Mistakes and Miracles

This past weekend, I went to an Encounter with some other women from church. We heard T.D.Jakes speak the first eve. via video on soul ties. On Saturday, we heard a number of other teachings, including "Prodigal Son", "Importance of Forgiveness",  "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made," "Sexual Perversions", "Generational Curses," "Baptism of the Holy Spirit", "The Power of the Cross", and on Sunday, "The Vision."

I shared what was most significant to me about the weekend with a few friends last evening. They asked if I would write it down. I will give it a try.

Abraham was given a promise by God that through his seed, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. He and Sarah decided to help God out when the promise didn't come as soon as they expected. Ishmael entered the scene through the life of his mother, Hagar, Sarah's slave.  For many years, they most likely thought that Ishmael was the child of the promise. When he was nearly 12 years old, God came to visit and reminded Abraham about His promise of an heir that would be born through his wife, Sarah. Both Sarah and Abraham found this amusing. Later, Sarah would name her child, 'Isaac', which means 'laughter.' God had questioned her incredulous laugh when she heard that she would have a baby in a year. Her rebuke became her blessing.  A defensive 'Whose laughing?' was replaced by humble words- 'He's given me laughter.'

 A mistake of faithless laughter was replaced by a miracle of laughter.

Abraham's mistake and his miracle grew up in the same tent. But not for long. Ishmael made fun of Isaac and Sarah said, "It's time for both the boy and his mother to go." Abraham had to give up his soul tie with his substitute lover and the mother of his first child. It wasn't easy. But God reassured him and told him that because Ishmael was his son, he would make of his 'mistake' a great nation as well. But the promised great nation would come through Isaac, the miracle child. Because we are God's child and because He is who He is-Redeemer, Restorer, Healer, and oh, so much more, He will use both our mistakes and our miracles to bring about His great purposes.

Sometimes, we think we have to wait to have joy, until we see that things will work out, because of and in spite of the mistakes we've made. But true faith is believing that God is able to make out of our mistakes a miracle far beyond what we can see at the time. Therefore, we don't have to wait until we see the promise of good before we have joy. We can forgive ourselves and forgive others the mistakes we've made and we can await with joy the miracle that is yet to come because we are a child of God.

Abraham is written up in the faith chapter as an example to us of trusting God. And He didn't always do it right. In fact, he messed up quite a bit. But if we did everything right, we would never have to have faith that God can take what we've done wrong and make something wonderful out of it. And to believe that and have joy while you wait, is faith.

I was thinking also of the Prodigal Son story. The Father's love restored the mistaken son back to the family and the Father's love reassured the other mistaken son that all that He had was his and always would be his. God, our Father, is always about taking our mistakes and turning them into miracles.

Watch with joy.
Wait with joy.
Your mistakes will become your miracles
because God is who He is.