Prophetic words.
Stunning.
Beautiful.
Stirring.
And powerful.
I have had many people over the past few months pray for me as I prepare for this trip. I believe prayer is insanely powerful. I believe that prayer does move mountains and allow for the impossible. I firmly believe that. As a daughter of whimsy, His grace, and supernatural power, I believe that. I am restating this all to hopefully help you to understand the power of His words, given to people in our lives, to share. To share to bring hope, guidance, and life.
A few months ago I received a prophetic word. It was stunning, powerful, and stirring at the same time. It came at a bible study where I was pouring my heart out to share my story and receive encouragement as I set forth to embark on this journey. During this time, the leaders asked us to enter into group prayer. We were to ask God what He has to share and for Him to speak to our hearts. He always gives me peace as I enter time with Him, its something that He has promised us all and He is faithful as He and I continue our relationship together. He gave me words of hope, words of encouragement, and words to support the areas where I felt weak. But the word that would resonate the most over these past few months came from one of the leaders.
She was a sweet woman and after sharing my story and really allowing my heart to be on display for a whole room full of people, she said these words. The words have stuck with me and I really believe God allowed her to share this in comfort for the times when I feel like I am not worthy or when I am afraid. She said:
“Victoria, this opportunity will be life changing for you. You will grow in the ways you have been praying for and I really believe with you, that this is what God says is next. But, the journey to here will not be easy. You will experience more emotions in the coming months than you can anticipate but hold tight and persevere through. The finances will be provided but know you will be stretched emotionally and spiritually. You know you will be stretched spiritually but rest in knowing that stretching is good and God knows how to best stretch us. Persevere because this is what’s ahead and all of these emotions and feelings prior will prepare you for all He has in store for you. There are beautiful things ahead.”
WOW! That word hit me and sank but I didn’t know how to process it a few months back. This word was spoken in July, after I had been accepted and before I would head back to Toledo to begin my student teaching, work, and classes for my last semester of college. It made sense what she said and I believe that after more prayer time with God and asking to affirm what He spoke, I knew this was a true statement.
His words come to fruition. His words come to fruition because He is faithful and knows what we are to experience ahead. The first time when I was able to look back on this word was with fundraising. As I reached out to more and more people He began to open doors. Yes, it started out slow but He picked up the pace as opportunities arose for speaking at churches, garage sales, selling bracelets and many other things. People saw the vision with me and to this time, currently in October, they are still rising up to meet His words. He is faithful. The task I thought would be most daunting has turned into a time where I know He is going to be faithful. He is going to be faithful because He has layed this ahead and where He ordains, He provides.
Now, I do believe He has many things to teach us through the raising of money, but even more so with money, He has so much more to teach our souls. There came a time later in September where I was faced with a situation where I did not think I was going to be able to continue on the Race-where requirements where given that I didn’t know if I had the time, funds, or need to complete. I was faced with a choice to step down. While I always choose to share more personal matters in person, this decision had to be made and I was on the fence if it would be possible for me to meet these requirements and continue. My family and supporters had to be reached, my past was revisited and I never felt more uneasy. A few days into the middle of September I received a phone call sharing that the requirements were lifted and for me to continue to press ahead. My heart and trust grew a few sizes in those days. As family members said they felt more at peace with me not going, I knew that wasn’t what God had. He made a way. Not right away but He made a way. In those few days of being unsure what was ahead my heart grew. I believe He literally grew my heart. Grew it to have more trust, more faith, and more appreciation for what He is able to do. He gave me peace about knowing that what He had spoken to me was true. But the emotional and spiritual gain was as my friend would state it, it was hard and it was painful at times but I was stretched and with the stretching, new pieces of my heart grew.
Also through these times, came just my heart for the nations and all that it going on in the world. We have people dying daily for their faith, people dying of disease, and people being lost. This was heavily heavily placed on my heart. There were many days where I would ask God why all of this is happening, why this all is happening so fast and now. And where my questions grew, my thankfulness grew. More trust was added to my heart and more hope was gained. He revealed what hope really looks like, the face of Jesus. So much hope in today’s world rests in many other things, but He reminded and reinstalled new hope that the eternal hope of the world rests in His name, His glory. So my spirit gained another dimension. And as I state my heart and spirit grow, I do really feel as if He has grown me and these are the best ways for me to describe it. My spirit stood more firm on hope and how this hope is anchored. He reminded me through my fears of what ifs that He has it and as long as my hope and trust rest in Him, that it is going to be okay.
Life doesn’t always make sense to us. We don’t have the polaroid of eternity always resting in our hands. Daddy does. He sees now and He sees then and He sees the love that guides our growth. I think every person who embarks on a journey where much trust is required, faith is needed, and questions arise-you experience fear. The unknown causes fear, the what ifs cause fear, and the questions cause fear. We hold lots of photos in our hands and we like to manipulate what we can see and don’t want to see but Daddy, He embraces it all. And He knowns the outcome, He knows that He wants the world to see Him and know that is where love resides, in Him.
As roadblocks have came my way, fears, uncertainties, anxiety, and so many emotions I can see what He was telling my friend that night at bible study. He was giving her a word that He had for me. A word that in that moment was already growing my heart and soul for Him. I couldn’t see it, but He could. He saw how my molding would shape the picture. And better yet, He sees how all of our molding will shape eternity that He has set ahead.
I guess my point for this post was to remind myself and everyone that whoever dwells with the Most High will rest in His shadows. This may seem like a simple statement to how He was faithful in my life, but it was huge for me. Placing people and Himself at every corner to remind me that giving up a year for what is comfortable will be so worth gaining a year of really seeing what He sees. He prepares His children and He has much to show me and to show you, because He is prepping me as we speak. Psalm 91 has been His voice to me daily and I mean daily.
His heart for you:
“1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Much whimsy,
Victoria
