on April fourteenth, two thy fourteen, just a 34 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: few days before Easter, which seemed especially fit girl. And 35 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: her name was Missy and she was so sutt We 36 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: and her mama came to Haiti and said, that's my baby. 37 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: Brought her home to tennis See. Yeah. Yeah, every single 38 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: day since has been better than the one before. By 39 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 1: the grace of God in great medical care, Missy's health 40 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: is now excellent. Her HIV is completely undetectable, and her 41 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: lungs have no scars from the tuberculosis she suffered from 42 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 1: as a toddler. She even has killer ABS, which is 43 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,360 Speaker 1: really the only dead giveaway She's not my biological child. 44 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 1: We're surrounded by an incredible community of friends and family. 45 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: Missy has more doting aunts and uncles than just about 46 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: any kid I know. Plus we've had the joy of 47 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: getting to go back to the village she's from and 48 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: Haiti and share the love of Christ with her extended 49 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: family members. Psalm sixty eight declares that God is a 50 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: father to the fatherless, a husband to the husbandless, and 51 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: he places the lonely in families. That's definitely our story 52 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: and I plan on praising Him over it for the 53 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: rest of my life. That's lot of kisses. I didn't 54 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: kiss you a lot, though, yes, a little bit kissed you. 55 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: No way, no way, I'm coming kiss monsters, We're coming 56 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: after you. Hey, do you know why I kiss you? Why? 57 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: Why do you think because you love me? How much 58 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: do you think I love you more than the whole world? 59 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 1: Yep about that much is even wider. No way, that's fine, 60 00:03:54,880 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: No way, no way, y'all. Oh, please be seated, Please 61 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: be seated. And so tickled to be here. I cannot 62 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: even tell you how honored I am to be here. 63 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:26,720 Speaker 1: Please please please sit down. You're going to be mad 64 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 1: at me in a minute. Anyway. I'm just undone. I 65 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: feel like a donkey at the Kentucky Derby because I 66 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: love Elevation Church. I watch y'all online all the time 67 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: from Nashville, deeply, deeply respect what God has done through 68 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,159 Speaker 1: Holly and Pastor Stephen, and y'all feel like you'll just 69 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 1: epitomize christ admonition to be a city on a hill, 70 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: to be a light to the world. So the fact 71 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: that I get to be here just undoes me. I 72 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 1: do want to bring two qualifications because my main prayer 73 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: leading up to this was that I wouldn't unwittingly throw 74 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,359 Speaker 1: a monkey wrench into what God is doing through y'all 75 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:09,480 Speaker 1: and through your campuses, and so I need to go 76 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: ahead and qualify two things. One is I'm old. I'm 77 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: much much older than Pastor Steven or most of your 78 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 1: pastoral staff. And I'm also going through what some would 79 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: call the Change, which is probably TMI, gentlemen. But the 80 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: reason I tell you that is because during the change, 81 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: I've developed a spiritual gift called projectile perspiration, and I 82 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: can pretty much aim where I'm in a sweat and 83 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: because it's one hundred and forty five degrees today and 84 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:43,279 Speaker 1: I'm in a fluffy season, that has exacerbated my spiritual gift. 85 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 1: And so y'all are going to get wet, all of you. 86 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 1: We're going to call this sea world in Charlotte. And 87 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:53,720 Speaker 1: I think we just vote that it's a baptism. It's 88 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: just an extra baptism. So that's my first qualification. The 89 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: second qualification is we're going to talk this morning about 90 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: the immutable, that is the unchanging hope of Christ. But 91 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 1: the way we're going to get there is through a 92 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: true story in scripture that some equate with sticking your 93 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:14,240 Speaker 1: hand in a blender. And so I need you to 94 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 1: hang with me when I tell you to turn in 95 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 1: your Bibles to the Book of Job. So turning the 96 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: Old Testament to the true Story of Job. If you'll 97 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:27,080 Speaker 1: head to the Psalms and then just back up, you'll 98 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 1: hit Job. Usually it's not a book. We're super familiar 99 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 1: with women. We never cross stitch this one because it's 100 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: a hard story. It's a tough story. I so appreciate 101 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:41,919 Speaker 1: that Pastor Zach said that this had been a difficult 102 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: week because I think all too often in Christian circles 103 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 1: we act like once we commit our lives to Christ, 104 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: everything's perfect, and I'm like, that's not even biblically sound. 105 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:55,839 Speaker 1: Jesus said, in this world you will have trouble. He 106 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: is a good God. Life can be incredibly hard. Sometimes 107 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,679 Speaker 1: you you lose your metabolism and your hair is comically dependent. 108 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: But that's just me. Y'all have different kind of grief. 109 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: She've been through. And I think we do the world 110 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: a disservice when as christ followers we pretend like we 111 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: never struggle anymore. I think that's one of the reasons 112 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: they think we're big fat hypocrites, is because we aren't 113 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: hon Us about the places where we need Jesus to 114 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: carry us. I was at a women's event recently and 115 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: I asked a woman how I could pray for her, 116 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: and she said, oh, no, I don't need prayer, and 117 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: I was like, you're about to, because I'm gonna punch 118 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 1: you in the throat for being a liar. There are 119 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: seasons in our life where it is appropriate for us 120 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: to say, Lord, I'm not sure I can handle this. 121 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: I'm not sure I can hike up this hill in 122 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: front of me. Apart from you carrying me, I'm not 123 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 1: gonna make it through the next season of my life. 124 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: Job says exactly that. Now y'all probably know his story. 