As I write this entry it has been 7 months and 7 days since I resigned as Sr. Pastor of Pease Chapel Assembly of God in Haughton, LA. Our resignation was because the people of the church wanted to complain about my son but no one wanted to help us or invest into his life. Because of Renee's work schedule, she had to work some Sundays, no one would help with the nursery or teach Children's church, or even let him sit with them, so he would sit on the platform with me while I lead church service, and he acted his age, 4 years old. So we left wanting to make him a priority in our lives and ministry. It's been amazing watching him grow, start school and be a witness to his friends in the neighborhood, he is learning to show honor to whom honor is due, by seeing people in uniform (Air Force, Police, Firemen) running to them and saying thank you for being my hero.
Renee discovered Black Mold, in the parsonage the church provided for us to live in, in August of 2012. We had the air tested and the Black Mold was all over our living quarters, and the worse part was located in Malachi's room. We took him to the Dr to have him checked out. Our pediatrician told us he would have to be treated for Black Mold in his lungs until he is 15 years old.
The Church had flooding several times for years and they knew there was mold there, but never did anything about it. I was never taught to specifically asked about BM in the interview process. All they did was paint over it, which we discovered as we washed the walls with bleach and the paint peeled off the wall revealing the BM. I have had to learn to forgive, to not allow anger to take root in my heart. I have done well at times and at times I have failed at this. But God always comes through to show himself faithful.
We have been in a wilderness experience these 7 months as I write this blog, primarily for Malachi to read when he grows older, I have been learning things about the wilderness. God told the Israelites his purpose for their wandering through the wilderness. From Egypt to Canaan Land should have only taken weeks but God led them through the wilderness 40 years. The purpose he reveals for their time in the wilderness is found in Deuteronomy 8:2And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all theway these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. 4Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. 5You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you.
God uses wilderness times in our lives to humble us, and test us to know what is in our heart whether we will obey him or not. Test where our real trust lies.
The two things I want you to know about the wilderness is learn your lessons quickly, don't fail the test. Some mountains you don't want to have to circle again and again. As you begin school this year your going to do wonderful but if you don't, if you fail your test or even the whole grade of kindergarten your teacher is faithful to you so much so that if you fail, you will repeat. In the testing time of the wilderness learn the things God wants you to quickly if you fail God, like your teacher, will be faithful to make you repeat. Because you will be better for it and he wants to produce you on the other side of the test. Secondly, never forget that the wilderness is a place where we can meet God be sure to follow him through. God gave the children of Israel a cloud by day and a fire by night. They were to follow the cloud or the fire wherever and whenever it moved. Follow God through your wilderness. Moses met God in the wilderness, when he saw a burning bush but it did not burn, God spoke to Moses through the bush and said Moses take your shoes off the place you are standing is Holy. The wilderness can be a holy place for you to find God.
After the Dr's report about treating Malachi till he is 15, I began praying for his healing claiming the promises of God. One day the Lord spoke to me and said, "take Malachi running." So we began every day running about a quarter to half a mile when he got tired we stopped and started again. When we took him for his annual wellness check up the Dr. said his lungs are perfectly fine there is absolutely nothing wrong with him. To God Be The Glory. How humbling, how amazing. how faithful.
I will place more entries about the Wilderness in days and weeks ahead I want to write this for my son I reluctantly share it because its so personal. It's about what I have learned about God, about me and about the wilderness.
