Hey, this is James Goll with God Encounters Ministries and I just am pleased to share with you at God Today. I have gone through a lot of difficulties, trials, and tribulations. Actually, if you really want to know the truth, my life has been a rollercoaster ride. Maybe, like some of yours.
My wife of 32 years, passed away from cancer at the same time, I went through cancer while she did. I actually did 3 different bouts of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer. And after she did go to glory, one year later, the cancer re-exploded in my body. I was now not just trying to make it through the next hurdle, I was actually fighting for my own life. Because why? One, we had 4 kids. I am now a single dad. And I had a reason to fight. Through the loss, I had a reason to fight. Through the loss, I had a reason to fight. And that, first of all, was because I did not want them to be abandoned and to be alone.
That was a pretty good reason. But about a year into that, that was no longer a good enough reason. I went back to the drawing board. By the way, you might not know who I am and that is okay. I have ministered in 50 nations, I have written over 45 books, some are translated in over 20 languages, and I have won all kinds of awards. And you know what? It doesn’t matter. Does it? Does it? Yes, it matters. No! It doesn’t matter. Do you know what matters? Keeping your hand on the plow, looking straight ahead, and not living life in the rear-view mirror. Do you know why I can say that? Because I know what this is like. And some of you, you might know what it is like. Or your family.
There was one of the times after my wife had passed away, that my oldest daughter cornered me. I was sobbing and weeping in my walk-in closet. Her bedroom was upstairs and I was so tired of dragging my kids through the stuff and I just was overwhelmed and sobbing. And you know what happened? I shut the door to the bedroom, I shut the door to the bathroom, I went into the walk-in closet and I shut the door to the walk-in closet. I wasn’t just crying, I was sobbing in deep pain. But, I also learned, in a sense, to let it out.
Now, I didn’t know that my oldest daughter could hear or know what was going on. She proceeded from upstairs, came downstairs, came through the bedroom door, came through the bathroom door, stood at the walk-in closet door, which did not have the ability for it to be locked, and she just came in there. And it was a redemptive act where you could say she got in my face. Do you know what she told me? She said, “Dad, you think we are the only family that ever goes through tragedy?” And she said, “It’s not true.” She said, “Everybody, every family at some point in time in life, goes through a tragedy.” And then she did the tough love routine and she said, “Dad, you need to get over it.”
Okay, girl. I need to get over it. Really? Huh. Tough love helped save me. Someone being brave rough, who there was a relationship with, obviously, cared enough to jostle me out of the victim mindset. So let me give you a Bible verse that has come to my mind. It is out of Hebrews 4 and let me see if I can find this verse for us right now. And it says, “Let us, therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that it might obtain mercy and find grace in a time of need.” You will have a time of need. And if it is not you, it will be a friend, it will be a family member. And there will be a time of need. I want you to know this. The door is always open to the Father’s house. The door is always open and He wants you to come without shame, without condemnation, run into the room where you feel like you might be hiding. Kind of like my daughter who came and met me in the place of my need. Got in my face and spoke the truth in love. I want you to know this. The door to the Father’s house, the room called The Throne Room, is always open. And you are safe there. Just go running into the Father’s arms.
This is James Goll with God Encounters Ministries wanting you to not give up and run into the safe place. In Jesus’ name.