A Romans 4:20 Promise

Promise Chocolates launched earlier this year and if you asked us to describe what Promise Chocolates is all about I would say something to the affect of, “We offer unique, heartfelt gifts that are remembered and not found in a knick knack pile a year later. We sell gourmet boxes of chocolates that taste delicious but have a message packed inside that remind people of the goodness and promises of God. It’s the kind of gift that gives God room to move in the lives of the ones receiving it while also expressing your love and appreciation for the person you’re gifting it to.” While that is the best and quickest way to describe what we do it goes quite a bit deeper than that for me.

The bible is filled with thousands of promises and those promises can be accessed for those who have the faith to believe. The stories and promises of the bible were not given only to the people within the pages of the bible but they are promises that God wants to bless us with in this day and age as well. Over the years I’ve had situations in my life where I’ve read scripture and knew that the words on the page were speaking directly to my soul. I could tell that God was offering gifts beyond the ultimate gift of salvation. When I would read certain scriptures I held on tightly to them. Stood on them as if they were the firmest foundation I could possibly stand on. So when I decided to embark on this business with my husband my hope was and continues to be that those who receive a box of Promise Chocolates will do the same. Believe the promises to be true, stand on them, pray over them whether the word is for them or maybe even someone else they know and love and lastly to meditate on them.

One of the promises I’ve stood on in the past comes from Romans 4:20 (NKJV)

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.

This particular verse is in reference to Abraham and the promise God gave him of a son whereby nations as numerous as the stars would come from.

At the time I received this word I was in a waiting period. Waiting on the promise God gave me that I would have another child after experiencing a miscarriage which resulted in emergency surgery due to an ectopic pregnancy. I ultimately lost the fallopian tube where my baby had been growing. It was a time of testing of my faith. I believed God had given me a promise of having another child but the promise did not come to pass right away. During my time of waiting He would confirm His promise by giving me other promises such as the scripture of Romans 4:20 and I am beyond happy to say that my miracle babe, the one promised, was born in 2016. My little guy Joshua. I may be a little bias but I believe it’s an amazing story that I am all too excited to tell anyone who is willing to listen.

It’s been two years since Joshua was born and I still look fondly on the verse listed above. Today as I read it, I still find great joy in this promise. I am still clinging to this promise even though it applies to a different situation and season for me today. See this week on Monday I was given the news that I would now be a part of the statistics of women who have and will have to endure the battle of breast cancer.

I still don’t understand how it is that I have it. My mother has never had breast cancer and I thought I had much of the “Reduced Risk” markers checked off the list. You know the ones like breast feeding (I’ve breastfed 3 babies), limiting alcohol intake and never smoking, limiting exposure to birth control pills and so on. But yet there was a still small voice urging me to get a routine mammogram done. I say still small voice but I know it to be the Holy Spirit who would remind me any time I would read a post on Facebook about someone going through this kind of struggle. I would again be reminded when an aunt on my father’s side of the family urged me to get it done and I would think to myself that I didn’t really have anything to worry about because many of the ways to reduce your risk, I was already doing. I also did self examines and didn’t feel anything unusual. However the urge never left me and so in late September I called to set up an appointment on a self referral.

I still have a hard time believing that I am writing this about myself and even harder time believing that I’m sharing it so publicly. If you knew me then you would know I’m a private person and would rather keep this kind of news among a smaller group of people. However that same still small voice has been whispering to me to share.

As of this morning I only have a little information on the type of cancer I have. It sounds as though it was caught early and I am thanking God tremendously for that. I am thanking Him for the urgings He gave me to get the examine and now I am thanking Him that the promise from Romans 4:20 will once again be one that I hold dear to my heart. I believe that I will be able to say that I am cancer free within the coming months. I believe that if I allow Him, God will continue to strengthen my faith and I know that all the glory will be given to Christ through this situation.

If any of you ladies reading this have felt the urging to go and get a mammogram done I would encourage you to do it and if anyone reading this has a feeling on their heart to pray for my family and I during this time, I know there is power in prayer and I would so appreciate each and every one of them.

Thank you for taking a few moments to read something that will always be a part of my story…our family’s story.  May it be used to bring glory to Christ.

 

Blessings for a Sweet Day,

Amanda ~ Promise Chocolates