Today's Devotional Thought
April 08, 2011 by Rachel Piferi
Dreams
Today is a very special day for us. We leave today to drive to North Carolina to lead our very first retreat on our Bible study: “My Story: Live it. Own it. Share it.??? And, it is a topic that God laid on our hearts nearly two years ago when Wendy and I were broken, confused, sad, and uncertain about what the future held.
In June of 2009, Wendy and I sat in a food court at Potomac Mills Mall just talking about our lives. It had been a year since the miraculous birth of Isabella and it had only been months since Wendy and her husband’s life was turned upside down by a man that they both trusted. We sat in that food court talking about all of the heartache and sadness and pain that we had both been through in recent months. We talked about how we both saw God’s hand through all of the difficulties we had experienced that year and how he had become so real to us as we struggled. We talked about our precious friendship that seemed to just emerge out of nowhere as we both struggled to cope with what was going on. And we sat there that day and said that we had to do something with our stories. We had been through so much, had experienced God in a real and powerful way, and knew that God just wanted us to do something to share with women that there is hope when you are struggling. There is hope when you feel all alone. There is hope when you think your dreams have been shattered.
We knew God wanted us to do something to share this hope that we had found. And we knew that God wanted us to work together. We just had no idea what that something was and we had no idea how it was even going to be possible because just one week from that precious conversation, my best friend was moving.
God gave us a dream that day and he told us that he wanted us to fulfill it together.
As many of you who follow After the Miracle know, Wendy moved to southeastern Virginia in June of 2009 and I remained in Baltimore. We continued to talk and pray about this dream that we had. We had many moments of uncertainty. How will this work? What will we do? Are we even qualified to do anything? And we had many moments of sadness as we continued to heal from the events that we had been through and as we missed each other’s friendship and partnership in this dream that we felt God had given us.
And then in August of 2009, God began to show us what he wanted us to do. While at a Women of Faith conference, I felt God speaking to me so clearly. I felt him calling me to leave my career as a college professor at Johns Hopkins University and move closer to Wendy’s town. I felt him calling me into a full time ministry where I write and teach women what God was showing me about his love, mercy, forgiveness, and faithfulness. In September of 2009, we launched this site, After the Miracle and my husband started looking for jobs closer to where Wendy lived. And within one month, he had one that allowed us to move to Wendy’s small town.
In the middle of the darkest period of our lives, God gave Wendy and me a dream. We didn’t know exactly what the dream entailed or even what it looked like. But, we knew that God created our friendship so that we could turn it into a partnership to reach women. We knew that he had something he wanted us to share with other women.
Tomorrow, the dream becomes even clearer as we lead our first retreat. We are so excited, humbled, and blessed that God would use us in this way. We started as just two hurting best friends sitting in a food court wanting desperately to share with women that a lot of good can come out of your bad events. Out of our painful events came a beautiful relationship and dependence on God, a dream of ministry, and a precious sisterhood. He redeemed our painful life moments and turned them into the fertile soil out of which our friendship and ministry grew. He redeemed our pain and he can redeem yours too.
Do you have a dream that God has laid on your heart? Friends, I am here to tell you that anything is possible and when God gives you a dream, he just wants you to trust him and follow him step by step. I can tell you that it will feel so unclear at times. But a day will come when the dream becomes clearer and you will stand there amazed as you look back on all that God has done to get you where he wants you to be. My heart is full today as I reflect on God’s faithfulness and his love and as we take one more step on this journey after the miracle.
December