In the midst of surviving domestic violence encouragement is such a necessity. I asked my friend, Pastor David Katina if I could share some of his notes with you. Dave is an amazing story teller and wonderful at helping me keep things in perspective. Although he didn't originally write this as domestic violence encouragement, it is delicious food for thought, a great read and very encouraging!!
“Wachoolookinat”
By Pastor David Katina
"Wachoolookinat?" is one of those questions that either demands an answer or is just simply making a statement. One day as I was waiting for my wife to come out of the grocery store, I found myself staring at the flashy custom rims of this beautiful sky blue 67 Impala that was parked not too far from my car. As I was "checking out" the rims, I didn't notice the extra dark window tint until the driver's window came down and the driver yelled out, "wachoolookinat?" Woh! "Was that a question or a statement" I asked myself.
Today, I want to use this "question" to help you either regain or strengthen your VISION. The wise man Solomon says that without a vision, we go through life aimlessly. As I continue to walk through the book of Genesis, I notice that God has to constantly help Abram to refocus on the vision of his life. In a sense, it's almost as if God is asking Abram, "wachoolookinat? Genesis 15:5 states... "Then the Lord brought Abram outside beneath the night sky and told him, "Look up into the heavens and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that- too many to count." In this one verse, I see a powerful "3-pointer" that will help you gain some momentum in your life. If you can grasp the importance of this 3-pointer, you'll be on your way to v-i-c-t-o-r-y. Here we go....
1. COME OUT! God had to take Abram "outside" meaning he was struggling with doubt while "under" his tent. What kind of tent are you under? A tent of fear, past failures, discouragement, broken relationships? You can name a few more "tents" that we sometimes hide in. The bottom line is, you need to COME OUT of that tent that is obscuring your ability to see what God sees.
2. LOOK UP! God told Abram to, " look up into the heavens..." Wachoolookinat? If you're not looking up, you're probably, along with everyone else, looking at the harsh economy, global warming and countless other negative conditions in society that won't build your faith but instead, weaken it. Am I telling you to deny what's going on around us? Of course not! I'm just saying that the choice is your's! Either LOOK DOWN and focus on the TRIAL or LOOK UP and SMILE through the trial.
3. WAKE UP! Standing under the open sky, God told Abram to count the stars. Do you think he expected Abram to actually stand there and count every star? Of course not! It was simply to get Abram to WAKE UP to the truth that GOD IS GREAT! If you focus on "you" and your circumstances, all you will see is "smallness." If you read God's word and meditate on it daily, you will WAKE UP and understand what Chris Tomlin meant when he composed the song, "How great- is our God- sing with me how great- is our God..."
So, "wachoolookinat?" Maybe that is what's holding you back from putting another point on the board. Don't focus on your CIR-CUM-STANCEs. All that does is strengthen your STANCE in a CIRcle and eventually, you don't know how to get out. HINDSIGHT is the ability to look back. FORESIGHT is the ability to look ahead. INSIGHT is the ability to see the GOD in you through his word and continue to walk strong! The champion walks by FAITH (insight) not by SIGHT!
Don't allow the problems and trials you're facing right now to distract you from focusing on your dreams. Every hard situation is "subject-to-change." IF A MAN CAN'T SEE THE ULTIMATE HE WILL BE A SLAVE TO THE IMMEDIATE.
The window has been lowered, the question has been yelled out, "WACHOOLOOKINAT?" It's time for you to COME OUT! LOOK UP and WAKE UP and see your GREATNESS in GOD!
***HaVeAgr8LiFe!!!***
I hope you enjoyed this note as much as I did. Although it was not written specifically for people going through domestic violence situations, it is great encouragement for surviving domestic violence. I hope you are encouraged, able to start looking forward, and dreaming big.
Only you know when it is safe to leave your domestic violence situation, or change the locks. Look over the safety plans, and get assistance when you decide to leave your domestic violence situation. You don't have to go through this alone. Please be safe!!
Go to surviving-domestic-violence-encouragement from domestic violence encouragement part 5
Go to surviving-domestic-violence.org from domestic violence encouragement part 5
