As I sit here at my computer, pondering what to write on my blog, I am faced with a startling revelation. Somehow I let the entire month of October go by without blogging even once. That's the first time in the year and a half since I started blogging that I have let a month go by "un-blogged."
My first reaction is that it's a good thing because I have obviously not felt the NEED to blog. Back when I started this project, it was during a time of emotional turmoil brought on by a diagnosis of multiple scerlosis. There were so many thoughts churning through my head that I just had to get them all out. As I look back through my posts since then, I can see a trend of fewer and fewer posts each month. But never have I skipped a month entirely.
My second reaction is that it's not such a good thing. Another reason I started the blog was because during that same time of turmoil, God was pouring so much grace and goodness into my life that I felt a need to keep a record of it to help me remember it all, and to serve as an encouragement to others. I have been repeatedly amazed at how God has used the stories and words recorded here to help and encourage others! That's the main reason I kept blogging even after the initial crisis died down, and that's also the main reason I need to continue blogging.
God is at work in my life, and in all our lives, every day, whether or not we take the time to notice. I guess I felt drawn back to the computer because this week he reminded me of that again in a very powerful way that has touched and humbled me so deeply.
Around this time last year, my husband and I breathed a big sigh of relief as our kitchen renovation project was finally completed. It had dragged on for a couple of months, and the start of the project was delayed for months to begin with because of my diagnosis earlier in the year. At that time when I explained to Barbara, my friend and kitchen consultant, the reason we needed to put things on hold for a while, she told me that she and her prayer group from her church would be lifting me up in prayer. I was very grateful then, and the many times thereafter that she continued to assure me she and her group were praying for me.
Well, fast foward more than a year later. I'm now a discussion leader for my Bible Study Fellowship group. I shepherd a group of about 15 wonderful ladies that I have been so blessed to get to know over the last several weeks. The other day I was talking to one of these ladies on the phone. She told me that when she mentioned my name to her mother, her mother remarked that her prayer group (my friend Barbars's group) had been praying for me for a really long time!
I cannot even express how humbled and how grateful I felt in that moment. It was during a week that found me pity partying over my health after having studied the story of Jesus healing the child of a royal official, and feeling frustrated that my own prayers for physical healing have gone unanswered. A week of questioning whether my faith is strong enough or sufficient enough, instead of trusting the complete sufficiency and sovereigny of my Heavenly Father.
It was that week and in that place of heartache that God chose to reach out and remind me of his great care and love for me through other believers, the Body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:16 says "from him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."
I'm so thankful for the prayers that so many in the body have offered up on my behalf. They have provided the supporting ligaments that have sustained, encouraged, and touched me deeply. And they have inspired me to keep praying not only for others, but myself as well. It's so cool that now I have the privilege of praying regularly for the daughter of this woman who has been praying for me!
I know that the timing of the phone conversation with the woman in my Bible study group was no accident because God's timing is perfect. And his timing for my physical healing will also be perfect, whether it takes place on this earth or when it's time to receive my new heavenly body.
So I will choose to persevere and to trust, and to do my part, focusing less on my body and more on the body of Christ!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Praying Mantises and Honeycombs
It was a horrifying sight, to be sure. The frightening creature stared at me through my window screen with its beady black eyes. I shuddered and quickly closed the window, not wanting to be anywhere nearby if and when it decided to spit its poison.
Okay, so I'm a little dramatic. The horrifying creature was nothing more than a praying mantis. But those things just really creep me out. And yes, I realize that they do not spit poison, but when I was little another kid in the neighborhood told me that they did, and I've been afraid of them ever since.
Silly? Yes. Irrational? To be sure. But it still sticks in my mind, so therefore I do not like praying mantises. My family teases me about it and thinks I'm a little off-kilter, but such is life.
So, now a really disturbing thought has occurred to me. I am afraid of praying mantises spitting poison, even though they do not. But who should be afraid of me, for the poison that so easily can spew from my tongue?
Ouch...think about that one for a minute. And ponder this as well, from James 3:5-7. "The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."
I don't want people to feel the urge to back away when they see me coming. I don't want to see my children shrink away from angry or critical words spewing from my mouth like venom. I don't want my husband to dread hearing my complaints or whining, or friends to fear being the target of gossip or a judgemental attitude.
Rather than words that poison relationships and tear others down, I want to speak life-giving words of affirmation and encouragement, words that give hope and allow love to be heard above all else.
Those are the kinds of words that can only be spoken by someone living a life that is filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. Matthew 12:34 tells us "out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." And from Proverbs 16:23-24: "A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
To live this kind of life and speak these kinds of words takes time on my knees with hands folded in prayer, the posture of a praying mantis without the "poison."
Okay, so I'm a little dramatic. The horrifying creature was nothing more than a praying mantis. But those things just really creep me out. And yes, I realize that they do not spit poison, but when I was little another kid in the neighborhood told me that they did, and I've been afraid of them ever since.
Silly? Yes. Irrational? To be sure. But it still sticks in my mind, so therefore I do not like praying mantises. My family teases me about it and thinks I'm a little off-kilter, but such is life.
So, now a really disturbing thought has occurred to me. I am afraid of praying mantises spitting poison, even though they do not. But who should be afraid of me, for the poison that so easily can spew from my tongue?
Ouch...think about that one for a minute. And ponder this as well, from James 3:5-7. "The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."
I don't want people to feel the urge to back away when they see me coming. I don't want to see my children shrink away from angry or critical words spewing from my mouth like venom. I don't want my husband to dread hearing my complaints or whining, or friends to fear being the target of gossip or a judgemental attitude.
Rather than words that poison relationships and tear others down, I want to speak life-giving words of affirmation and encouragement, words that give hope and allow love to be heard above all else.
Those are the kinds of words that can only be spoken by someone living a life that is filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. Matthew 12:34 tells us "out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." And from Proverbs 16:23-24: "A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
To live this kind of life and speak these kinds of words takes time on my knees with hands folded in prayer, the posture of a praying mantis without the "poison."
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Back to School!
What a wild ride the month of August has been! I can't believe my girls have now been back in school for over a week. So much excitement over the start of school since Kaelie was starting high school and Hannah middle school.