125 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: He's a really good guy. In the first chapter, it 126 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: says that he is a righteous man. He's an upright man. 127 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: Some translations say he's a perfect man. That doesn't mean 128 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: he's sinless. That just means he's a good guy. It 129 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 1: says that he's living a good life. If you study 130 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:25,679 Speaker 1: all of his acquisitions, he lived in the patriarchal period 131 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: or pre patriarchal period. They aren't sure exactly when this 132 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: story took place, but it was some time between fifteen 133 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 1: hundred and a thousand years before the birth of Christ, 134 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: so long time ago. And if you study his acquisitions 135 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: based on that context, it proves that he had about 136 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:46,680 Speaker 1: eleven thousand servants if you include women and children. He 137 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 1: had vast agricultural holdings, and most of his wealth was 138 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: based in agriculture, which I love that because I'm old 139 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 1: and this will just telegraph my age. I'm about to 140 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: fifty five, but I am not attracted to men and 141 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: skinny jeans. I'm much more attracted to a guy in wranglers, 142 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: like with a John Deere. And that's I mean, that's 143 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 1: just me, but could be while I'm fifty four and single. 144 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: But anyway, that's kind of job. You know. He's this 145 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: good guy. He's living a good life. He's got like 146 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: a fleet of John Deere's. There's a fish sticker on 147 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:27,679 Speaker 1: all of his John Deere's. He's wearing wranglers. The knees 148 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:30,559 Speaker 1: are worn out, and his wranglers from praying because also 149 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 1: in chapter one it says it is his continual habit 150 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 1: to pray for his family. He has seven sons, three daughters, 151 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: and it says it is his continual habit. In chapter one. 152 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 1: Most translations say early every morning, but that's Hebrew idiom. 153 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,480 Speaker 1: That just means it was his continual habit. So he 154 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:51,480 Speaker 1: didn't necessarily set his iPhone for five thirty every morning 155 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: to get up and pray for his family, but it 156 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 1: was his continual habit. So he's a good guy. He's 157 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 1: doing good things with his life. He's living a good life. 158 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 1: And one of my favorite commentators says, Job was not 159 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: filthy rich, he was clean rich because he used a 160 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 1: lot of his wealth to help the poor and the underprivileged, 161 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: underserve the marginalized. So this is this kind of great 162 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 1: beginning of a story, and then it turns into a 163 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: train wreck because right after we're taught all these things 164 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:23,719 Speaker 1: about this true guy. This is not metaphor, this is 165 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: a historical tale. This really happened. Right after we read 166 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: those things, we find out Job loses everything through no 167 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 1: fault of his own. As a matter of fact, I 168 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: don't have time to go here. This is a rabbit trail. 169 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: I hope it's redemptive. But God actually is the one 170 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: who causes Job's loss. And we tend to think if 171 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 1: I put the right quarter in God's coke machine, I'll 172 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 1: get everything I want. What we don't bargain for is 173 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: sometimes God wants to purify us in pain as a 174 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: conduit for that. Sometimes God will prune us and it 175 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 1: hurts like a dog, and he says, honey, all you 176 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: can experience right now now is the pain. What you 177 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 1: can't see because you're human and you see through the 178 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: glass dimily is around the corner from this, this pruning 179 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:11,319 Speaker 1: is going to cause prolific growth in your life. If 180 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 1: we could begin to trust that sometimes not all the times. 181 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 1: I would never say evil as divinely causive. I would 182 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 1: never say God caused cancer or car wrecks. That's just foolishness. 183 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 1: But sometimes the pain we walk through is directly from God. 184 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: In the case of Job, he held Job up to 185 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:35,440 Speaker 1: that lion lizard we call Satan and says, have you 186 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 1: considered my servant Job? His uprightness did not cause him 187 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 1: to be immune from difficulty. It actually promoted him to 188 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: difficulty because God said, I know this guy. I know 189 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 1: the way he's going to walk through this difficult season. 190 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 1: It's going to bring me glory, y'all. It would blow 191 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: our hard drive if we would begin to change our 192 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: perspective on pain and go some of That's what I'm 193 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: walking through is because God thinks that I can handle 194 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 1: it in a way that eventually I'll bear more fruit 195 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 1: and I will bring him glory. So instead of trying 196 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: to numb it or get around it or whine about it, 197 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: I'm just going to walk toward him. In the midst 198 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:19,320 Speaker 1: of this Job loses everything he's accumulated, all of his wealth, 199 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: all of his servants die, all ten of his children 200 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: are killed. And on the heels of that horrific tragedy, 201 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 1: his wife says, and you probably remember this, you may 202 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:35,439 Speaker 1: as well curse God and die. Now she's vilified in 203 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 1: church culture, has been since the beginning of church culture. 