There was a story about a pig that was thrown into a pit.

To top it off not only was he thrown in the pit but he was having dirt thrown at him as well to bury him.

As each shovel of dirt was thrown at him, the pig began to vigorously shake it off.

He kept doing that with each shovel of dirt.

Because he continued to shake it off by the time he came to realize he made it to the top.

He emerged.

If the pig did not shake it off, he would have been buried in all the dirt thrown at him.

So what was actually meant to bury the pig only lifted him up and OUT of the pit because he SHOOK IT OFF!

I am that pig. You are that pig. When life throws you in a pit just as Jeremiah was thrown in a cistern –eventually you will be lifted out when you have such purpose destined for you.

You see I can only speak for myself. I can only speak from a transparent place.

But the evangelist shared some things on Saturday morning that MOVED IN MY HEART!

Because dirt represents hurt. And we know that dirt is always going to be thrown at us in one form or another. It could be very painful. Especially when things happen repeatedly.

I am sure the pig felt the pain and felt the weight of the dirt–blow after blow.

But it strengthened him as he kept shaking it off. He emerged from a dark place and right into the light. That is how we have to be. We have to shake it off–repeatedly. By now we should be EXPERTS of this.

The bible says in Isaiah 40:29 that He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak!

And again in 2 Corinthians 12:10:
That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

When dirt is thrown at us, it can weakens us in ways we can’t easily express but we have the power necessary to shake it off. When we are weak the bible says—not IF we are weak but WHEN we are weak He gives strength! He increases power! That is supernatural.

“What do we have now?” You may be considering.

We have GOD!

We have His word!

We have a voice –to pray and express to Him.

We have other positive people that we can connect with.

We have encouraging books, amazing worship music and the ability to create an environment that will help us to move AHEAD!

Evangelist Hector Ciares shared with us this verse:

So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. It belonged to Malkijah, a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it. But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an important court official, heard that Jeremiah was in the cistern. At that time the king was holding court at the Benjamin Gate, so Ebed-melech rushed from the palace to speak with him. “My lord the king,” he said, “these men have done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern. He will soon die of hunger, for almost all the bread in the city is gone.” So the king told Ebed-melech, “Take thirty of my men with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies.” So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to a room in the palace beneath the treasury, where he found some old rags and discarded clothing. He carried these to the cistern and lowered them to Jeremiah on a rope. Ebed-melech called down to Jeremiah, “Put these rags under your armpits to protect you from the ropes.” Then when Jeremiah was ready, they pulled him out. So Jeremiah was returned to the courtyard of the guard—the palace prison—where he remained.
Jeremiah 38:6-13

What a powerful story! Because they lowered this man in the pit! And that is what it feels like with life’s disappointments, discouragements, rejections, conditions, complications, obligations and all the other challenges that come storming our way!  So many things that are beyond our control. It makes us feel lower and lower and lower! BUT GOD! He used this situation to lift him up and out! He even used rags to protect him from the things that lowered him in to begin with.

Here we are now. Trying to press through even after we have received. In the moments of pain, we know that God will emerge us. He will reveal things to us. He will bring us into the light of His love and in His truth.

The greatest pain that was meant to lower you –is the very thing that God will use to empower you. Shake it off! Believe and trust God. Just using this simple analogy –the pig never sank. He was only thrown in to be lifted right back up.  The Bible shows us that Jeremiah was thrown in the pit only to be lifted back up.

Stay strong! Make the world wonder why you are smiling. 

Stay positive! If you can stay positive in a negative situation you WIN!

Allow God to use the pains and disappointments of life to elevate you. These He will use to enlighten you and others. These He will use so that you can share your own story.

It is time to rise above the adversity!

It is time to — E M E R G E.

With Love,
Christina! ❤