When my father went to be with the Lord, I didn't see how anything good could come out of that. I lost something valuable, my father whom I loved and miss. But in that process, I also gained something valuable. I discovered gifts and talents that I didn't know I had. I didn't know I could get up and minister. There are times that you have to lose something so you can gain something in order to go to the next level. Of course, I would say, "You know, I don't want to lose my dad. We don't want to go through a disappointment or set back." But you have to trust that God knows what He's doing. I knew my father fulfilled his purpose. He finished his course. God will never take something away without giving you something better in return. At the time, you may not be able to see it, but if you'll stay in faith and not let the disappointment sour your life, you'll come out prepared, qualified and ready for the next level.
When I was on that threshing floor during the loss of my father, God separated things from me that were holding me back—intimidation, insecurity, fear. I was afraid to get up in front of people, but in that fiery trial, those limitations were burned off. It didn't happen in the good times, it happened during the bumps in the road.
I found that sometimes God will take you through a season of being alone. That's a time you can draw closer to God. When you normally give energy and affection to another person, you turn it toward God. Without that aloneness, you would never have the depth, the consecration and the character you need. Don't fight a season of isolation. If you'll embrace it, you'll discover something that otherwise you would never have.
Remember, we're all going to have these bumps in the road, these seasons of isolation; the threshing floor experiences. The separation may be uncomfortable, but it is making you better. It's getting you prepared. You may have lost something, but you need to get ready, you're about to gain something a whole lot better. I believe and declare: You're going to come through every adversity stronger, wiser, refined, purified and ready for the fullness of your destiny!
"See, I have refined you…" (Isaiah 48:10, NIV)