204 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:43,200 Speaker 1: But I don't actually take much offense with missus Job, 205 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: because I can't imagine how I would react if something 206 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 1: happen to Missy and this mama has just lost ten 207 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: all ten of her children, and so the fact that 208 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 1: she reacts like that, I think, you know, I probably 209 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:01,480 Speaker 1: would have cut him. So the fact that all she says, 210 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: as you may as well curse God and die, I 211 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: think that makes sense to me for a mama who's 212 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: in grief and in shock. Job meanwhile says nothing. He 213 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:14,559 Speaker 1: loses all of this, loses his health, his wealth, loses 214 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: his family loses everybody loves except for his grumpy wife. 215 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 1: And his response, we're told at the end of chapter one, 216 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 1: is he shaves his head, he tears his robe. Those 217 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:29,319 Speaker 1: were signs of extreme grief in this era. And then 218 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: it says he worships isn't that beautiful y'all? Because usually 219 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 1: we think to be in grief, or to be sad, 220 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: or to be even depressed, that that is the opposite 221 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,559 Speaker 1: end of the spectrum of worship, and God says no, 222 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:49,840 Speaker 1: to have a broken heart and raised hands, that's actually 223 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:53,080 Speaker 1: the same continuum. As a matter of fact, I think 224 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:57,760 Speaker 1: it is a deeper, more sacrificial worship to worship like 225 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 1: kubbacic in job though if it feels like you are 226 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:04,840 Speaker 1: slaying me yet, well, I still raise my hands and 227 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,920 Speaker 1: sing Hallelujah, because even though I don't understand while I'm 228 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 1: walking through this, I trust that You're a good God, 229 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,200 Speaker 1: and I trust that ultimately, ultimately, all of this is 230 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 1: for my good and for your glory. Asaiah calls that 231 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 1: blind faith. Sometimes it's actually just put one foot in 232 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 1: front of the other. Do you know that perky is 233 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 1: not listed as a spiritual gift? You know? I used 234 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 1: to think it was. I used to think there was 235 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 1: this continuum and there were emotions that were approved by God, 236 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: and those were like the happy, perky emotions, No, I'm 237 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 1: doing great, victory, victory, and then the emotions over here 238 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: that were Man, it's tough, I know, Jesus will bring 239 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: the victory. I'm victory minded, but man, today I am 240 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: in the pit, i'd be like, you know what, you're 241 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 1: just opposed that Christian. That's inappropriate to see that those 242 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: two God oftentimes brings them together. And so if you 243 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: praise me when everything's going great, well good, it's kind 244 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: of like Luke six. If you love those who love 245 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 1: you until you look skinny in those genes, what good 246 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: is it to you? But if you praise me, and 247 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: if you love people who don't love you, well, that 248 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:20,960 Speaker 1: actually is more pure and undefiled worship. And that's where 249 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 1: job is. He's being honest about his stuff. He's saying 250 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 1: this hurts. I don't like this. I didn't pray for this, 251 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 1: I didn't dream of this, But I trust you, I'm 252 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: still gonna worship you. He's being honest. He's bringing all 253 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 1: of him to all of God. He's not editing and 254 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: just bringing the part of him that's perky to God. 255 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: He's bringing all of him to all of God. I 256 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 1: appreciated Lauren's testimony that she said, I thought if I 257 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: transferred schools, maybe a new peer group would make me 258 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: feel better. Y'all, some of us feel the same way, 259 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: even though we're older than Lauren. If only I had 260 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 1: better friends, if only I had a promotion, if only 261 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 1: I got the proposal I've been hanging on for. Some 262 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:17,880 Speaker 1: of us are always thinking, if I got that greener grass, 263 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:22,080 Speaker 1: then I'd be hopeful, And I'm like, man, we need 264 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: a bigger hero, don't we. Because the hero we've got 265 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 1: to hold on for is Jesus, our Redeemer, King Jesus, 266 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:34,280 Speaker 1: who eclipses these momentary things we think will give us 267 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: hope and healing. He's so much bigger than a peer group. 268 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: He's so much better than a promotion or a proposal. 269 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 1: He is what our souls long for most. And even 270 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 1: though Job was suffering well, he, like us, sees through 271 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:52,440 Speaker 1: the glass dimily, so he didn't always get it. God 272 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 1: says he didn't sin in his grief, and y'all, it's 273 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,000 Speaker 1: important for us to know that grief is not sin. 274 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: Where we go in our grief is where we get 275 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: in trouble. And I'm going to say one thing, and 276 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:07,120 Speaker 1: I hope I don't get eggs thrown at me for this, 277 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:13,880 Speaker 1: But healthy grief, godly grief, does not demand an audience 278 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:21,640 Speaker 1: or applause. Healthy grief. Godly grief does not demand an 279 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 1: audience or applause. We've gotten so used to airing our 280 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 1: aches and pains on social media, and if we don't 281 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 1: get enough likes or enough follows, we think nobody's being 282 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:37,680 Speaker 1: nice to me. And I'm like, God never intended us 283 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: to bring all of ourselves to all of humanity. He's like, no, 284 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: you bring all of you to all of me. I'm 285 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: the one who has healing. I'm the one who has healing. 