When God Shows Up: Real Stories of FaithНамуна

Amy

“...I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink. So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.” Exodus 17:6, NLT

Yesterday, the Israelites were hungry. Today, they are thirsty. And once again, they grumble. Sometimes, there’s a temptation to read these stories of the Bible from a distance, without attempting to understand the feelings and very real experiences of the people we are reading about in black and white.

Remember the last time you were really hot and really thirsty? That kind of thirst isn’t a mild thing. Your whole body cries out for relief. The Israelites were “traveling from place to place” with all their belongings, children, and livestock. Without water, the desert was deadly.

Amy experienced God’s relief in her darkest times after her husband unexpectedly passed away. She was in her thirties, suddenly raising their young daughter alone, and facing uncertainty in almost every area of her life.

Because Amy’s family and friends rallied around her and her daughter, Amy says, “I was fortunate to process my grief with people around me.” Even so, after her daughter was in bed, Amy would go into her closet to cry out to God without waking her daughter. Amy was thirsty.

The path forward was difficult and uncomfortable. Grief came in waves, but God provided “water” in the form of purpose. Amy saw that most other widows didn’t have the support network that made life bearable for her in those early days. She started a blog to update family and friends, but her readership grew to include other hurting women. They shared how much her real-time, honest, and heartfelt words resonated and reminded them to turn to God in their grief.

Nine years after her husband’s death, Amy is now the Program Director for Stand in the Gap’s program for widows. Her experience and empathy have empowered widows and churches to follow the biblical mandate to care for widows and have impacted thousands.

God stood before Moses and the elders by the rock at Horeb. Even in the discomfort, God was leading the Israelites (and Amy) to the place He had prepared.

Meditate on the idea of thirst. Have you ever felt that thirsty for God? What do you think spiritual thirst has led to in your life?