I'm so happy to report that it seems to have been a smooth transition for both. I keep thinking back to when they were small, and how exhausting it was to be a mother of a toddler and then a preschooler. It's no less exhausting now, I've decided. It's just a different kind of exhausting. It's also no less of a joy. It's so amazing to watch them grow and change and mature. What a privilege to get to be a part of their lives!
So far they are also both enjoying the sports they're participating in this fall. Hannah is a manager for the middle school volleyball team and seems to be loving it. She's also playing travel soccer, so we have those practices twice a week and then games on the weeekends. Kaelie decided to give cross country a try, and I've been amazed to see how hard she's working and throwing herself into it. Her goal is to train all year through cross country, then both indoor and outdoor track in order to be in extra-good shape by the time volleyball tryouts roll around next summer. So glad to see her setting a goal and working so hard to pursue it. Unforunately, the athletic trainer at the school seems to think Kaelie may have a stress fracture in her foot, so we'll be getting an x-ray on Tuesday. I really hope it's not...she doesn't need that kind of setback right now.
Praying that God will continue to watch after their goings and comings...
I'm so happy to report that it seems to have been a smooth transition for both. I keep thinking back to when they were small, and how exhausting it was to be a mother of a toddler and then a preschooler. It's no less exhausting now, I've decided. It's just a different kind of exhausting. It's also no less of a joy. It's so amazing to watch them grow and change and mature. What a privilege to get to be a part of their lives!
So far they are also both enjoying the sports they're participating in this fall. Hannah is a manager for the middle school volleyball team and seems to be loving it. She's also playing travel soccer, so we have those practices twice a week and then games on the weeekends. Kaelie decided to give cross country a try, and I've been amazed to see how hard she's working and throwing herself into it. Her goal is to train all year through cross country, then both indoor and outdoor track in order to be in extra-good shape by the time volleyball tryouts roll around next summer. So glad to see her setting a goal and working so hard to pursue it. Unforunately, the athletic trainer at the school seems to think Kaelie may have a stress fracture in her foot, so we'll be getting an x-ray on Tuesday. I really hope it's not...she doesn't need that kind of setback right now.
Praying that God will continue to watch after their goings and comings...
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Tryout Update
Well, here's the update as promised. I put it off as long as possible today because it is painful to write. Kaelie got cut from the J-V volleyball team.
It was a really tough afternoon, but I'm so proud of the way she has handled it. She said that she knows God has other things for her to do and that being on this team just isn't one of them. There were some tears, naturally, but overall she's been fine. One of her best friends, Kelsey, also was cut, so it has helped that they have been able to spend the day together, and Kelsey is here for a sleepover tonight.
One really cool thing is that Kaelie has recognized on her own how God used that mission trip she went on last week to prepare her for this disappointment. She sees a much bigger picture, and I am so very grateful to God for showing it to her!
It was a really tough afternoon, but I'm so proud of the way she has handled it. She said that she knows God has other things for her to do and that being on this team just isn't one of them. There were some tears, naturally, but overall she's been fine. One of her best friends, Kelsey, also was cut, so it has helped that they have been able to spend the day together, and Kelsey is here for a sleepover tonight.
One really cool thing is that Kaelie has recognized on her own how God used that mission trip she went on last week to prepare her for this disappointment. She sees a much bigger picture, and I am so very grateful to God for showing it to her!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Unshakable
Okay, so I just got Kaelie to bed and finished praying with her. Volleyball tryouts for the junior varsity team are tomorrow morning at 8:00. She's pretty nervous, but her attitude about the whole thing completely blew me away.
I told her that she just needs to go out there and work her rear end off so that whether she makes the team or not, at least she can leave the court knowing that she gave it her very best effort. "Hopefully that will be enough," I said. "But if it's not, it just means that God has other plans for you this year and it will be exciting to see what's in store."
She smiled, nodded her head in agreement and said the most amazing thing. "The way I'm looking at it is that all this is just earthly kingdom kind of stuff. I need to keep my focus on the unshakable kingdom that counts."
I couldn't hold back a couple of tears. Hearing those words from the mouth of my 14 year-old daughter was such an unbelieveable encouragement to me. I'm so grateful for the beautiful work that God is doing in her. She came back from her Jeremiah Project mission trip yesterday wearing a t-shirt with "unshakable" written on it. That was the theme for the entire week. Taken from the Message version of Hebrews 12:28-29, it obviously gave her just the preparation she needed to face this week.
"Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!"
It's really cool to see my child on fire for the God of fire. No matter what happens tomorrow and Tuesday on the volleyball court, I know that with this kind of faith, she'll be just fine!
I told her that she just needs to go out there and work her rear end off so that whether she makes the team or not, at least she can leave the court knowing that she gave it her very best effort. "Hopefully that will be enough," I said. "But if it's not, it just means that God has other plans for you this year and it will be exciting to see what's in store."
She smiled, nodded her head in agreement and said the most amazing thing. "The way I'm looking at it is that all this is just earthly kingdom kind of stuff. I need to keep my focus on the unshakable kingdom that counts."
I couldn't hold back a couple of tears. Hearing those words from the mouth of my 14 year-old daughter was such an unbelieveable encouragement to me. I'm so grateful for the beautiful work that God is doing in her. She came back from her Jeremiah Project mission trip yesterday wearing a t-shirt with "unshakable" written on it. That was the theme for the entire week. Taken from the Message version of Hebrews 12:28-29, it obviously gave her just the preparation she needed to face this week.
"Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!"
It's really cool to see my child on fire for the God of fire. No matter what happens tomorrow and Tuesday on the volleyball court, I know that with this kind of faith, she'll be just fine!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Priorities and Provision
It never ceases to amaze me how much I learn from children. I'm so proud of Kaelie, my 14 year-old daughter, for what she has taught me most recently. This week Kaelie is on a mission trip with a group of middle school youth from our church. After we had already registered her for two fairly expensive camps this summer, she begged to go on this trip. My husband and I debated and debated whether to let her go for two reasons. First, the money. The trip itself is kind of pricey. Second, the fact that she would be gone for a week, getting home exhausted on Saturday afternoon, and have to be ready for tryouts for the junior varsity volleyball team at the high school at 8:00 Monday morning.