286 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 1: If you feel compelled when you ache to run to 287 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: social media before you run to your savior, y'all, that's 288 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: not real grief. That's actually self indulgent whiny. We have 289 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 1: got to run to Jesus first. Jesus is our hope. Now, 290 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:15,399 Speaker 1: before I totally grind your toe into the carpeting, I 291 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:17,520 Speaker 1: want to encourage those of you who feel like you're 292 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 1: stuck in a Hawhini season. That job epitomizes that too. 293 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,880 Speaker 1: Job Chapter nineteen, verse thirteen. This is the Nator. This 294 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:27,680 Speaker 1: is the very bottom of his experience. He is at 295 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,359 Speaker 1: the deepest level of the pit. And here's what he says. 296 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 1: It's not perky at all interesting that God says he 297 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:36,000 Speaker 1: didn't sin here because I want you to listen to 298 00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:39,360 Speaker 1: how depressed he is. He has put my brothers far 299 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:41,359 Speaker 1: from me, and those who knew me are holy. Is 300 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: strange for me. This is job Chapter nineteen, verse thirteen, 301 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:47,880 Speaker 1: verse fourteen. My relatives have failed me. My close friends 302 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 1: have forgotten me. The guest in my house and my 303 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 1: maid servants count me as a stranger. I've become a 304 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,520 Speaker 1: foreigner in their eyes. I call to my servant, but 305 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:56,440 Speaker 1: he gives me no answer. I must plead with him 306 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 1: with my mouth for mercy. My breath is strange to 307 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: my wife. That's not a great translation. Better translation is 308 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 1: King James, my breath is offensive to my wife. In 309 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:07,880 Speaker 1: other words, they are not sleeping in the same bed 310 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: he's on the couch. They are not getting jiggy with it, 311 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:13,879 Speaker 1: even though they are married. Even young children despise me. 312 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: When I rise. They talk against me. All my intimate 313 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: friends abhor me, and those whom I loved have turned 314 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: against me. I've got nothing, no friends, no home, no reputation. 315 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:34,160 Speaker 1: I've got nothing. I feel absolutely despondent. Have you ever 316 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:37,240 Speaker 1: been there, ever been in the place, so you think 317 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: I can put on a happy face at church, But man, 318 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:42,720 Speaker 1: I hate what I'm facing when I go home. This 319 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: is a little more than I bargained for. I started 320 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 1: the adoption process when I was in my late forties 321 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 1: and I got matched initially with a precious young woman 322 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:56,439 Speaker 1: who was a prostitute and hardcore crack addict. Till the 323 00:19:56,440 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: adoption agent. I don't want a kid that it's the chance, 324 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:03,200 Speaker 1: a good chance at a mom and a dad. I 325 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 1: think that's best case scenario. So I would much rather 326 00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:09,359 Speaker 1: be considered for a child who doesn't have much of 327 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,639 Speaker 1: a shot, because, in my opinion, as a single woman, 328 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,399 Speaker 1: best case scenario for a kid is to have a 329 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:18,160 Speaker 1: mama and a daddy. And I said, so, if there's 330 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,440 Speaker 1: a child who doesn't look like they have a great 331 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 1: shot for that, then I think maybe a fluffy single 332 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 1: woman in Tennessee would be a better option than death 333 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: in a third world orphanage or in a precarious situation 334 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 1: of states. And I got match with this precious kid, 335 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:37,639 Speaker 1: hardcore crack addict. I spent seven months in relationship with her. 336 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,640 Speaker 1: I spent Christmas that year in the crackhouse because when 337 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:42,919 Speaker 1: I was with her, she used a lot less and 338 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,439 Speaker 1: I just fell in love with this little mama because 339 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: she was desperate twenty three years old. Don't have time 340 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 1: to tell you her backstory, but I will tell you 341 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 1: if I had her backstory, I would be very tempted 342 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,200 Speaker 1: to abuse narcotics as well to numb the pain of 343 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:03,159 Speaker 1: what she had walked through. I'm almost fifty five, and 344 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:06,159 Speaker 1: I can tell y'all I have yet to meet a 345 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 1: woman who has struggled with abuse or solicitation who asked 346 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:12,400 Speaker 1: for a prostitute barbie when she was five or six 347 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 1: years old. We are so quick in the church to 348 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:19,919 Speaker 1: turn our noses down at people who use different things 349 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:23,439 Speaker 1: to medicate their pain instead of recognizing, you know when 350 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 1: I'm not condoning the sin. But Lord have mercy, what 351 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 1: led them to medicate that way? Let me pray for that. 352 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 1: Let me see the wounded little girl and the wounded 353 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 1: little boy that drove them to that trajectory. Spent seven 354 00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:40,399 Speaker 1: months with this kid, desperately hoped she would come to 355 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:45,320 Speaker 1: know Jesus get in recovery. We formed a really close relationship. 356 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: I told all my friends in Nashville, don't throw me 357 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 1: any baby showers. I said, this is such a precarious adoption. 358 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 1: The doctors are saying it will be an absolute miracle 359 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: if she carries the baby to term, if the baby 360 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:01,199 Speaker 1: even survives, because she just it and let go of 361 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 1: the crack. And I said, so, don't give me any gifts. 362 00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: Just pray, just pray that God's will will be done, 363 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,159 Speaker 1: that first of all, Marie will be rescued from the 364 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: life that she's just ensneered in. And pray for the 365 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 1: baby's health. But don't give me any baby gifts. Well, 366 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 1: a week before Marie was going to be induced, I 367 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 1: got a phone call from the adoption agency and she said, Lisa, 368 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: it is great news. She said, every tea has been crossed, 369 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:32,960 Speaker 1: every eye has been dotted. You're going to bring Anna 370 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,120 Speaker 1: Price home. Marie had let me name her baby girl, 371 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:39,320 Speaker 1: and I named her Anna after Anna and Luke chapter two. 372 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 1: You remember she was the prophetess who waited and waited 373 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:45,160 Speaker 1: and waited, held on to her hope for a real 374 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:48,600 Speaker 1: hero in Jesus. And so I so admire Anna. And 375 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:51,440 Speaker 1: then my little brother's middle name is Price, and our 376 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: family's a little Jerry springer Ish, and so I thought 377 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 1: that'll kind of redeem our family's lineage, and so I 378 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 1: named her Anna price. The adoption agent said, you're going 379 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,159 Speaker 1: to get to bring Enterprise home, and I was like, 380 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 1: you are kidney, and she said no, she said, actually, 381 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 1: all the entities involved have agreed that you were the 382 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:14,000 Speaker 1: only one legally allowed to bring her home from the hospital. 