PRESSING TOWARDS THE PROMISE OF gOD
The other day I shared this on my personal page on Facebook. If we're “friends on Facebook perhaps you saw it there, but maybe not because… you know…algorithms! Anyway, let me share this with you today.
My mom passed away in early April, so I traveled home to Philadelphia to be with my family as we prepared her “Life Celebration” services and ourselves for the final “earthly farewell” to her. So, in the midst of making all of these arrangements, my brother and I decided to take a break and get away from the heaviness of things.
Since we both enjoy getting outdoors and going on hikes and nature walks, that’s just what we did. We drove about an hour or so outside of the city to a place called Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Apparently, this is the world's first refuge for birds of prey (yay me) and from this place, you can see many species of raptors as they migrate back to the area. Could a girl be any happier!!!! We were told that the best place to see these raptors was the North Lookout point which is considered a moderate to difficult climb. So, we laced up our hiking boots, and off we went. There were great views of the valley below, and to my brother's dismay or amusement, can't decide which one, I must have stopped at every lookout point to take photos. it didn't matter if we'd only walked 50ft, the view was just gorgeous at EVERY angle, and I wanted to catch it.
It was a warm day and the light rain that began to fall at some points was a welcomed refresher. After about 30 minutes or so, we made it to the top 1,521Ft up. While there we caught a glimpse of a few of the raptors flying by at a distance. At first, I thought that they were Hawks, but at a closer look I could see that they were Turkey Vultures due to their wing position in flight which is usually in the shape of a “V”. We tried to take photos of them but when they flew by us, they flew so fast that neither my brother nor I could get a good shot. They were so beautiful and impressive in flight, so I asked the Lord if he would bring at least one of them closer so that I could get a good look. I sat down on the rocks to take in the view of the valleys below us and breathe in the fresh air. The sun went in behind the clouds and it started to rain again, but neither my brother nor I were moved by it. we stayed put just enjoying the moment. For that moment, this became our refuge from all of the matters that we had to tend to at home and also the sadness in our hearts from our mom’s passing. This place was peace, and we could feel God’s presence all around us.
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” - Isaiah 26:3-4 NLT
Right now, I’m in an accelerated coaching program called “Purpose to Platform” which is abbreviated as P2P, it’s very intense with a pretty heavy workload and I was beginning to wonder what I should do as far as moving forward. At that moment the wind blew, and I heard God speak. He said:
“I called you to this assignment because it IS your designated time to step into this as well as other things that I’ve called you to. This is part of your developmental process to prepare you for your next. So don’t step away, I will give you the grace. I will power you and empower you to the finish. The program that you’re in is called P2P which stands for Purpose to Platform, however from this point on, whenever you see P2P, I want you to think “Press 2 Promise”. Press forward, I’ve got your back and I’ve got you covered”.
When he finished speaking, I felt warmth on my back as the sun was now emerging from the clouds, the rain was still lightly falling so to my right, a beautifully vivid rainbow appeared from the sky and into the valley below. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, I saw birds converging in the sky. I screamed at my brother “look, look, look!” Where we had been seeing the Turkey Vultures 1 at a time, all of a sudden, right next to the rainbow there were about 6 or 7 of them all soaring and gliding together. I was so excited that I almost forgot to take out my camera. Then I heard the Lord speak again.
He said “The “V” that you see in the Turkey Vulture’s flight, see that as YOUR VICTORY!’
Hallelujah! I’ve got a promise from God and I’m pressing towards it no matter what comes. He’s got my back as I stand on the high place, and I have the victory!
So, I share this with you to encourage you to “P2P” and press toward the promise. Keep going. Yes, you may have to take breaks here and there for whatever reason. It's okay to take time to rest and recover, but don't dwell there and don't get comfortable there. Keep moving, keep pressing. There is a victory with your name on it!
So, until next time… ALWAYS remember that…
“You are BEAUTIFUL to God and that
YOU are His BELOVED”