That might not seem like such a big deal, but it really is. Kaelie LOVES volleyball, has played for the middle school team as well as a club team, and really wants to continue in high school. The problem is that there are a total of eight girls moving up from the middle school, and they will be competing for only three or four open spots on J-V. I know Kaelie will be so disappointed if she doesn't make it.
For that reason even more so than the money, I tried to discourage her from going. But what it finally came down to for Joey and I was this: when our teenage daughter is begging to go and serve the Lord on a mission trip, how in good conscience can we put volleyball first and say no?
Obviously, we couldn't do that. That's why I am so proud of Kaelie for having her priorities on the matter straight even if we didn't. This week, I believe she is living out Matthew 6:33-34: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
These verses are really talking about not worrying about God's provision for essentials such as food, clothing, and shelter. But my prayer for Kaelie is that next week, God will reward her faithfulness and her service to him this week by providing a spot for her on that team. What a testimony that would be!
Check back Tuesday and I'll post an update with the tryout results! In the meantime, please pray for Kaelie!
That might not seem like such a big deal, but it really is. Kaelie LOVES volleyball, has played for the middle school team as well as a club team, and really wants to continue in high school. The problem is that there are a total of eight girls moving up from the middle school, and they will be competing for only three or four open spots on J-V. I know Kaelie will be so disappointed if she doesn't make it.
For that reason even more so than the money, I tried to discourage her from going. But what it finally came down to for Joey and I was this: when our teenage daughter is begging to go and serve the Lord on a mission trip, how in good conscience can we put volleyball first and say no?
Obviously, we couldn't do that. That's why I am so proud of Kaelie for having her priorities on the matter straight even if we didn't. This week, I believe she is living out Matthew 6:33-34: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
These verses are really talking about not worrying about God's provision for essentials such as food, clothing, and shelter. But my prayer for Kaelie is that next week, God will reward her faithfulness and her service to him this week by providing a spot for her on that team. What a testimony that would be!
Check back Tuesday and I'll post an update with the tryout results! In the meantime, please pray for Kaelie!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Life Lessons on the Commercial Break
I have to admit it was a bit uncomfortable, watching a tv show with my teenage daughter about a Christian teenager contemplating intimacy with her boyfriend. As the girl's friend attempted to dissaude her from moving ahead with her plans, the girl fired back with every argument in the book. Finally she ended the conversation saying that she had been praying about it and came to the conclusion that since God is love, that He would not have a problem with her expressing her love for her boyfriend physically.
Cut to commercial...thankfully.
I quickly muted the tv and asked my daughter what she thought about that last comment. She said that she completely disagreed with it because she believed that what the girl was about to do was a sin.
I was glad to hear that, but I decided I needed to take my daughter a little deeper. I wanted her to realize how easy it is to rationalize sin, any sin. We can creatively come up with just about any argument to support our decisions, and we must be aware that there is an enemy who desires nothing more than to prey on our human desires and weaknesses in order to lead us into sin. 1 Peter 5:8 says it best: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Doesn't that just give you the creeps?
I asked my daughter this question: "If you have been praying about a decision you need to make, do you think God would give you an answer that would lead you to do something that goes against his Word?"
Her answer was no, and she was right. The problem is, too often we don't bother to find out what exactly his Word has to say about it. We come up with our rationalizations that sound perfectly logical, just like the girl's comment on tv. I told my daughter that's why it is so important if there is any question in your mind about whether or not something is right or wrong, then don't do it. Go first to the Bible and see how your thoughts and rationalizations stack up against God's Word. If they don't fall in line and you proceed with your plans anyway, then do so with the knowledge that you are acting in disobedience to God, and disobedience to God is nothing other than sin.
We all face temptation in one form or another every day. The good news is that we don't have to face it alone. According to 2 Corinthians 10:4, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."
God is on our side, and He has graciously given us his Word as an aresenal against the enemy. We just have to be willing to put it to work.
Cut to commercial...thankfully.
I quickly muted the tv and asked my daughter what she thought about that last comment. She said that she completely disagreed with it because she believed that what the girl was about to do was a sin.
I was glad to hear that, but I decided I needed to take my daughter a little deeper. I wanted her to realize how easy it is to rationalize sin, any sin. We can creatively come up with just about any argument to support our decisions, and we must be aware that there is an enemy who desires nothing more than to prey on our human desires and weaknesses in order to lead us into sin. 1 Peter 5:8 says it best: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Doesn't that just give you the creeps?
I asked my daughter this question: "If you have been praying about a decision you need to make, do you think God would give you an answer that would lead you to do something that goes against his Word?"
Her answer was no, and she was right. The problem is, too often we don't bother to find out what exactly his Word has to say about it. We come up with our rationalizations that sound perfectly logical, just like the girl's comment on tv. I told my daughter that's why it is so important if there is any question in your mind about whether or not something is right or wrong, then don't do it. Go first to the Bible and see how your thoughts and rationalizations stack up against God's Word. If they don't fall in line and you proceed with your plans anyway, then do so with the knowledge that you are acting in disobedience to God, and disobedience to God is nothing other than sin.
We all face temptation in one form or another every day. The good news is that we don't have to face it alone. According to 2 Corinthians 10:4, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."
God is on our side, and He has graciously given us his Word as an aresenal against the enemy. We just have to be willing to put it to work.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Making Sense from a Senseless Tragedy
What can you say to someone who has lost a child? What words are there to comfort someone who is living through such a nightmare? I can't begin to fathom the heartache as a parent.
In the wee hours of Monday morning, a high school friend of my husband's received the devastating news that no parent wants to hear. His oldest daughter, a beautiful, blond-haired, 20 year-old girl named Mary-Kathryn was killed in a tragic accident. She and her boyfriend had apparently gathered with some others along the side of an interstate highway in Northern Virginia to watch a street race. One of the drivers lost control and hit a parked vehicle, ramming it into Mary-Kathryn and her boyfriend, killing them both.
Soon after we got the news that afternoon, my own two daughters were fighting with each other and treating each other so hatefully. It nearly made me sick to my stomach as I thought about Mary-Kathryn. Life is too short and fleeting to waste time and energy on ugliness and fighting. If only we could all remember to treat others in ways that build up, rather than tear down, to show respect and kindess and love rather than contempt and meanness. I would hate to suddenly depart this life tomorrow if anything I've said or done today has hurt or offended. There's no guarantee we'll get the time or opportunity to make apologies or amends.