383 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 1: So when I got off the phone with the adoption agent, 384 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:19,280 Speaker 1: I immediately called my mom and I said, Mama, you're 385 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 1: going to have a granddaughter, because my sister has two boys, 386 00:23:23,359 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 1: my little brother has a son, and that would be 387 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:29,240 Speaker 1: Enterprise was going to be my mom's first granddaughter. And 388 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 1: so we cried on the phone. We were both so excited, 389 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:35,120 Speaker 1: so excited at what God had redeemed in the story. 390 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:37,680 Speaker 1: Got off phone with my mom, called two or three 391 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:40,680 Speaker 1: other friends. We all cried, because guys, that's what women 392 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 1: do who were happy, even when you have not one 393 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:47,400 Speaker 1: cell of estrogen left in your body. We just it's 394 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:50,640 Speaker 1: still is kind of the thing we do when we're happy. 395 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:55,000 Speaker 1: And so anyway, we all cried on the phone. And 396 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:57,879 Speaker 1: then when I got off the third phone call, there 397 00:23:57,920 --> 00:23:59,360 Speaker 1: was a knock at the door. I go to the door. 398 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 1: It's the upa guy and he hands me this big 399 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:05,679 Speaker 1: box and I saw him the return address. It was 400 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:08,399 Speaker 1: from a friend of mine in Atlanta, and I opened 401 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,520 Speaker 1: it up and her note basically said, I know you 402 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 1: told us not to give you any baby gifts, but 403 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 1: she said, Lisa, I know, like I know my name, 404 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 1: that you're going to bring in a price home. And 405 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:22,000 Speaker 1: I also know that the generational sin and her family 406 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 1: is going to end with you, and that's why I'm 407 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 1: giving you this gift, because I believe there's going to 408 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:29,200 Speaker 1: be purity infused in the rest of her life. And 409 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:33,560 Speaker 1: she give me a miniature white fur coat. Yeah, her 410 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: husband has done really well. And I sat back down 411 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 1: on the couch and I cried harder because nobody's ever 412 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 1: given me a fur coat. And then a few minutes later, 413 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:49,520 Speaker 1: the phone rings again and I saw from caller Idea 414 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:51,679 Speaker 1: it was the adoption agent, and I thought, I've just 415 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 1: forgotten to send in some paperwork and I probably need 416 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:56,920 Speaker 1: to sign something and scan it and send it to her. 417 00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 1: But as soon as I heard her voice, I knew 418 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,960 Speaker 1: it was good news. And I'm not at liberty to 419 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,919 Speaker 1: tell y'all what happened, the details of what happened, but 420 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:08,639 Speaker 1: the bottom line is the bottom fell out of our 421 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 1: adoption and we lost that little mama. She did not 422 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:16,639 Speaker 1: go in recovery, and I lost enterprise. And I don't 423 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 1: have words to wrap around what I felt in that moment. 424 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:23,240 Speaker 1: I felt like my heart had been just cut outside 425 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:26,239 Speaker 1: of my chest. And I don't know how long I 426 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 1: sat there crying. They weren't happy tears anymore. Where the 427 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,440 Speaker 1: phone rang again, a song caller idea. It was my mom, 428 00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:36,600 Speaker 1: and I thought, oh, good night, I'm going to tell 429 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 1: my mama that she's not going to have a granddaughter. 430 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 1: After all, I don't have the emotional wherewithal to even talk, 431 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 1: much less explain what just happened. And then I thought, 432 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:49,680 Speaker 1: you know, if I don't answer the phone, my mama 433 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: is just going to keep calling. I don't know if 434 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:56,240 Speaker 1: y'all's mama is like that. And then I thought, you know, 435 00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 1: if I don't answer after about thirty minutes, she's going 436 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:01,639 Speaker 1: to call nine one one, And so I thought I 437 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 1: need to go ahead and deal with this. And I thought, 438 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:08,400 Speaker 1: I'm just going to keep it short, and I said hey, Mama, 439 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: and she didn't even notice that my voice was broken. 440 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:15,119 Speaker 1: She just real quickly said, baby, I'm so sorry to 441 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:17,960 Speaker 1: call you with bad news on such a celebratory day, 442 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,160 Speaker 1: but I'm scared and I need you to pray. She said, 443 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:23,480 Speaker 1: I just got off the phone with my doctor and 444 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:27,120 Speaker 1: she said, what we thought was an ongoing bladder infection 445 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:31,520 Speaker 1: is actually appendiceal cancer. And she said, Honey, the cancer 446 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 1: is metastasized to at least three of my major organs 447 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:38,760 Speaker 1: and my prognosis isn't good, and I'm scared and I 448 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 1: need you to pray for me. So I just prayed 449 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:43,280 Speaker 1: on the phone with my mom. At that point, I 450 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 1: didn't tell her about losing Enterprise. Got off the phone, 451 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:49,440 Speaker 1: and just a few minutes after that it rang again. 452 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:52,000 Speaker 1: I saw it as my daddy. My mom and my 453 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:56,960 Speaker 1: dad divorced when I was five years old, long acrimonious divorce, 454 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 1: so my dad didn't know anything about my mom and 455 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 1: my dad. I hadn't told him that morning about Enterprise, 456 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:08,119 Speaker 1: and I thought, oh, goodness gracious, and I just can't 457 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,720 Speaker 1: deal with my daddy right now. But he's kind of 458 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 1: like my mama, and that he would just keep calling, 459 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 1: and I thought, I'm just going to try to keep 460 00:27:16,119 --> 00:27:20,440 Speaker 1: it short, and I said, hey, Dad, and he said, honey, 461 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:24,440 Speaker 1: I need your help. He said, I just got home 462 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:28,240 Speaker 1: from my surgeon and he said, they did the scans again. 