So, who is Brad? Brad is my nephew – third son of my brother, Jeff. Brad is coming into his middle twenties and writing with the wisdom of a forty year old.
By way of various detours along his short journey through life, Brad is father to precious son, Elias!
Brad and Elias do not currently live in the same household much to the sadness and frustration of his father. However, it may be that God has most precisely used these circumstances for Brad’s ultimate good and God’s glory.
For this nephew, as well as his three brothers and my own two sons, I have prayed. Specifically for these young men a prayer found in Psalm 103:1-5 has been a prayer on my lips and settled in my heart.
Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5
I am delighted to read these precious words written by Brad – a testament to God’s grace and great LOVE and Brad’s surrender. My faith soars with these direct answers to my prayers for Brad. (I know many other people have been praying too)
I want you to be encouraged to trust God in a new way, and emboldened in your prayers. This is why I have chosen Brad’s blog post in Dear Elias – Getting out of God’s way as this week’s Saturday Share. I pray you will be set free as well as you read Brad’s unpolished words – just straight from his gut through fingers on a keyboard – raw honesty!
Welcome Brad… I love you and continue to cheer you on in Christ. Keep picking up your cross and following right on Jesus’ heels…wait on the Lord and trust Him more.
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Dear Elias,
Your dads a control freak in recovery. I say this because the first step to recovery is recognizing that you have a problem right? All jokes aside, God has really opened my eyes to this problem.
For such a long time I thought the opposite, I thought that everyone else had this problem. That everyone else were the ones trying to control everything. I pointed fingers, I tried “helping” others by telling them to let God handle it, and to trust him. But I was telling them what they needed to do without removing the big ol plank out of my own eye.
Many recognized a cycle I was in. It goes like this, I want something from God, I pray for it, I tell God I trust him, I believe he’s going to give me what I’m asking for, then I get upset when it doesn’t happen. I shake my fist at him as if he doesn’t care because I haven’t seen instant change, and I try to make things happen on my own. I take ahold of the wheel after a period of time as if… click here to continue with Dear Elias – Getting out of God’s way
Bruce, I understand from Brad you are an amazing, loving mentor to him. Thank you for investing in brad for the Glory of God. I agree with you – our testimonies are critical to defeating evil and building the family of God. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony!
I bless you, Bruce Withers, with a 100 fold harvest from the seeds you have sown. #feastingonjoy
Love this young man✝ Jesus is moving in his life! I hope we surround him in support and bring him on the journey. He is needed as our testimony is so valuable! Jesus is ALIVE, Love abounds, Grace is ours.