Some times we receive prophetic words and they are not meant for the time they are given to us. And yes we need to pray about all prophetic words that we hear and test them to make sure they line up with scripture and with God's truth. Some times we are given a word and we forget about it for while until something reminds us about it. Some times it's years later that those words are meant for. Some times we go through a tough season after getting a word and we need to cling to the word that was given to us trusting that God had spoken.
Years ago, in summer of 2015 I was sharing in a church about my heart for the women back in the country we were working in. I shared some of the stories from some of my local friends who were abused by husbands or other family members. My heart broke for those women and I wanted people back here in Canada to pray for them.
After sharing a couple came up to talk to us. We knew the husband from back in 2004 when we met during our first year of marriage on the TREK program. This was the first time I had met his wife though. We talked about our shared passion for counseling and for those who are broken. She said she had a word for me, "Midwife to the Soul." I stewed on this for awhile after. I had prayed and hoped I'd be able to be part of seeing many spiritual births, people surrendering their lives to Jesus.
To be honest life went on and then I got sick and we moved back here and I have felt stuck. I felt like I was just coasting through life trying my best to look and act like a healthy mom so my kids didn't have to worry. Spending much time trying to help my kids adjust to life in Canada which has not been easy (and my heart has been broken many times over as I have seen my kids struggle to feel accepted by peers or to feel at home here) and trying to do what I can to gain strength and health. I was a "sick" mom who worried my cancer would return. But something shifted in me this summer as I watched my monarch caterpillars become butterflies. New life/hope was birthed into my soul. I felt led to take steps towards my dream of becoming a Spiritual Director. Over the years I realized that counseling wasn't really what I wanted because my passion was to help people grow in their relationship with Jesus. I wanted to walk with those who found themselves jaded in their faith due to hard seasons they were in. I wanted to help people solidify their faith and grow in their prayer lives. So I used to tell people I either wanted to eventually become a Counselor or a Spiritual Director.
I signed up for a 2 yrs course to become a Spiritual Director in August. A lot of the home work can be done from home which is perfect for me. I will have 5 weekend classes in the city each year. I start my first weekend class in the city this weekend. I am really looking forward to it and am praying I'll be awake and alert and my short gut issues will not be bad during this time because I want to get all I can out of what I am being taught. Finally my gifts and my passions will be able to be used.
Well we had to read 2 books so far. This past week I found this quote in one of my books entitled "Candlelight" by Susan S. Philips, “Several
metaphors have been used to describe spiritual direction, and an especially
robust one is that of midwifery.
Spiritual directors are present striving to be helpful, as new life
stirs in another. We have been trained
to know some of the stages, potential complications, and appropriate emergency
procedures, but each birth is a miracle to which we bear witness. We come
alongside the person who is laboring, taking risks, and putting a former life
on the line for the promise of a new one.”
I was just packing my bag as I am going to stay in the city for the nights seeing as I have 2 full days of classes. I picked up my next book that I am supposed to read and quickly flipped through it. My eyes caught a title so I looked again and sure enough there the words were as a chapter title: MIDWIFE TO THE SOUL. It caught my breathe. I started to cry, joy filled tears. It was another little confirmation that I am on the right path and this is the direction the Lord has for me in this season of my life. I look forward to journeying with Him and those He brings into my path for me to walk alongside of. Today those 4 words have filled my heart with joy and peace. God's up to something in me and I'm keeping my eyes open and am ready to join Him in whatever that looks like.