Obviously, I have been praying for Mary-Kathryn's family as they cope with this tragedy and if you are reading this, I hope you will too. Let me also challenge you to join me in praying that we would all strive to make a positive difference or contribution of some sort each day for the Kingdom of God. Even if you never see the results of your efforts in this life, trust that the eternal rewards will all be worth it.
"He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
(1 Thessalonians 5:10-11)
In the wee hours of Monday morning, a high school friend of my husband's received the devastating news that no parent wants to hear. His oldest daughter, a beautiful, blond-haired, 20 year-old girl named Mary-Kathryn was killed in a tragic accident. She and her boyfriend had apparently gathered with some others along the side of an interstate highway in Northern Virginia to watch a street race. One of the drivers lost control and hit a parked vehicle, ramming it into Mary-Kathryn and her boyfriend, killing them both.
Soon after we got the news that afternoon, my own two daughters were fighting with each other and treating each other so hatefully. It nearly made me sick to my stomach as I thought about Mary-Kathryn. Life is too short and fleeting to waste time and energy on ugliness and fighting. If only we could all remember to treat others in ways that build up, rather than tear down, to show respect and kindess and love rather than contempt and meanness. I would hate to suddenly depart this life tomorrow if anything I've said or done today has hurt or offended. There's no guarantee we'll get the time or opportunity to make apologies or amends.
Obviously, I have been praying for Mary-Kathryn's family as they cope with this tragedy and if you are reading this, I hope you will too. Let me also challenge you to join me in praying that we would all strive to make a positive difference or contribution of some sort each day for the Kingdom of God. Even if you never see the results of your efforts in this life, trust that the eternal rewards will all be worth it.
"He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
(1 Thessalonians 5:10-11)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A Test of Trust?
Something is about to happen. Do you ever get that feeling that you just can't shake, the feeling that warns you to be ready? That's the feeling I have, and I'm not liking it one bit.
Yesterday, I went on a two-hour road trip to do some furniture shopping in North Carolina. On the way, I tuned the radio to a Christian music station and listened to a guy who was giving an amazing sermon. He ended it by saying "Believe in miracles, trust in Jesus." Within a minute or two as I approached an interstate overpass, I saw the words "trust Jesus" spray-painted on the side of a concrete bridge support. "Wow, that's pretty cool," I thought. God must be trying to tell me something.
A short time later, I lost the signal for that station and found another. This time, a different pastor from a Chicago mega-church was giving a message on Psalm 23 and how it relates to trusting God. That's when I started to squirm. Psalm 23 is usually one that is used at funerals to bring comfort to the bereaved, or it is used to encourage those who are otherwise hurting or experiencing difficulty or trials. "Oh-oh," I thought, "what's coming?"
I found myself praying "If you're asking me if I trust you, Lord, the answer is yes. I do trust you completely. I don't need to experience any difficulty in order to know that I trust you." I suddenly felt like Peter, whom Jesus asked three times "do you love me?" Yes Lord, I love you, I trust you! Don't you believe me?
This morning, I opened my email to find something that disturbed me even more. The daily devotional I receive on email was there, and today's title was "Trusting God Through Difficult Times." The devotional included a couple of stories of faith through horrible tragedies, as well as a quote from Oswald Chamers:
"Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God's character must be proven trustworthy in our own minds."
I don't know what's coming, but I have this sense of foreboding. If you're reading this, I am asking for prayers for peace, for protection for me and my family, and for unshakable faith and trust no matter what comes my way. In the meantime, I'm leaning on two specific verses:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." (Prov. 3:5)
"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deut. 31:8)
Hopefully all this is coincidental, but I don't really believe in coincidence. I fully believe in God-incidences, and if in his grace he is trying to prepare me for something that is to come, it makes me love him all the more.
Yesterday, I went on a two-hour road trip to do some furniture shopping in North Carolina. On the way, I tuned the radio to a Christian music station and listened to a guy who was giving an amazing sermon. He ended it by saying "Believe in miracles, trust in Jesus." Within a minute or two as I approached an interstate overpass, I saw the words "trust Jesus" spray-painted on the side of a concrete bridge support. "Wow, that's pretty cool," I thought. God must be trying to tell me something.
A short time later, I lost the signal for that station and found another. This time, a different pastor from a Chicago mega-church was giving a message on Psalm 23 and how it relates to trusting God. That's when I started to squirm. Psalm 23 is usually one that is used at funerals to bring comfort to the bereaved, or it is used to encourage those who are otherwise hurting or experiencing difficulty or trials. "Oh-oh," I thought, "what's coming?"
I found myself praying "If you're asking me if I trust you, Lord, the answer is yes. I do trust you completely. I don't need to experience any difficulty in order to know that I trust you." I suddenly felt like Peter, whom Jesus asked three times "do you love me?" Yes Lord, I love you, I trust you! Don't you believe me?
This morning, I opened my email to find something that disturbed me even more. The daily devotional I receive on email was there, and today's title was "Trusting God Through Difficult Times." The devotional included a couple of stories of faith through horrible tragedies, as well as a quote from Oswald Chamers:
"Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God's character must be proven trustworthy in our own minds."
I don't know what's coming, but I have this sense of foreboding. If you're reading this, I am asking for prayers for peace, for protection for me and my family, and for unshakable faith and trust no matter what comes my way. In the meantime, I'm leaning on two specific verses:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." (Prov. 3:5)
"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deut. 31:8)
Hopefully all this is coincidental, but I don't really believe in coincidence. I fully believe in God-incidences, and if in his grace he is trying to prepare me for something that is to come, it makes me love him all the more.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Who's in the Loop?
Something happened last night between my daughters and I'm still trying to figure out exactly what. I do know that it caught me very much by surprise.
