"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, 'The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.'" Psalms 92:12-14
It was our privilege, here in Overland Park, KS, to witness this scripture being lived out over the weekend as Esther Edwards Dotson came to speak at our Ladies' Retreat. She also did two concerts in the area on Sunday.
On Saturday, at the retreat, she talked with tears, of losing her husband, Tim, unexpectedly, with no warning when he was only 37. For one year, she felt such pain, even while trying to read her Bible and pray. Did she allow this to cause her fall away from Christ? No.
She spoke of a complete surrender of her life to Christ many years earlier, beside her bed, as her family visited Bolivia. There she felt God's presence in a very real way. She had no idea what lay ahead, and that someday her faith would be tested to this extreme.
But, God has proven Himself faithful in her life. She is flourishing, and continues to minister now as the Co-director of an after school program with public school children in her local school district in Indiana. She has truly been "planted in the house of the Lord" as she sings with her 4 beautiful children the praises of God. She is bearing fruit as she proclaims the faithfulness of God in spite of her great sorrow. She is still declaring that Christ is her "Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him."
What a challenge! No matter what may come, by His grace we can be flourishing in Christ.
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