Courtenay Zurenko - Seizing faith : feeling Gods hands through his life-changing plans

SEIZING FAITH

Feeling Gods Hands Through His Life-Changing Plans

Courtenay Zurenko

DEDICATED

To my husband, Joey, for supporting me in this great endeavor and always showing me how important and sacred our wedding vows are. I am extremely blessed to do life alongside my best friend. You are a godly man who I love, respect and adore.

To my son, Riley, for napping so well that writing this book was actually feasible. Your smile and hilarious personality brings me indescribable joy and lights up every room you are in. I knew, very early on, that you had the joy of the Lord in your heart and it is contagious! I cant wait to see what God has in store for your life. I love you, my little Riley Roo!

To my parents, Wayne and Candy, for your absolute selflessness and godly example through thick and thin. I look up to you both and will forever be thankful for your unconditional, unwavering love for me. I love you!

To my Jehovah Rapha, God, I rely on, trust and will never underestimate You, my Healer.

Relying on my Jehovah Rapha, my healer, I trust You.

http://www.facebook.com/courtenay.zurenko/posts/663393008084

Never underestimate my Jesus

http://www.facebook.com/courtenay.zurenko/posts/663393008084

Seizing Faith: Feeling Gods Hands Through His Life-Changing Plans All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2012 Courtenay Zurenko

This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Print ISBN: 978-1-62209-087-7

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-62209-100-3

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

my friend and prayer warrior

Universally we question, If God is a loving God, why does He allow suffering? The answer lies in the question. He allows suffering because He is a loving God. God promises He will work all things together for our good, even times of suffering. The presence of suffering offers a unique opportunity for growing our relationship with Him. We are strengthened in the process of surrendering to an Almighty God, and through His grace we are refined, better able to reflect His face and His love to others.

Suffering whittles us down to our core, both physically and emotionally. Now we must make a choice: resign ourselves to sufferings blows or let suffering ignite in us an inner fire. Seizing the battle of growth in our own hands seems the next logical step once we have chosen to fight; however, our responsibility is simply to be available for growth, as painful as it may be, and surrender to His leading. This requires that we fix our eyes on Truth and focus intently on trusting in Gods promises. We cannot manipulate where or when God will choose to stretch and strengthen us; our only choice is Will I trust Him or not? When the answer is yes, our growth can begin.

As God calls us toward strength and growth, He also beckons us to surrender. William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, wisely stated, The greatness of a mans power is in the measure of his surrender. God calls us to surrender our lives in their entirety: every hope, every dream, every worry, every joy, every piece. We create an idol of our desire to control life, trusting our own ability to construct promises and elicit results. Obeying and surrendering to God means tearing down idols of control and offering Him our absolute trust. This can be terrifying until we realize that God will not fail us. God promises that those who trust in Him will find new strength (Isaiah 40:31).

During the process of growth and act of surrendering, God promises that His grace will be sufficient. In the simplest of terms this means that He is enough. In Matthew 12:28 Jesus says, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. The invitation is to seek Him and lean into Him, to give up control and accept the promises of His guidance and protection. God assures us in 2 Corinthians 12:9, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. God does not inflict pain and suffering to show off His power; He has no need to prove Himself. Amidst His protection, He allows us to encounter pain and suffering, but He promises to cover us in grace so that we may see His work in our lives. In surrendering all to Him and acknowledging our weakness, we testify our hope in Him and proclaim His great power.

Through suffering God refines us and whittles away our old selves. Suffering changes us. Transformed and trusting Him as never before, we are in prime position to reflect who He is. God uses light as a symbol of Himself all throughout the Bible. Light gives life, promotes growth, shows us the way, keeps us from stumbling, casts out fear, and reveals Truth. We are called to let our light shine, seizing opportunity to reflect facets of God to those around us.

Seizing Faith is a testimony of how God can shine His light in the midst of great suffering. It is a story of incredible strength, a daily choice toward courageous surrender, and Gods sufficient grace. It was my privilege to join with countless others in prayer for Courtenay and her family during this time. I was blessed, encouraged and astounded as she continually seized faith and selflessly sought purpose in Gods plan far beyond her own healing. I pray you are inspired by her journey and her mission to shine Gods Truth and Love through it all.

What happens when we are comfortable in the safety of our ideal plan and think we have control? The realization that we never had control in the first place and no matter how hard we try to keep life where we want it, there is a much greater story developing that might not be so cozy. My story is not unlike so many others in that it includes suffering, brokenness, healing and blessings. No one is exempt from these inevitable themes of life, but my hope is that when the storms roll in; my story can offer hope and encouragement to those who need it. Whether youre dealing with an illness, loss, depression or trying to care for a loved one in need, my ultimate hope is that Christ will speak His love and wisdom through my words. As scripture says in 2 Corinthians 5:7, Praise be to the God and Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Ive asked myself time and time again, Why would I write my story? Im just little, insignificant me. That answer became exactly why. Im little me, serving a big God. Though I will share about my life in this book, what it truly is about is the reality of Gods presence through both the difficult and joyful times we will all undoubtedly face. Our brokenness can either lead to choosing bitterness or surrendering everything to Him. I experienced both extremes in my journey as I encountered physical, emotional and spiritual battles. What always remained the same was Gods faithfulness and promise to carry me through.

A WORD ABOUT FACEBOOK

As you read Seizing Faith, you will come across Facebook posts followed by their corresponding links. These are actual posts author, Courtenay Zurenko, wrote throughout her journey. They are included, in hopes that you will feel a deeper connection with her and her story. You are encouraged to interact with Courtenay by commenting on any posts that speak to your heart.

Winter, 2012

From depression, uncertainty, pain, suffering and brokenness to encouragement, hope, trust, inspiration and the realization that I am unconditionally loved. Trying to imagine what my future would look like, then realizing none of us know our future. Were all in the same boat. The most important question occurred to me and that was, How am I going to respond? My life had been halted by facing a formidable fear and God was breaking me free. I needed to press on with a strength too powerful to be my own and let people know that Christ is all Im living for no matter what my circumstances. This once wishy-washy notion became solidified in my heart. The life I once dreamed of with my family would never be the same. I would be a better wife, mother, daughter and sister and it all transpired through the depth of a valley; an unlikely place full of blessings. A wake up call. A new life calling. The testing of my faith transformed my life and I couldnt ignore the clear nudge to share my story. Its not the most difficult, heart-wrenching or inspiring story that people will ever hear, but its real. Its about overcoming my desire to be in control and stroll through life as I watched my ideal plan unfold. Its about learning to surrender all, drawing near to God and feeling His hands through His life-changing plans. I would be able to share with others a deeper compassion, more profound love and unveil Christ in a way that hopefully was contagious and all because God allowed a storm to surface.