Hannah, who is 10, went to bed first. A little while later I went to tell Kaelie, my 13 year-old to do the same. I looked all over the house for her and couldn't find her. Finally, I heard voices coming from Hannah's room. When I went in, I found them both crying and neither wanted to share what it was all about. When Kaelie left to go to her room, Hannah said everything was fine, that it was just "sister stuff." Once I returned to Kaelie's room to get her to bed, she also insisted that they were just having a much-needed talk and everything was okay. Fortunately, both of them went on to sleep and seemed fine this morning before school.
I still wish I knew what it was all about though. While I do have some inkling, and I'm happy that perhaps they are learning to work things out for themselves and to talk to each other like rational human beings instead of getting into screaming fights, it drives me crazy to be left out of the loop. I'm their mother and I love them and I want to be able to help.
God has really been teaching me a lot about leadership recently, and I think he's reminding me in this situation that a good leader equips and trains those she is leading so that they can do things for themselves without relying so much on her. I'm certainly not implying that my children will grow up and never need me again, because I know how much I still need my own mother. But it's important that they learn to do and handle things for themselves, confident in the knowledge that I am here for them.
Second, the fact that I feel left out of the loop makes me realize how much it must grieve the Lord when I leave him out. Sometimes when things come up, the first tendency is to go to my husband or a friend to help me through it, or to seek advice from self-help books or others who have faced similar situations. I need to make sure God, the one who made me and loves me and knows me inside and out, is the first one I call to rather than the last resort. Whatever the situation, he already knows it completely and desires to help me through it.
1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." I like the word all in this verse. It tells me that I can go to God with anything. I've heard people say that they don't feel right bothering God with what they perceive to be small and petty problems, compared to the much bigger issues that other people may be facing. But God wants to be in the loop for all of it, and I want to have the kind of faith that trusts him to be big enough to handle all of it.
I'm glad my girls were able to talk things out with each other last night. I hope that when they each finally went on to bed, they also talked it out with the Lord.
Hannah, who is 10, went to bed first. A little while later I went to tell Kaelie, my 13 year-old to do the same. I looked all over the house for her and couldn't find her. Finally, I heard voices coming from Hannah's room. When I went in, I found them both crying and neither wanted to share what it was all about. When Kaelie left to go to her room, Hannah said everything was fine, that it was just "sister stuff." Once I returned to Kaelie's room to get her to bed, she also insisted that they were just having a much-needed talk and everything was okay. Fortunately, both of them went on to sleep and seemed fine this morning before school.
I still wish I knew what it was all about though. While I do have some inkling, and I'm happy that perhaps they are learning to work things out for themselves and to talk to each other like rational human beings instead of getting into screaming fights, it drives me crazy to be left out of the loop. I'm their mother and I love them and I want to be able to help.
God has really been teaching me a lot about leadership recently, and I think he's reminding me in this situation that a good leader equips and trains those she is leading so that they can do things for themselves without relying so much on her. I'm certainly not implying that my children will grow up and never need me again, because I know how much I still need my own mother. But it's important that they learn to do and handle things for themselves, confident in the knowledge that I am here for them.
Second, the fact that I feel left out of the loop makes me realize how much it must grieve the Lord when I leave him out. Sometimes when things come up, the first tendency is to go to my husband or a friend to help me through it, or to seek advice from self-help books or others who have faced similar situations. I need to make sure God, the one who made me and loves me and knows me inside and out, is the first one I call to rather than the last resort. Whatever the situation, he already knows it completely and desires to help me through it.
1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." I like the word all in this verse. It tells me that I can go to God with anything. I've heard people say that they don't feel right bothering God with what they perceive to be small and petty problems, compared to the much bigger issues that other people may be facing. But God wants to be in the loop for all of it, and I want to have the kind of faith that trusts him to be big enough to handle all of it.
I'm glad my girls were able to talk things out with each other last night. I hope that when they each finally went on to bed, they also talked it out with the Lord.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Pursuing the Promised Land
'"If we have found favor in your eyes," they said, "let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan."' Numbers 32:5
A sign outside a church I passed the week after Easter read "Attention: We are open between Easter and Christmas." Isn't that great? I got a chuckle out of the church's tongue-in-cheek attempt to remind folks that there are 50 more Sundays a year to worship the Lord besides the two biggest Christian holidays.
Because I happened to be in the middle of a Bible study on the book of Numbers at the time, my mind was immediately drawn to the Gadites and Reubenites, who begged Moses not to make them cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. These people were among the Israelite tribes that had been wandering the desert for 40 years since the Lord freed them from slavery in Egypt. Finally, they've made it out of the desert and they're camped just outside the land of Canaan that God had promised to their ancestors. It's nearly time to enter the land, take possession of it and settle into their new lives, and these people say thanks but no thanks. This land looks really good for raising our livestock so we'd rather stay here. Can you imagine that?
Sadly, I can. It really made me pause and think about how often I am willing to "settle" instead pressing on in faith toward what God has planned and prepared for me. God had promised these people life in a land "flowing with milk and honey" and they turned it down! They grasped for what they could see before them right then, without moving forward with trust that what God had in store for them would be even better.
Things are no different today, unfortunately. I'm always so happy to see the church jam-packed at Christmas and Easter, and I always hope that many of the people who only show up those two days a year will be so inspired by the services that they will be moved to return week after week. It saddens me when the attendance drops back down the very next Sunday. Jesus offers us "abundant life," our own opportunities for Promised Land living. We might think we're living it, but when we don't spend time in regular worship, prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers, of if we don't really even believe in him, we're only settling for what's before us and missing out on an abundance of blessings.
Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see." The Gadites and Reubenites had faith in what they could see. Jesus' disciple Thomas, when told of the ressurrection said he would not believe it unless he could see and touch Jesus' wounds. When he got that opportunity, Jesus told him "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Lord, please help me to always pursue the Promised Land and be among the blessed.
A sign outside a church I passed the week after Easter read "Attention: We are open between Easter and Christmas." Isn't that great? I got a chuckle out of the church's tongue-in-cheek attempt to remind folks that there are 50 more Sundays a year to worship the Lord besides the two biggest Christian holidays.