463 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:33,159 Speaker 1: My father battled colon cancer successfully, we thought five years previously. 464 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:36,439 Speaker 1: And he said, honey, the cancer's back. It's in my 465 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:39,439 Speaker 1: lungs and it's in my bones, and doctor's given me 466 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:42,560 Speaker 1: two months to live. He said, Now, I'm okay, I'm 467 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:44,920 Speaker 1: totally fine. I know exactly where I'm going, but I'm 468 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:47,239 Speaker 1: worried about your sister. So I want you to get 469 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:48,679 Speaker 1: on the phone. I want you to explain this to 470 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,840 Speaker 1: your sister. I told y'all we're Jerry Springer. And so 471 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:55,320 Speaker 1: I prayed with my dad, got off the phone with 472 00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:58,199 Speaker 1: my dad, and I just collapsed on the couch and 473 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:01,320 Speaker 1: I don't know how long I sat there. I mean, 474 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 1: I just thought, I don't know if I'm ever going 475 00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:05,360 Speaker 1: to be able to peel my heart up off the pavement. 476 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,560 Speaker 1: And I thought, Lord, you've picked the wrong girl. I mean, 477 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 1: I'm not this faithful. You needed to get Chris Caine 478 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 1: or Holli Ferdict for this. I mean, I can't, I'm 479 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:17,439 Speaker 1: not going to walk this well. And then I just 480 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 1: had kind of this jarring epiphany of oh, good night, 481 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:26,879 Speaker 1: I've got an early flight in the morning because I 482 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: have to go to Kansas City and speak at a 483 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:35,560 Speaker 1: conference for Christian leaders on the faithfulness of God. And 484 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 1: I thought, Lord, I'm not sure I can even make 485 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 1: it to the plane, much less speak honestly about your 486 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 1: faithfulness when I feel like my heart has been cut 487 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: out of my chest. Y'all, here's who our Jesus is. 488 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:55,120 Speaker 1: He is not a fair weather friend. We don't have 489 00:28:55,160 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 1: a bridegroom who stands in front of the judge and says, 490 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:08,680 Speaker 1: for better, that's all, just for better, like I'm out 491 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:14,080 Speaker 1: if worse comes. That's not who our bridegroom is. Jesus 492 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:19,240 Speaker 1: says when your heart is broken, I'm right there. When 493 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 1: you feel like you're crushed. I am near to you, 494 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:28,680 Speaker 1: when you can't walk, I will carry you. My love 495 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 1: for you will not fade, and it will not fail, 496 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: even when your faith is fickle or frail or broken. 497 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 1: I'm right here. I'm not leaving so that you will 498 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 1: not be destroyed Malachi three to six. His hope, y'all, 499 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: is immutable. It doesn't change. We change, We wax and 500 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:53,920 Speaker 1: wayne depending on our circumstances, but he doesn't. His love 501 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:57,600 Speaker 1: is said fast, and that's exactly what job comes to. 502 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,240 Speaker 1: It's exactly what I came to the next morning. You know, 503 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 1: it wasn't even hard to stand up and say, our 504 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:06,960 Speaker 1: God is faithful, because even the next morning, after I 505 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 1: felt like I lost most of my heart, I could 506 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,080 Speaker 1: look back over my life and go, I've never seen 507 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:15,880 Speaker 1: us back. I have never seen God's back. He is 508 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: a good God. He's a faithful God. He's kind. He 509 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:26,000 Speaker 1: has never left my side. Even when I am in 510 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 1: the pit. His presence sustains me. Right after Job says 511 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:35,760 Speaker 1: I can't take this anymore, there's this sharp turn, and 512 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 1: he says next what most of us know because we've 513 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 1: heard Nicole Mullen sing it. He says, verse twenty five four, 514 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:48,080 Speaker 1: I know that my Redeemer lives. I'm at the deepest 515 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 1: point of the pit, but I know my Redeemer lives. 516 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 1: I know he lives. And at the last he will 517 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:56,600 Speaker 1: stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been 518 00:30:56,680 --> 00:31:01,560 Speaker 1: thus destroyed, after my metabolism has thus been shot yet 519 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:05,280 Speaker 1: in my saggy flesh, that's just a little liberty with 520 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:10,240 Speaker 1: the Hebrew. I shall see God, whom I shall see 521 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: for myself, the Psalmist says, when I see him face 522 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:17,800 Speaker 1: to face, it'll be enough. And y'all, what's so interesting 523 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:20,600 Speaker 1: about what Job says here about his redeemer. The word 524 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 1: he uses there for redeemer and Hebrew is go well, 525 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 1: and it's most commonly translated kinsman redeemer. And most of 526 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 1: y'all know a Kinsman redeemer could rescue somebody in their family. 527 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 1: Didn't have to be a close family member, could be 528 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:38,160 Speaker 1: like a seventeenth cousin. But if you were somewhere in 529 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:41,360 Speaker 1: the family circle of a Kinsman redeemer, they could rescue 530 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 1: you from a minor emergency. Like girls, Let's just say 531 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 1: you got all fired up about a shoe sale at 532 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:50,440 Speaker 1: the rack and you ran your visa up to high. 533 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:53,600 Speaker 1: You could text your Kinsman redeemer and say, I am 534 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:55,800 Speaker 1: in trouble. I'm not going to be able to to 535 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:58,400 Speaker 1: pray the rent next month, but I got some pretty shoes, 536 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 1: and your Kinsman redeemer could say, I'm going to pay 537 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: off your debt and don't go to the rat for 538 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 1: a while, but I'm gonna pay off your debt, so 539 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,760 Speaker 1: they could rescue you from a minor emergency, or if 540 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:14,280 Speaker 1: you had a major emergency, let's say you're facing incarceration, 541 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 1: your Kinsman Redeemer could stand between you and the judge 542 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 1: and plead, plead for leniency, or they could even take 543 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:25,280 Speaker 1: your incarceration, your punishment upon themselves. Y'all know Ruth's story, 544 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:27,960 Speaker 1: you know, bo as her kins Redeemer redeemed her from 545 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:31,160 Speaker 1: a life of poverty and shame as a widow, as 546 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:34,160 Speaker 1: a childless widow. And then they, after they got married, 547 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:38,360 Speaker 1: had a son named Obed. Thirty nine generations later, Jesus see, 548 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 1: the ultimate Kinsman Redeemer was born through their lineage. So 549 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 1: Job says, my kinsman redeemer, my go Well is coming 550 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: for me. So that's normal, relatively speaking. Actually, in that 551 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:55,000 Speaker 1: era of history, they didn't even use the word redeemer. 