21-Day Challenge

Read aloud twice a day for 21 days; once in the morning and the last thing at night. If you miss a day, START OVER. Don’t try to “make anything happen,” JUST READ! This will change your life.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (AMP)

I think people can say we’re lonely, we’re lonely. But I think God allows times of loneliness. Seasons of loneliness are not bad, as I’ve been taught, and sometimes we want to fill that void so quickly. I know a lot of women who have to move because of their husband’s jobs and find themselves in a lonely city, or a lonely town. And I always remind people that a season of loneliness is not going to last forever. But it’s also a time for us to hear from the Holy Spirit.

Though it’s sad, I think it’s true that we may have removed the job of the Holy Spirit in our lives. So, God allows those lonely seasons to speak to us; where He removes all of those other voices, but you’re going to hear from Him. And like I said, I didn’t hear from Him right away, there was a silence. But I had to hold on to those truths, knowing that His ear is inclined to us as the Psalms say, and He hears our cries, knowing that it is in His time and not mine.”

Ben:

“Yes. And it’s in those seasons that anybody who’s lived life long at all, and gone through trials and struggles, they know that it’s in those seasons that the roots grow deeper. And I love the fact that you persevered through God’s silence.

Cissie:

Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display Itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); It is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s Love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fade-less under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fade out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].

1 Corinthians 13:13 and so faith, hope, love abide... of these three; but the greatest of these is love.*

“Yeah. And I would encourage those that may be listening, when you do know a friend who is going through a dark place, hug them. Listen to them. Do something for them. It will mean more than you think it does. Because you can tell people something, maybe with an expectation that they might respond or something. That expectation might not be fulfilled. So I would just encourage those who are listening that would know a friend, to go take a walk with them. Go take them out for coffee.”

*Agape - Unconditional Love

Scripture taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1987 The Lockerman Foundation. Used by permission of Zondervan.

Live-stream

Ben:

“Yeah, no judgment zone. I also really appreciate what you said about we are not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s got to bring comfort and when we’re with somebody who’s struggling, we have to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and understand the Holy Spirit may sometimes say, ‘You don’t need to say anything right now.’ It’s like, we know the Scriptures. We want to kind of fix somebody. That’s not our job. That’s the Holy Spirit’s job.”

Cissie:

“There’s a time to be silent, and a time to care, a time to take action. So I’m thankful for that in Kay’s life. And she taught me that through her own example. But I also want people to know, through all of it, that we have a better day coming.”

Ben:

“He’s with us always, whether we feel it or not. So I think that’s really a big theme of your testimony. That’s His promise, ‘I’ll be with you always, even to the end of the earth (Matthew 28:20).’”

Cissie:

“Yep. And even in those dark times, He can be trusted in those darkest moments of our lives.”

Ben:

“Well, I’m just grateful that God Is using you to re-emphasize that truth to someone who may need to hear it.. You’ve got a public platform and in that dark time, He gave you the wisdom to get through it. It was wise to remain hidden at the time, and now it’s great that you’re willing to share your story with others. I appreciate your vulnerability because, again, you’re comforting others with the comfort you yourself have received from Christ. So thank you so much.”

Cissie:

“Well, thank you. Thank you for having me again for part two.

We’re grateful the Lynch family got a plus one and we’re so grateful to see how the Lord uses her in our lives. We’re trying to figure it out together, navigating work and another baby. But we’ll get there. And it’s pretty precious to watch, her siblings love her.

It was a very sweet time to have her near Christmas time. Putting on Christmas music and listening to those words. And knowing kind of like the breath of heaven, where Mary’s praying in those dark times for the breath of heaven and clinging to the Lord. That’s what I did, and it was a desperate time. It was hard. And I can honestly say now I am thankful for that time.”

Keep an eye out for our video interview of this story at www.JourneyNC.com!