Because I happened to be in the middle of a Bible study on the book of Numbers at the time, my mind was immediately drawn to the Gadites and Reubenites, who begged Moses not to make them cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. These people were among the Israelite tribes that had been wandering the desert for 40 years since the Lord freed them from slavery in Egypt. Finally, they've made it out of the desert and they're camped just outside the land of Canaan that God had promised to their ancestors. It's nearly time to enter the land, take possession of it and settle into their new lives, and these people say thanks but no thanks. This land looks really good for raising our livestock so we'd rather stay here. Can you imagine that?
Sadly, I can. It really made me pause and think about how often I am willing to "settle" instead pressing on in faith toward what God has planned and prepared for me. God had promised these people life in a land "flowing with milk and honey" and they turned it down! They grasped for what they could see before them right then, without moving forward with trust that what God had in store for them would be even better.
Things are no different today, unfortunately. I'm always so happy to see the church jam-packed at Christmas and Easter, and I always hope that many of the people who only show up those two days a year will be so inspired by the services that they will be moved to return week after week. It saddens me when the attendance drops back down the very next Sunday. Jesus offers us "abundant life," our own opportunities for Promised Land living. We might think we're living it, but when we don't spend time in regular worship, prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers, of if we don't really even believe in him, we're only settling for what's before us and missing out on an abundance of blessings.
Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see." The Gadites and Reubenites had faith in what they could see. Jesus' disciple Thomas, when told of the ressurrection said he would not believe it unless he could see and touch Jesus' wounds. When he got that opportunity, Jesus told him "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Lord, please help me to always pursue the Promised Land and be among the blessed.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Goodbye and Godspeed
A very dear lady passed away early this morning, and I couldn't let the day go by without taking a moment to reflect and pay her some tribute. She was an elderly lady in my church named Nancy, and she just had this way of making people feel special.
Maybe it was the fact that she always greeted me with a smile, a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Maybe it was the fact the she reminded me of my Great-aunt Louise, another faithful and amazing lady who passed away many years ago. Or maybe it was the fact that when she said she was praying for me, I always knew without a doubt that she really was.
Yesterday at church I was stunned to hear that Nancy had had a stroke and was in intensive care. So today I drove to the hospital to check in on her...I really just wanted to hold her hand and pray for her. When I got there, however, they didn't have her listed as a patient and I assumed I had gone to the wrong hospital. A few minutes later when I called a friend to try to find out where she was, I was heartbroken to learn that Nancy had died in the wee hours of the morning.
For the next little while, I was so angry with myself for not going to see her yesterday as soon as I heard she was hospitalized. Instead, I came home from church and just hung around the house for a couple of hours before I had to attend a scheduled event later in the afternoon. I so truly regretted missing the chance to let her know I loved her and say goodbye.
But then I started reflecting on the last time I saw her. It was in the sanctuary at church, as folks were filing out after a beautiful and joyful Easter Sunday service. She was waiting for our pastor to finish shaking hands with everyone so that she could give him a cake she had baked for him. That was so Nancy, she loved to pamper people with her cooking, and I was blessed to have been a recipient of that goodness as well!
Anyway, when Nancy saw me she came over and gave me a big hug and kiss on the check. "Oh, I just love you Honey," she said. "I prayed for you just this morning and I pray for you every day." And I hugged her back and returned a kiss on her check, and I told her I loved her too.
Reflecting back on that, I'm so very grateful that God allowed me that moment with her. That was our goodbye, and what more needed to be said than that? Even more special was the setting, two sisters in Christ standing beneath the cross of Christ on Easter. How fitting that that was Nancy's last church service...she dearly loved and faithfully served the risen Savior! I know she's rejoicing to be with him now, for to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Thank you for all the examples you set Nancy, and the love you so freely shared.
"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15
Maybe it was the fact that she always greeted me with a smile, a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Maybe it was the fact the she reminded me of my Great-aunt Louise, another faithful and amazing lady who passed away many years ago. Or maybe it was the fact that when she said she was praying for me, I always knew without a doubt that she really was.
Yesterday at church I was stunned to hear that Nancy had had a stroke and was in intensive care. So today I drove to the hospital to check in on her...I really just wanted to hold her hand and pray for her. When I got there, however, they didn't have her listed as a patient and I assumed I had gone to the wrong hospital. A few minutes later when I called a friend to try to find out where she was, I was heartbroken to learn that Nancy had died in the wee hours of the morning.
For the next little while, I was so angry with myself for not going to see her yesterday as soon as I heard she was hospitalized. Instead, I came home from church and just hung around the house for a couple of hours before I had to attend a scheduled event later in the afternoon. I so truly regretted missing the chance to let her know I loved her and say goodbye.
But then I started reflecting on the last time I saw her. It was in the sanctuary at church, as folks were filing out after a beautiful and joyful Easter Sunday service. She was waiting for our pastor to finish shaking hands with everyone so that she could give him a cake she had baked for him. That was so Nancy, she loved to pamper people with her cooking, and I was blessed to have been a recipient of that goodness as well!
Anyway, when Nancy saw me she came over and gave me a big hug and kiss on the check. "Oh, I just love you Honey," she said. "I prayed for you just this morning and I pray for you every day." And I hugged her back and returned a kiss on her check, and I told her I loved her too.
Reflecting back on that, I'm so very grateful that God allowed me that moment with her. That was our goodbye, and what more needed to be said than that? Even more special was the setting, two sisters in Christ standing beneath the cross of Christ on Easter. How fitting that that was Nancy's last church service...she dearly loved and faithfully served the risen Savior! I know she's rejoicing to be with him now, for to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Thank you for all the examples you set Nancy, and the love you so freely shared.
"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15
Sunday, March 15, 2009
More, More, More!
So frustrated with my girls this afternoon. We spent a whole weekend at Kaelie's volleyball tournament...exhausting for everyone. Her team played great, by the way, but it was a long and tiring weekend for the players as well as the spectators.
Yesterday afternoon during a break between games I took Hannah to the mall for a little while as a "reward" for being a trooper about being dragged from gym to gym all day long. It was a nice little break and she got a new swimsuit out of the deal. I even picked up a dress for Kaelie while were there.
Late this afternoon when it was finally time to go home, they both whined and complained because I wouldn't take them to the mall before making the 45-minute trip home. You would have thought they were so deprived! Joey and I were talking about how we love them and will gladly sacrifice time, money, weekends, etc. for them to be able to do all the sports and things that they get to do, but we just wish they would act like they appreciate it rather than expecting more, more, more and whining when they don't get their way.
