Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I watched the Master wake up the world, and then I had the most important meeting of my day with the CEO of the Universe. I’ve been taught a thing or two from my Instruction Manual, and I’ve had my share of the best coffee on the planet. My day has already been rich and full of blessings, and if I never moved past the front porch at all today, all would be well with my Soul. Not every morning is as rich as another, and my Heart doesn’t sing every day. Sometimes there’s a feast, and sometimes there’s a famine, BUT it’s the famine that makes the Feast even sweeter in the end. All I need to do to work through a famine is to focus more on what God is doing in my Life than I do on the famine itself, and before you know it, the God of all Creation presents the Perfect Plan for it all. Isn’t that just the way it is with your Journey called Life, too?

I wouldn’t have chosen to walk through some of the Seasons of famine in my life, but God had a Purpose in it all. Each time I had the wind knocked out of the sails of my heart, I dug a little deeper in my Faith – just like the Author and Perfector of my Faith Knew I would. Digging deeper is not about just begging for mercy and asking for restoration, it’s about examining the Heart to see what Lessons He Designed for me in the famine and to do the work on my Heart that He had Planned for me to do all along. Much of what I’ve learned in this up-and-down Journey called Faith, I learned from David. David lived “big” and fell hard, and when he did, he was so desperate to get back to his close walk with the Lord that he repented as fast as he could and gave glory, honor, and praise to his God every step of the way. If you ever wonder how a sinner like David could be called “a man after God’s own heart,” that’s how. David enjoyed the Feast because he Understood the purpose of the famine! I want to be like David. When the famine comes along, I can’t get into the Presence of the Most High God fast enough. Not to EARN my way to the Feast – but to do whatever I need to do to get back to closely walking with the Lord. Whatever means the God of the Universe uses to get my attention, He intends for Good. Understanding that part is the Key to Peace throughout this Journey of Faith.

Some seasons of famine were longer than others. In some of those seasons of famine, I wasn’t sure I’d survive…Sometimes I wasn’t even sure I wanted to. Some seasons of famine rattled everything within me, but as I continued to dig deep toward the Tap Root of my Faith, as I continued to search for the Lesson He had for me instead of blaming the world for my famine. The God of Heaven eventually brought forth the Feast all over again, and when He did, I was stronger, wiser, kinder, more compassionate, and humbled as I passed from the famine to the Feast of Life. The Feast sure looks sweeter after the season of famine, and I am a better woman and a Stronger woman of God than I was because of it. What’s not to like about that?

My life hasn’t turned out the way I planned for it to, and in more ways than I can count, I’m glad because of it. I have the Courage of a lion and the Gentleness of a lamb, and I have Wisdom and Compassion to share with the world because of my Journey from famine to Feast. I wouldn’t be any of these things if I hadn’t walked the walk that God had for me. It took a whole lot of work to soften the Heart of this woman to Ready me to do the work of the King. I don’t like the season of famine one bit, but I sure like the Heart God has given me through it all. I’ve “taken one” for the Spiritual Team to enrich the Kingdom of my God. This is the Key to Maturity in Faith and the fuel that propels us into Service…the Greatest Service of all…to be a strong Ambassador for the King of all kings. Yes, the famine was worth it.

How about you?

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”