Today's interview comes from the phenomenal Keishawna of thejollymoments.com, an inspirational blog designed to help people "find the 'jolly' in whatever 'moment' life brings their way". A huge believer that "all things works together for the good of them who love the Lord" and that "in life there are no mistakes, only lessons"- read on as Keishawna shares her remarkable perspective about how Mary (her favourite woman of the Bible) is a true testament of these sayings from whom we can draw encouragement in trying times.
Who is your favourite woman of the Bible and why? What would you say that modern women can learn from her?
My favourite woman in the Bible is Mary and not because she is the mother of Jesus. I can only imagine the ridicule and judgement a woman would face during that time being unmarried and pregnant. Yet when she found out what was to happen, instead of her saying "Lord, why me?" or "Lord, choose someone else," she said: “Be it unto me according to thy word”. In other words, okay Lord, whatever you say, I trust you!
Not long after I met my husband he went through some hard times. So many judged me and told me I was making a mistake by standing by him during that period. I remember telling him one day that I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to because I knew God had confirmed to us both that we were to marry. Therefore I, like Mary, told the Lord: “Be it unto me according to thy word.” In other words, Lord, I don’t understand what you are doing but I trust that you know best. God turned my husband’s situation around and he truly is one of the BEST things that has ever happened to me. There is not a month that goes by that I do not thank God that I trusted Him and not people.
I would say to any woman going through something to meditate on and live out Proverbs 3:5-6:
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take".
Please finish the sentence: I am a Christian woman who is...
I am a Christian woman who is a firm believer in Romans 8:28, which states:
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.”
I know that no matter what life throws at me, no matter what challenges or obstacles I face, I can trust that He will bring me through. My past is proof that God will turn a “perceived” negative into one of the best things that could have happened. When we place our trust and faith in God, we will never be disappointed. No matter what, we win!
Please finish the sentence: I am a Christian woman who is not...
I am a Christian woman who is not perfect. I used to believe that if I were “perfect,” and did everything right, nothing bad would ever happen. I have experienced enough in life to know that bad things sometimes happen to good people, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they were less than perfect and somehow caused the situation. I now give people the benefit of the doubt and choose to believe the best no matter what it looks like. I recently read a quote that sums it all up for me:
“Do not judge. You don’t know what storm I’ve asked her to walk through.
Love, God.”
We never really know why a person is going through a certain situation. It is just the grace of God that we have not experienced the same thing.
Any further words of encouragement?
God has a plan for our lives and it does not always look the way we imagined. However, we must trust that His plan is to prosper us; not harm us (Jeremiah 29:11). If God allowed it, there is purpose in it. It is not our job to understand the plan, but to trust the one behind it. God loves us so much and only wants the best for us. Trust Him when life hits you hard. Believe that it will work together for your good. As the saying goes: “It will all be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
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