There's this thing. This thing that I have been praying about for a long time. Nobody is sick or in trouble and nothing is wrong. But this thing has been a constant prayer for me for what seems like forever. And yes, it is something that would be good for me but it would be beneficial for others also. Maybe even more of a blessing for others than it would be for me. I don't talk about it much and when I do it is only with someone I can ask to pray with me and keep the information private. While this thing would lead to other things to be prayed over because many other choices, decisions would have to be made, it is still an important thing to me. Because isn't that how it works? Any thing that happens impacts other things also?
I must admit that sometimes I do just stop thinking about it and try to be patient and know that God is always answering my prayers even though I don't really like the "no" or "not now" that I get. But I trust Him. I know that His plans are perfect. I know that He has it all under control. And that if He is saying no or not now then that is the best answer. Maybe no one else ever struggles with these answers---but I do.
Mark 11: 24 tells us: "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Maybe my belief isn't strong enough. I know God CAN but maybe I don't truly believe that He WILL. Perhaps He is waiting for me to have the faith that He has this thing under control. Therefore, I shall change my prayer from "God, please make this thing happen" to "God, give me the faith and trust I need to allow You to take care of this thing in Your time and Your way."
I strive diligently not to be a worrier because I know that worrying really does no good. So I'm not really worried about this thing either way. And I do spend time camping out in Philippians 4:6-7: 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." I am so very thankful not only for what I do have in my life but also for the things I don't have. And I do feel God's peace. The peace in knowing that He is right here with me, every step of the way. The peace that He WILL work things out in a way that is best for all concerned--even if it is not what I think is best. I'm so grateful for the fact that God sees the big picture. And, really, I'm glad that I can't. Because if I knew how everything would go over the years left in my life, I wouldn't need faith. I wouldn't need to trust Him.
So if you have a minute, pray with me and for me to have that patience. To have that knowledge deep in my heart that God will take care of this thing just as he has taken care of every other thing in my life so far.
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Live the Life God gave to YOU
Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
We spend a lot of time with other people. And sometimes, from the outside, another person's life looks so much better than ours. One person gets to travel all over the world. Another person just got a nice new house. Someone else has the best spouse. Those people never have to worry about money. Feeling guilty yet? Yes, I think we all look at other people and think that the life they have is easy, glamorous, fun. Not like ours. Not mundane, hard, lonely.
But...that is THEIR life. That is the life God gave to them. What you may not know, however, are the sacrifices or losses those other people have. Maybe those people you envy never had children they longed for. Maybe they are hiding a severe illness. Maybe they have lost their parents. Maybe, just maybe, to them YOUR life looks pretty good.
God tells us to be content with our lives. That HE is with us always and nothing else is of great consequence. In Luke 12:15 we read "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."
It is not important to God for us to accumulate great wealth or possessions. It is important to Him that we take whatever He has given us and use it to serve Him, to minister to others, to live a life that may lead someone else to see His goodness.
Am I going to say that I am never jealous? Well, mercy me, that would be a big ole whopper! But I have learned that God gives each of us what He wants us to have. Will I ever have a brand new expensive home? Very doubtful. But I have had some time to work on renovations of our old run down home and it has brought lots of laughter and time together with my husband and, occasionally, our sons and friends. Will I ever drive the top of the line vehicle? No, that would be a waste of money; but I do have a vehicle that not only will carry all of my grandchildren but gave me the opportunity to travel some this summer with 3 of my aunts. And we had a grand time!! Do I sometimes wish for better or nicer things? Of course I do. Do I sometimes feel a little green because someone else got those things? I must admit I do. But then I remind myself that I don't know their entire story. I don't know what they went through or went without to get to that place.
It is MY responsibility to live the life that God has designed for ME. It is YOUR responsibility to live the life that God designed for YOU. We won't all go through the same struggles or trials or heartaches. But we will all go through some. Isn't that what Jesus said in part of John 16:33 "In the world ye shall have tribulation..."? Oh but look at the rest of that verse, "but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." We need to strive every day to be as Paul and say "for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." And we can change that to say "whatever life I am given I will be content in living".
