Storm Navigator

Monday, February 22, 2010

Praise the Lord, Chosen Women!

Oh Lord, You are my strength and my refuge. I love you with all that I am!

This morning that is my praise! I send greetings to each of you this day -- and I am believing for His very best to be yours!

This morning I want to acknowledge one of our long time supporters and Chosen Women Network friends -- Ms. Farah DePalm. In perusing the Chosen Women website she reviewed our "Wish List." The Wish List is a list of things that the organization needs for administrative and ministerial purposes. She saw our need for a printer and donated a wonderful machine that prints, faxes and scans! Hallelujah! We so appreciate this dear sister -- and ask God to multiply manifold blessings back into her life.

The first blessing is the blessing of prayer. Some of the most powerful women in the kingdom read our messages of encouragement. Please remember Farah in prayer and she is about to embark on a significant move involving relocation. Please pray for her that God is in complete control in this situation for herself and her son. I love you Farah!

Next, I must tell you that Chosen Women Conference 2010 planning is going forward! This year's event is going to be wonderful! Some of the speakers have confirmed -- and I am in negotiations now with the venue. We are going to make some exciting announcements soon -- keep this in prayer with me. Chosen Women is going to the next level -- and I am so excited!
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This week's inspiration was birthed from a conversation that I had just last night -- and which I continued this morning with the Father. A friend called me last night to affirm my prophetic utterance to her some weeks ago. She was experiencing a unique attack from another sister and I told her, "This is just a test of your character! Be careful how you respond. You will see!"

She called me to tell me she had indeed seen. She recounted how the storm had been going -- and made a strong declaration about her unwillingness to fail this 'character test.' She said she was determined not to be pulled into the flesh exchange that this other sister was so obviously seeking to provoke.

This led me to share my thoughts of Navigating Storms (tests. trials.) I told her I learned long ago from my Bishop and First Lady about how to navigate storms. I was taught that whining, complaining, tantruming, going AWOL, etc., were actions that  often prolonged difficult seasons. I told her that I remember an evangelist observing me once and telling me, "I like the way you go through." I understood what she meant. 

Going through storms does not mean that you go inside, shut the shades and drapes, put on an old robe, and commence to planning a pity party. This is the time to give your greatest praise; give your best gift; preach harder; encourage others more; put on your brightest colors, etc. In other words do the opposite of what your flesh and emotions dictate!

As I talked my friend said, "As you are talking I see a huge sea with a ship and a large storm cloud in the middle with rain coming down. And I see this ship traveling through that storm. But it keeps circling and going BACK into the storm again and again!" She got it. She said, "There is a way to navigate the storms of life!" Exactly.

Some people do the exact same thing every time a trial comes. For them trial means: (1). Slack up or stop going to church; (2). Stop taking care of themselves and keeping themselves up; (3). Start accusing God and being angry; (4). Stop giving; (5). Start complaining; (6) Start whining; (7). Start being mean; (8). Stop praying; (9) Stop praising, worshipping and rejoicing; and, (10). Start speaking foolish, negative things instead of words of faith and hope. Any or all of these actions will ensure that you will likely prolong the storm AND be destined to go through the SAME storm again. You will be just like that ship girlfriend saw circling back into the storm instead of proceeding forward into her season of peaceful seas.

If this cut you then just say "Ouch!" and stop that self-destructive behavior. I have learned how to be a Storm Navigator. There have been enough storms that I have learned that He is going to deliver me from them ALL! (Psalm 34:19) I have simply learned to hold on to Jesus and let Him lead me as I rest in His arms. Because, though I might be a navigator -- He's the Captain!

In Service for the Master,
Evangelist Lisa Y. Mitchell