552 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 1: But God makes the veil thin in pain, doesn't he. 553 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:00,880 Speaker 1: If we'll look up, you'll actually see him more clearly 554 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:03,240 Speaker 1: when you age than you do when everything's unky dory. 555 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:07,000 Speaker 1: He says, my Kinsman Redeemer is coming. What's curious about 556 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:10,640 Speaker 1: this is in chapter sixteen he said God is my accuser. 557 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:13,640 Speaker 1: God go Well is the one who has brought this 558 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:17,840 Speaker 1: calamity upon me. So it's curious that he would say 559 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:20,800 Speaker 1: God is both the one who has punished me and 560 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:24,160 Speaker 1: the one who is going to redeem me? Unless unless 561 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:28,080 Speaker 1: job saw what we know now because of where we 562 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 1: are in redemptive history. Unless job saw one is coming, 563 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:35,000 Speaker 1: who is going to shrug into the orange jump suit 564 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:40,000 Speaker 1: meant for me? So God, my judge does wear the 565 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:44,920 Speaker 1: black robe of perfect, holy, divine judge, and he has 566 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:50,520 Speaker 1: brought this upon me in his sovereignty. But Jesus is coming, 567 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:53,600 Speaker 1: and he's going to redeem me. And when I see 568 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 1: him faced faith, it's going to be enough. My redeemer 569 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:01,479 Speaker 1: is coming, y'all. It's amazing what obseas You know, he 570 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:05,480 Speaker 1: uses Messianic terminology in this book that's a thousand years 571 00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:08,719 Speaker 1: before the birth of Christ. He uses Messianic terminology that 572 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:12,480 Speaker 1: she used nowhere else in that period of literature. He 573 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:16,600 Speaker 1: sees Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming, that's his posture. 574 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,799 Speaker 1: If we would get that in the pit, if we 575 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 1: look up, we will see Jesus more clearly than ever before. 576 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:26,680 Speaker 1: We would not fear pain. Now I'm not saying we'd 577 00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:29,840 Speaker 1: all be massive massochist or sayis, but we would go 578 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:34,680 Speaker 1: you know what, this too, somehow, this too will be 579 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:36,719 Speaker 1: for my good and for his glory. So I'm gonna 580 00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:39,120 Speaker 1: walk it. I'm not gonna try to get around it. 581 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:41,759 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna hide, I'm not gonna numb. I'm just 582 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:45,480 Speaker 1: gonna walk it because he thinks I'm strong enough for this, 583 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:49,719 Speaker 1: and I'm so grateful my God has such a high, 584 00:34:50,160 --> 00:34:53,640 Speaker 1: high expectation of me. So I'm gonna walk it as 585 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:55,920 Speaker 1: well as I can. I'm gonna be honest about it. 586 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:57,520 Speaker 1: I'm gonna bring all of me to all of him, 587 00:34:57,719 --> 00:35:00,799 Speaker 1: but I'm gonna be honest about it. Two weeks after 588 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:03,720 Speaker 1: I lost Enterprise, I was in a waiting room hospital 589 00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:06,160 Speaker 1: waiting room in Orlando, Florida, waiting to hear from the 590 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:09,439 Speaker 1: surgeon who was operating on my mama. And after four 591 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:11,319 Speaker 1: and a half hours, he called and he said, Lisa, 592 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:14,080 Speaker 1: I've got mostly good news. He said, most of the 593 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:17,239 Speaker 1: cancer was encapsulated. He said, we weren't able to get 594 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:19,239 Speaker 1: all of it, but we got most of it. He said, 595 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:21,680 Speaker 1: here's the deal. Your mama will die, but she's going 596 00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:23,520 Speaker 1: to die of old age. She's not going to die 597 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:28,600 Speaker 1: from the cancer. He said, so I've got a good report. Well. 598 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:33,240 Speaker 1: Two days later, that same surgeon called and he said, Lisa, 599 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:37,720 Speaker 1: the cancer was successful, but your mother is doing poorly. 600 00:35:38,080 --> 00:35:41,000 Speaker 1: He said, your mother's numbers continue to plummet. He said, 601 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:43,680 Speaker 1: I think she was so weak coming into the surgery 602 00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:47,400 Speaker 1: that her body just can't handle such a difficult surgery. 603 00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:50,400 Speaker 1: And he said, if her numbers don't turn around in 604 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:52,839 Speaker 1: the next twenty four hours, we're going to lose your mother. 605 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:55,200 Speaker 1: He said, I know you to be a woman of faith, 606 00:35:55,239 --> 00:35:57,759 Speaker 1: and so I would just encourage you to pray well. 607 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 1: My sister and I were keeping visual over my mom's bed. 608 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:04,080 Speaker 1: She was still in ICU, had barely been conscious since 609 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:07,080 Speaker 1: she had come out of surgery, and that afternoon my 610 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:10,040 Speaker 1: mom roused just a little bit and she whispered, I 611 00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:14,160 Speaker 1: need to see your father. My sister looked at me, 612 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:20,480 Speaker 1: and I looked at her, and she went, you because 613 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:24,080 Speaker 1: our dad, my stepfather, John Angel, who my mom married 614 00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:26,680 Speaker 1: when I was six years old, he had passed away 615 00:36:26,719 --> 00:36:29,360 Speaker 1: the year before, and we thought Mama was just so 616 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:32,040 Speaker 1: addled from the morphine that she didn't remember that he 617 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:34,920 Speaker 1: had passed away. And so I leaned over mom and 618 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:37,279 Speaker 1: I tried to say as gently as I could, my mom, 619 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:41,320 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, but daddy Daddy passed away. I remember Daddy. 620 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:45,640 Speaker 1: Daddy died last year, and she said not that father. 