Let us all pray for one another that the desires of our heart will be the desires of God's heart. And let us each be thankful for our life, our path, our journey. My prayer is that God blesses you greatly and that you are very grateful for each of those blessings!
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
We spend a lot of time with other people. And sometimes, from the outside, another person's life looks so much better than ours. One person gets to travel all over the world. Another person just got a nice new house. Someone else has the best spouse. Those people never have to worry about money. Feeling guilty yet? Yes, I think we all look at other people and think that the life they have is easy, glamorous, fun. Not like ours. Not mundane, hard, lonely.
But...that is THEIR life. That is the life God gave to them. What you may not know, however, are the sacrifices or losses those other people have. Maybe those people you envy never had children they longed for. Maybe they are hiding a severe illness. Maybe they have lost their parents. Maybe, just maybe, to them YOUR life looks pretty good.
God tells us to be content with our lives. That HE is with us always and nothing else is of great consequence. In Luke 12:15 we read "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."
It is not important to God for us to accumulate great wealth or possessions. It is important to Him that we take whatever He has given us and use it to serve Him, to minister to others, to live a life that may lead someone else to see His goodness.
Am I going to say that I am never jealous? Well, mercy me, that would be a big ole whopper! But I have learned that God gives each of us what He wants us to have. Will I ever have a brand new expensive home? Very doubtful. But I have had some time to work on renovations of our old run down home and it has brought lots of laughter and time together with my husband and, occasionally, our sons and friends. Will I ever drive the top of the line vehicle? No, that would be a waste of money; but I do have a vehicle that not only will carry all of my grandchildren but gave me the opportunity to travel some this summer with 3 of my aunts. And we had a grand time!! Do I sometimes wish for better or nicer things? Of course I do. Do I sometimes feel a little green because someone else got those things? I must admit I do. But then I remind myself that I don't know their entire story. I don't know what they went through or went without to get to that place.
It is MY responsibility to live the life that God has designed for ME. It is YOUR responsibility to live the life that God designed for YOU. We won't all go through the same struggles or trials or heartaches. But we will all go through some. Isn't that what Jesus said in part of John 16:33 "In the world ye shall have tribulation..."? Oh but look at the rest of that verse, "but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." We need to strive every day to be as Paul and say "for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." And we can change that to say "whatever life I am given I will be content in living".
Let us all pray for one another that the desires of our heart will be the desires of God's heart. And let us each be thankful for our life, our path, our journey. My prayer is that God blesses you greatly and that you are very grateful for each of those blessings!
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
5 years or Yesterday?
Revelation 21:4 - And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
September 27, 2012. That's the day my heart completely broke into. I lay on the bed, I talked to her, much of her family surrounded her. I had told her she could go weeks before. I promised I would be ok. I asked her to please tell Daddy that I kept my last promise to him--that I took care of her to the best of my ability. That I stood strong in his stead.
She waited for her "adopted" daughter to get there to say good-bye. Then she left. Just like that--she breathed her last breath. I felt her chest and it did not move. I looked up at her older sister and said "she's gone."
I was prepared. I knew it was coming.
Then I fell apart. I cried tears I didn't know I had left. I hurt so bad. I wanted her back. Not back sick, I wanted the Momma I had always had back. The Momma who scolded me and encouraged me. The Momma who was my friend. The Momma that cooked for me every weekend. That Momma. But she wasn't coming back and I couldn't stop the tears. I couldn't call my brother; somebody else had to do that. I couldn't get up. I couldn't let go.
I COULD NOT STOP CRYING!
And I knew I wasn't crying for her--she was whole again, she was with Daddy again, she got to hold my baby sister and she got to sit at the feet of Jesus. I was crying for ME! Because in all honesty, my heart truly was completely broken. I was an orphan. I had, in one fell swoop, lost my best friend, my advisor, my mom.