The Lord must have been shaking his head upon hearing that conversation. Am I really any different? How much has he sacrificed for me, after all? He gave up his only Son so that I can have eternal life with him, yet is that what I focus on when things aren't going my way? Too often I'm acting just like my girls were today, whining and complaing, or feeling deprived over not having this or that. Will I ever learn???
Yesterday afternoon during a break between games I took Hannah to the mall for a little while as a "reward" for being a trooper about being dragged from gym to gym all day long. It was a nice little break and she got a new swimsuit out of the deal. I even picked up a dress for Kaelie while were there.
Late this afternoon when it was finally time to go home, they both whined and complained because I wouldn't take them to the mall before making the 45-minute trip home. You would have thought they were so deprived! Joey and I were talking about how we love them and will gladly sacrifice time, money, weekends, etc. for them to be able to do all the sports and things that they get to do, but we just wish they would act like they appreciate it rather than expecting more, more, more and whining when they don't get their way.
The Lord must have been shaking his head upon hearing that conversation. Am I really any different? How much has he sacrificed for me, after all? He gave up his only Son so that I can have eternal life with him, yet is that what I focus on when things aren't going my way? Too often I'm acting just like my girls were today, whining and complaing, or feeling deprived over not having this or that. Will I ever learn???
Monday, March 9, 2009
Green Stained Shoes Part 2
The saga of the green stained shoes continues. Boy, the Lord is really working on me with those shoes. Hannah wore them to her daddy/daughter dance and had a wonderful time. Two days later it snowed and the kids were out of school for the next two days. The day they went back she wanted to wear the shoes to school and got mad because I wouldn't let her. I mean, there was still snow all over the ground, it was melting and wet and muddy, and they're just flimsy little satin flats.
The next day I gave in against my better judgement and let her wear them. A lot of the snow was gone by then, and I told her that if they went outside for recess that she needed to stay on the blacktop and not run around in the grass. It was still too wet and muddy in places, and I knew those shoes would be ruined. She assured me she would be careful, and off she went.
When she got home in the afternoon, she took her shoes off at the front door and held them up to show me the new stains all over them, this time from the mud she sank into at recess! You can imagine my reaction...I won't even go into it.
We let the shoes sit for a couple of days and let the mud get good and dry. When she was looking for shoes to wear to church on Sunday, I suggested the green ones. "But I can't wear them anymore," she tells me. "Did you forget that they're ruined from the mud?"
Unbelievable! After all we went through about getting those shoes, and she was ready to just throw them away. Instead, I grabbed a shoe brush from Joey's shoe shine kit and went to work brushing away as much of the mud as I could. They cleaned up surprisingly well, they were just left looking a little dull on the sides. She was able to wear them to church and once they were on her feet they looked fine.
Once again the Lord had a lesson for me from those shoes. I was able to brush away the dirt and grime and restore the shoes to wearable condition. In the same way, when I submit to Jesus' brush he is able to wipe away all the sin that would otherwise keep my heart a muddy mess. And just as the mud left behind some stains on the shoes, often my sins leave consequences that must be dealt with. But I know that the Lord will help me with those as well when I humble myself and admit my mistakes and allow his grace to enter in.
Instead of throwing us away as Hannah was ready to do with the shoes, God looks at us and sees beauty and potential. It might take a lilttle scrubbing to get to it, but how blessed we are that he considers us worth the effort!
"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
The next day I gave in against my better judgement and let her wear them. A lot of the snow was gone by then, and I told her that if they went outside for recess that she needed to stay on the blacktop and not run around in the grass. It was still too wet and muddy in places, and I knew those shoes would be ruined. She assured me she would be careful, and off she went.
When she got home in the afternoon, she took her shoes off at the front door and held them up to show me the new stains all over them, this time from the mud she sank into at recess! You can imagine my reaction...I won't even go into it.
We let the shoes sit for a couple of days and let the mud get good and dry. When she was looking for shoes to wear to church on Sunday, I suggested the green ones. "But I can't wear them anymore," she tells me. "Did you forget that they're ruined from the mud?"
Unbelievable! After all we went through about getting those shoes, and she was ready to just throw them away. Instead, I grabbed a shoe brush from Joey's shoe shine kit and went to work brushing away as much of the mud as I could. They cleaned up surprisingly well, they were just left looking a little dull on the sides. She was able to wear them to church and once they were on her feet they looked fine.
Once again the Lord had a lesson for me from those shoes. I was able to brush away the dirt and grime and restore the shoes to wearable condition. In the same way, when I submit to Jesus' brush he is able to wipe away all the sin that would otherwise keep my heart a muddy mess. And just as the mud left behind some stains on the shoes, often my sins leave consequences that must be dealt with. But I know that the Lord will help me with those as well when I humble myself and admit my mistakes and allow his grace to enter in.
Instead of throwing us away as Hannah was ready to do with the shoes, God looks at us and sees beauty and potential. It might take a lilttle scrubbing to get to it, but how blessed we are that he considers us worth the effort!
"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
Friday, February 20, 2009
Green Stained Shoes
"Well, its one for the money,
Two for the show,
Three to get ready,
Now go, cat, go.
But dont you step on my blue suede shoes.
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes." (Elvis Presley)
I couldn't help thinking of that song this afternoon as I bought new shoes for Hannah, my 10 year-old. As of this writing, she and Joey are at the Daddy/Daughter dance at her school. She's all decked out in a brand new dress and the lime green satiny shoes I got for her.
The thing is, I almost didn't get them. She had tried them on last night and liked them, but wanted to look around a little more first. We didn't find the silver flats she was hoping for, so I went back late today for the green ones. As the store clerk pulled them from their box to check the size, I noticed what appeared to be a fairly large stain on the side of the right shoe. You know how water will leave a mark on satin? That's what it looked like, along with a couple of other dirty-looking spots as well. The clerk offered to discount them because they were the only pair in Hannah's size, but I hated the thought of buying dirty shoes!
At that point, I did the only thing I could do. I called Hannah, who was at home already beginning the primping process, and let her decide. And of course, I came home with the shoes.