621 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:50,000 Speaker 1: And my sister and I were just stunned. My mom 622 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:53,080 Speaker 1: and my daddy hadn't spoken really in forty years, and 623 00:36:53,120 --> 00:36:56,040 Speaker 1: there's no love loss between my mom and my dad Harper. 624 00:36:57,200 --> 00:37:00,480 Speaker 1: So I walked outside of her hospital room. I called 625 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:02,560 Speaker 1: my daddy. This is the one who had the lung 626 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:05,600 Speaker 1: cancer and it was in his bones. And I said, Daddy, 627 00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:08,200 Speaker 1: you know Mama is out of surgery, but she's not 628 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:12,000 Speaker 1: doing well. And he said okay. And I said the 629 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:14,400 Speaker 1: doctor told us if her numbers don't change and the 630 00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:18,200 Speaker 1: next day, we're likely to lose her. And I said, Daddy, 631 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:23,520 Speaker 1: she's she's asking for you, and he said all right. 632 00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:26,120 Speaker 1: He said, give me about an hour and I'll be there. 633 00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:30,520 Speaker 1: My dad was a little man, about five seven, one 634 00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:33,440 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty pounds, soaking wet. I got my mama's jeans, 635 00:37:34,080 --> 00:37:39,840 Speaker 1: and he put himself through college, busting bronx in the rodeo. 636 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:42,440 Speaker 1: Because he was little, but he was tough. It's like 637 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:47,040 Speaker 1: John Wayne Junior. And he comes swaggering down the hospital 638 00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:49,080 Speaker 1: corridor and he comes up to my sister and I 639 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:50,959 Speaker 1: were standing outside of my mom's room, and he goes 640 00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:56,120 Speaker 1: Lisa Teresa, I love you, girls, but I need some 641 00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:57,879 Speaker 1: privacy with your mother. So she y'all need to stay 642 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:00,560 Speaker 1: out here. And he walks in to be with my mama, 643 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:02,880 Speaker 1: and I was like, we're going to be on the news. 644 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:06,440 Speaker 1: I guess he's going to go in and put a 645 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:08,920 Speaker 1: pillow over her head. I was like, this is awful. 646 00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:12,520 Speaker 1: He's in there. About twenty minutes, he comes out and 647 00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:15,600 Speaker 1: he says, girls, I love you. Your Mama's going to 648 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:17,480 Speaker 1: be all right. I'll be back here same time tomorrow. 649 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:20,680 Speaker 1: Swagger's off welly go busting into her room to make 650 00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:24,840 Speaker 1: sure she's still breathing, and Mama's sitting up for the 651 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:27,879 Speaker 1: first time since before the surgery. She's got color back 652 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:31,240 Speaker 1: in her face, and she said, girls, your father annoyed 653 00:38:31,239 --> 00:38:36,000 Speaker 1: me with oil. I'm going to be fine. Two days later. 654 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:40,920 Speaker 1: Two days later, they released my mom from the hospital. 655 00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:44,000 Speaker 1: But that's not the huge miracle. She was with me 656 00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:46,840 Speaker 1: last week in Nashville, Tennessee. She's eighty one. She walks 657 00:38:46,880 --> 00:38:50,760 Speaker 1: six miles a day. That's that's not the biggest miracle. 658 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:55,320 Speaker 1: The biggest miracle is from April of twenty twelve until 659 00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:59,280 Speaker 1: February fifth of twenty thirteen, my mama and my daddy, 660 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:01,919 Speaker 1: who had been a strain for forty years. They talked 661 00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:04,319 Speaker 1: on the phone every single day or they saw each other. 662 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:08,760 Speaker 1: My mama is the very last person who was sitting 663 00:39:08,840 --> 00:39:12,040 Speaker 1: next to my father's deathbed, holding his hand and reading 664 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:15,120 Speaker 1: the Bible to my daddy. It was a redemption and 665 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:18,239 Speaker 1: it was a healing. It was a miracle that I 666 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:20,799 Speaker 1: didn't even have the faith to pray for. And I 667 00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:25,600 Speaker 1: thought only God, only God could bring this kind of 668 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:31,960 Speaker 1: glory out of that kind of heartache. Only God. Two 669 00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:34,360 Speaker 1: days before my mama went into surgery, I got a 670 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:36,960 Speaker 1: phone call and it was from a friend of mine 671 00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:39,759 Speaker 1: who had just been to Haiti, and she Sai, at least, 672 00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:42,920 Speaker 1: I know you're still grieving in a price. But I 673 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:44,759 Speaker 1: just got back from Haiti and one of the young 674 00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:47,560 Speaker 1: mama's died of AIDS and there's a little girl that 675 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:50,400 Speaker 1: she left behind who's two years old. She has HIV, 676 00:39:51,120 --> 00:39:55,719 Speaker 1: in cholera and tuberculosis. The doctors have given her two 677 00:39:55,719 --> 00:39:58,680 Speaker 1: months to live. And I just wondered if you would 678 00:39:58,719 --> 00:40:03,200 Speaker 1: be willing to pray about being her mama, And I said, no, 679 00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:06,160 Speaker 1: I'm not willing to pray about it. I've been praying 680 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:09,840 Speaker 1: about this for thirty years. You sign me up, y'all. 681 00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:15,160 Speaker 1: I did not know. I did not know that the 682 00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:19,280 Speaker 1: greatest redemption and restoration of my life would come after 683 00:40:19,360 --> 00:40:23,160 Speaker 1: a river of tears. And that's what I've come back 684 00:40:23,239 --> 00:40:26,319 Speaker 1: to tell y'all. I want to bring you a good report. 685 00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:31,920 Speaker 1: If you are in a difficult season, maybe, like young Lauren, 686 00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:35,200 Speaker 1: you just feel like I need better friends. I've got 687 00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:39,520 Speaker 1: some miserable comforters like job. Maybe you long for your 688 00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:42,160 Speaker 1: marriage to be as close as it once was. Maybe 689 00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:45,319 Speaker 1: you just need a job. I want to encourage you 690 00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:50,080 Speaker 1: to stay the course. Your redeemer has already come for you. 691 00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:56,720 Speaker 1: Your redeemer will restore what seems irreparably broken. Your redeemer 692 00:40:57,400 --> 00:41:01,440 Speaker 1: is enough, but stand it and worship the fact that 693 00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:06,680 Speaker 1: God never leaves us, He will never fail us. His 694 00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:13,320 Speaker 1: presence is enough. Well. I hope you enjoyed the podcast today. 695 00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:15,680 Speaker 1: If you did, there are just a couple things I'd 696 00:41:15,680 --> 00:41:19,000 Speaker 1: love for you to do. Number One, subscribe to our show. 697 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:22,120 Speaker 1: That way, the most recent episode will always be in 698 00:41:22,160 --> 00:41:26,239 Speaker 1: your feed, waiting for you ready when you are. And Secondly, 699 00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:28,759 Speaker 1: if this ministry has impacted you and you'd like to 700 00:41:28,760 --> 00:41:31,200 Speaker 1: help us continue to reach others. You can click the 701 00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:33,640 Speaker 1: link in the description and you can give now and 702 00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:37,160 Speaker 1: I'll see you next time on the Elevation Podcast.