What happens when we obey God’s prompting? Let me tell you a story about myself this past summer to explain what this topic looks like and sounds like.
For most of the summer in 2025, I have been in recovery mode from an operation. I have had a lot of time to read, to think and to observe the world around me and across this country of ours as I had to travel coast to coast. Beginning in January 2025, I felt urged to stop something that was dear to my heart in serving a group of women for the past 10+ years.
In typical fashion, I pushed this nudging to the back of my mind and life. In the meantime, a serious health issue continued to worsen, and I could find no surgeon in my state to do the surgery. I continued to go to church regularly, help and coach my clients and continue on with life as normal. Then I basically hit the wall with pain and an inability to “enjoy” the things in my business and in my serving God through leading.
One morning in June, I felt this very, very heavy presence of God, telling me STOP this now, RIGHT NOW! Not audible but just a heavy feeling. I literally walked down the hall of my home and yelled out: “OKAY, I will do it now, right now.” I walked outsaid and asked God to “…I need you to give me the language when I write this email, please….” After a few minutes, I felt relief and I walked into my office and wrote the email, stepping completely back from serving. I felt immediate relief. It was as if a huge anchor had been removed from me.
That was a Friday. What happened next was what can only be described as a God Miracle! The Bible tells us to “obey” God’s commandments and what I had inadvertently done was make this serving my “idol” my little “god.”
A facetime call with a family member resulted in three recommendations for a world-famous surgeon who does the surgery I needed on the East Coast. And just like that, the surgeon called me, and said I will do your surgery, get here now. Lesson learned!
Obey, when God tells you something, nudges you, or you know what you are doing is creating an idol that does not keep God on His Throne!
Okay, now let’s look at the 3 R’s of Relief our title for this blog.
When you and I sin, we need to get back in alignment with God. In order to do this, we must “Repent.” Sometimes we try to seek “Revenge” to get even. Unfortunately, no one wins in this situation. When we go down this road, we only deepen negativity. Yesterday ended last night, wake up and repent to start a new day with a new mindset.
What do you believe about “Revenge & Retaliation?” Does this path solve anything in your life? You may think it makes you feel better, but that doesn’t solve anything. It only deepens this sin within your soul.
Let’s talk about “Restoring.” How does a person get raised out of the pit of revenge, despair and retaliation? God’s grace is how. Even if you are not a believer, just admitting you have been on the wrong path, can help lift you up and out of this way of living and thinking. When you repent of your sin, God will restore you and set you on a new path of living. It is our job to stay on the lit path.
What at “Redeemed and Restitution?” In my story what you read was, immediately, the doors were open to a solution I had sought for almost 3 years. I am believer so, what happened to me may not be the case for you. But that should be a great influence for you if you are not a believer. To explain this further, God gave me a huge gift of REST, RESTORING my health, and time to read and reflect on how He works for my good. When I violate the rest and restore protocol “pain” returns and believe me “PAIN” is a great influencer! I am forced down to lay flat and I silently say a prayer and put my hands on my body and say “Heal, heal, heal.”
I ask God daily what He wants me to do each day, and it is always the same, Rest, follow My lead and you will be restored.
My advice to each of you reading this is: “Never, run ahead of God!” He knows what’s best for each of His children.
janice@janicebastanicoaching.com
8914 Collina Ct.
Granite Bay, CA 95746
908-229-3797
www.janicebastanicoaching.com
www.johnmaxwellgroup.com/janicebastani
