On February 16th we are having our annual Women’s Conference and I am so excited about this year’s theme…Breakthrough. We have been praying, planning and preparing for an incredible day. I want to encourage you to mark your calendars now and to register online for this power packed day of teaching, worship and hearing from the Lord. (thepointva.com/breakthrough). As women, we all need moments to slow down, reset, and spend time focused on self-care in the Lord. One of the ways I like to spend time with the Lord is through worship. Many times, God uses music to speak to my life situations and allows me to see how He wants to grow and develop my love for his guidance, direction and breakthrough.
Last year one of my favorite worship songs was “New Wine” by Brooke Ligertwood. She starts off with these words:
In the crushing, In the pressing, You are making new wine
In the soil I now surrender, You are breaking new ground
There is something that struck a chord in my heart to hear her sing of the crushing and pressing that creates new wine. And then she goes to sing about how new ground emerges when I surrender.
Last year I was in a season of wanting and feeling like I needed all of the details laid out in front of me if I were to survive that season. One year ago, the months began to snowball one right into the next. My mother became incredibly ill and passed away, and less than 30 days later my oldest son joined the Army. I felt like I could handle my mom’s passing because she was secure in her salvation and I had nothing to fear or be concerned about. She was at complete peace with her Jesus. My son, on the other hand, was embarking into unknown territory. I was not raised around the military, I didn’t have personal friends who were connected to the military, and I didn’t quite understand the role I would play as a military mom.
As the spring progressed and it was time for my son to leave for Basic Training, I was consumed with worry, fear, sadness, and at times Satan threw in a good dose of regret. I was not sure how I was going to get through 10 weeks of my son being transformed from a Civilian into a Soldier. If it were not for a group of strong Army Moms that I met online, I would have spent the remaining weeks in a pit of depression. God knew I needed a strong network of women who had walked this journey before me to help keep me focused. There came a point when one of the women reminded me to hold tight to my faith and to remember the promises God had already given me regarding my children.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes “breakthrough” as: an offensive military assault that penetrates and carries beyond a defensive line; related to warfare. When I think back to where I was last summer, I could have allowed Satan to win the battle in my mind. There were days when my peace was challenged, when my worship shifted to worry and back, when the focus of my joy was my situation. As I ponder this definition of breakthrough it leads me to believe that breakthrough occurs through–and as a result of–a series of events. For years, I believed that breakthroughs only occurred in an instant. For some people they do, and for others, breakthroughs can be a process. I have come to realize God is part of the progressive breakthrough as much as He is part of the instant breakthrough. Likewise, the making of new wine is not an overnight or instant process. The process of my breakthrough was not overnight. It took persistence to hold on to my peace. It took persistence to keep worship music playing in my car, when I was getting ready in the mornings, when I sat in my office at work, and even some nights when I had to have worship music playing while I slept to protect my sleeping hours. I had to take an offensive stance against the spiritual warfare that was sent out against me.
My favorite song continues: Where there is new wine, There is new power. There is new freedom.
When I think of new ground, I am also reminded of the many times God said in his word that He would give his children new territory, new land overflowing with milk, honey, and new wine. All this is a new season, a time in which God wants to do something brand new in our lives. This newness cannot be stuffed back into something that is old, used, and worn out. In Luke 5:37-38, Jesus says, “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed, but new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.”
As I moved through the summer, I emerged with a greater sense of what it meant to be a Military Momma. I emerged with a greater awareness of the spiritual and physical battles that wage war on the women around me. I emerged with a greater awareness to pray for women near and far, some of whom I may never meet. It has not been an easy journey. I continue to have moments where I become overwhelmed with wonder. There is a new sense of freedom that comes with this new season. I am free to trust God with my thoughts, plans, dreams, and desires. I don’t need to know all the details because God remains faithful and true to his Word. As I look back and compare those days to where I am now, I know without a shadow of doubt God is the God of My Breakthrough.
On February 16th, I invite you to join me and other women just like you for a one-day conference. There you will hear of God’s faithfulness in bringing about breakthroughs for women in Scripture as well as the women of The Point. We believe God has a special assignment for each of you as women in God’s Kingdom. He has equipped you and fashioned you for a purpose. He delights in you, and He wants to meet with you. Will you join us, worship with us, pray with us and simply lean in to listen to how God wants to propel you into your destiny?
Nicole Hawker