When my father was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia and we were told that he had only one day to live. I was beyond shocked. He had just preached 3 times in the last week. This didn’t seem possible. We prayed for God to heal him. He lived three more days. As I began to absorb the reality of the circumstance, it was extremely difficult to appropriate feelings into their proper places.
I was thankful for a father and a mother who were Godly examples to me.
I was honored to have known such a Godly man.
I was humbled to have been his son.
I was proud of his accomplishments as a Pastor, University Vice- President, Assemblies of God District and National Officer, author and an extremely well respected community leader.
I was sad because my father had not been able to enjoy more of his retirement.
I was hurting for my mother who has lost her best friend and was now alone.
I was grieving for the void in my own life of my mentor, hero and father.
I was disappointed because, if anyone deserved to receive a healing, he did.
I was disappointed because, if anyone had pleased the Heavenly Father, he had.
I was disappointed because if anyone had taken the right steps, connected the dots, prayed the right prayer, stood on the right scriptures, claimed the right promises, he had.
Yet God said, “NO.”
Please understand, I am not mad at God. I do not doubt His ways, plans or intentions. But the reality was, I had to learn to appropriate my feelings and emotions into the right place.
How do we do that?
- Remember that God loves you and is in control.
- Recommit to trusting God in all circumstances.
- Reset and start again. In other words, don’t live in the past. Keep moving forward.
The word of the day is appropriate. Speak this word and learn to appropriate or to “file” your emotions in the right place and in the right way by using these three steps.