When she went out the door with Joey tonight, she looked and felt beautiful in her new dress and green stained shoes, and thankfully I was right, no one will be able to notice the spots.
Still, the whole thing has made me uncomfortable all evening. Not because I bought stained shoes, or because she was so quick to settle for them anyway and I was so willing to oblige. It's because in the process, the Holy Spirit was quick to point out to me how easily I am willing to settle for less than God's best for me. Every time I choose to ignore a sin that seems small and insignificant, I settle for less than God's best. Every time I choose to ignore the direction of the Holy Spirit and follow my own path under my own will, I settle for less than God's best. Eventually, "small" sins lead to "big" sins if left unchecked, and my own path will always be the one that leads to destruction. In time, what starts as a blemish barely obvious to anyone but the Lord becomes glaringly obvious and ugly.
I want to put my best foot forward in all that I do and live a life that brings honor and glory to the Lord. How can I do that if I am wiling to turn a blind eye to sin, my own as well as others'. Water may leave stains on shoes, but sin stains the heart.
"Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. " Psalm 97:10-11
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Rejoicing!
Great news today, so I couldn't let it go by without at least a short post. Last week marked one year since my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. My neurologist decided it was time to do a follow-up MRI to check on things upstairs. So, last Thursday I had MRIs on my brain and cervical spine and got the results today.
Drumroll please...
NO NEW LESIONS! HOORAY!
But wait, it gets even better...
the two brain lesions and one cervical spine lesion detected last year HAVE IMPROVED! DOUBLE HOORAY!
Praise God! I can't believe a whole year has gone by since receiving that devastating news. What a year it has been. This is all the encouragement I need to keep giving myself these shots I take every other day. Believe me, they are not fun because if I don't take ibuprofen with them I get uncontrollable chills and shakes. They also leave welts and bruises that last for weeks, so needless to say, my stomach, hips and thighs stay pretty much black and blue. But at least now I know that it is all worth it!
So much to be thankful for...God is so good!
"I will extol the Lord at all times, his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together."
Psalm 34:1-3
Drumroll please...
NO NEW LESIONS! HOORAY!
But wait, it gets even better...
the two brain lesions and one cervical spine lesion detected last year HAVE IMPROVED! DOUBLE HOORAY!
Praise God! I can't believe a whole year has gone by since receiving that devastating news. What a year it has been. This is all the encouragement I need to keep giving myself these shots I take every other day. Believe me, they are not fun because if I don't take ibuprofen with them I get uncontrollable chills and shakes. They also leave welts and bruises that last for weeks, so needless to say, my stomach, hips and thighs stay pretty much black and blue. But at least now I know that it is all worth it!
So much to be thankful for...God is so good!
"I will extol the Lord at all times, his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together."
Psalm 34:1-3
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Lights Out
"For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light." Ephesians 5:8
The timing was not good. I had just put a load of laundry in the wash, Joey was working on the computer trying to get some finance committee work done to present at a church meeting later in the evening, and my daughter Kaelie was due home from a weekend youth retreat with a big civics test to study for.
So, when the power went out in our house and our whole neighborhood at 2:45 p.m., we had a timing problem.
Fast forward to 5:45 p.m. and still no electricity. I called the power company and the lady I spoke with said it was looking like midnight before it would be restored. UGH, so much to do and it all required electricity!
Finally, Joey and Kaelie (now home from her retreat) left for the church, both to attend meetings. "No use sitting around here in a dark house that's getting colder," I told Hannah. So we picked up subs from Subway and went to the church as well. I kept thinking how good it was to be a part of a church family where we felt so at home that we could just go there and hang out with people while our power was out. Some people offered to let us go to their houses, but we were content to stay at the church and wait for Joey and Kaelie.
While we waited, I was able to help a man who was cleaning up the kitchen after a dinner that had been served ealier. Then I was able to help a young mom who had come in all alone to set up the fellowship hall for a meeting taking place the next morning. In both cases, I got to meet people from the church whom I had never met, and connect with them while doing something purposeful for the Lord.
When we finally made it home a little before 9:00 p.m., the power came on as I was in the process of lighting candles around the house. I was actually even a little disappointed because everything looked so pretty in the candlelight!
Today when I read this verse from Ephesians, it dawned on me that during those few hours of darkness in my house, God had been able to use me as light in his house. He showed me that the simple acts of helping clean the church kitchen and set up for a MOPS meeting helped to spread his light into the lives of others, and the things my family needed to do still got done as well.
Bad timing? Really? Nope, God's timing, and it is always perfect!
The timing was not good. I had just put a load of laundry in the wash, Joey was working on the computer trying to get some finance committee work done to present at a church meeting later in the evening, and my daughter Kaelie was due home from a weekend youth retreat with a big civics test to study for.
So, when the power went out in our house and our whole neighborhood at 2:45 p.m., we had a timing problem.
Fast forward to 5:45 p.m. and still no electricity. I called the power company and the lady I spoke with said it was looking like midnight before it would be restored. UGH, so much to do and it all required electricity!
Finally, Joey and Kaelie (now home from her retreat) left for the church, both to attend meetings. "No use sitting around here in a dark house that's getting colder," I told Hannah. So we picked up subs from Subway and went to the church as well. I kept thinking how good it was to be a part of a church family where we felt so at home that we could just go there and hang out with people while our power was out. Some people offered to let us go to their houses, but we were content to stay at the church and wait for Joey and Kaelie.
While we waited, I was able to help a man who was cleaning up the kitchen after a dinner that had been served ealier. Then I was able to help a young mom who had come in all alone to set up the fellowship hall for a meeting taking place the next morning. In both cases, I got to meet people from the church whom I had never met, and connect with them while doing something purposeful for the Lord.
When we finally made it home a little before 9:00 p.m., the power came on as I was in the process of lighting candles around the house. I was actually even a little disappointed because everything looked so pretty in the candlelight!
Today when I read this verse from Ephesians, it dawned on me that during those few hours of darkness in my house, God had been able to use me as light in his house. He showed me that the simple acts of helping clean the church kitchen and set up for a MOPS meeting helped to spread his light into the lives of others, and the things my family needed to do still got done as well.
Bad timing? Really? Nope, God's timing, and it is always perfect!
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