5 years have passed since that day. I have only cried a handful of times since that weekend. Sometimes I think I am just cried out. And I miss her. EVERY single day. Anyone who has lost someone they loved dearly knows that feeling. You know how little things bring them to your mind; how you sometimes dream about them at night and it feels so real you expect to see them; how you've picked up the phone to call only to realize that they are not going to answer. You understand. We can empathize with each other in our losses.
BUT---the good news is that there will come a day when I will see her again (and Daddy and meet my sister and see my grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins and friends who have gone home). And God promised there would be NO TEARS. None. All pain will be gone. My broken heart will be healed--my body will be perfect. How exciting! How I look forward to that day. And if you are a child of God-- you do too.
AND, I'm not really an orphan. He said He would be our Father: Psalm 68:5: A father of the fatherless... God is with me now, He was with me then and He will walk with me through the remainder of this life whether that is 30 minutes or 30 years. That brings peace. That brings hope.
So even though it often feels just like yesterday since Momma left me here, a lot has happened in those 5 years. The best part---my family has grown. We had already gained one daughter, now I have 2 and three of the most precious grandchildren ever. (I have no problems saying I am biased, but I can also give you a list of trouble areas!) My heart made room for all of them, just around the cracks in it. But I'm still looking forward to the day when we are all together again. Yet, while I am waiting, I will trust in the Lord and know that His promises are true and thank Him every day for that!
Now this part is just funny. :) Sunday we were in choir practice and we were singing "Build My Mansion" and the second part says "My mother's mansion may be close by me." As we were singing that I thought, "I don't even NEED a mansion. If Momma's is close by then I'm going to be at her "house" all of the time anyway!!! :)
September 27, 2012. That's the day my heart completely broke into. I lay on the bed, I talked to her, much of her family surrounded her. I had told her she could go weeks before. I promised I would be ok. I asked her to please tell Daddy that I kept my last promise to him--that I took care of her to the best of my ability. That I stood strong in his stead.
She waited for her "adopted" daughter to get there to say good-bye. Then she left. Just like that--she breathed her last breath. I felt her chest and it did not move. I looked up at her older sister and said "she's gone."
Then I fell apart. I cried tears I didn't know I had left. I hurt so bad. I wanted her back. Not back sick, I wanted the Momma I had always had back. The Momma who scolded me and encouraged me. The Momma who was my friend. The Momma that cooked for me every weekend. That Momma. But she wasn't coming back and I couldn't stop the tears. I couldn't call my brother; somebody else had to do that. I couldn't get up. I couldn't let go.
I COULD NOT STOP CRYING!
And I knew I wasn't crying for her--she was whole again, she was with Daddy again, she got to hold my baby sister and she got to sit at the feet of Jesus. I was crying for ME! Because in all honesty, my heart truly was completely broken. I was an orphan. I had, in one fell swoop, lost my best friend, my advisor, my mom.
5 years have passed since that day. I have only cried a handful of times since that weekend. Sometimes I think I am just cried out. And I miss her. EVERY single day. Anyone who has lost someone they loved dearly knows that feeling. You know how little things bring them to your mind; how you sometimes dream about them at night and it feels so real you expect to see them; how you've picked up the phone to call only to realize that they are not going to answer. You understand. We can empathize with each other in our losses.
BUT---the good news is that there will come a day when I will see her again (and Daddy and meet my sister and see my grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins and friends who have gone home). And God promised there would be NO TEARS. None. All pain will be gone. My broken heart will be healed--my body will be perfect. How exciting! How I look forward to that day. And if you are a child of God-- you do too.
AND, I'm not really an orphan. He said He would be our Father: Psalm 68:5: A father of the fatherless... God is with me now, He was with me then and He will walk with me through the remainder of this life whether that is 30 minutes or 30 years. That brings peace. That brings hope.
So even though it often feels just like yesterday since Momma left me here, a lot has happened in those 5 years. The best part---my family has grown. We had already gained one daughter, now I have 2 and three of the most precious grandchildren ever. (I have no problems saying I am biased, but I can also give you a list of trouble areas!) My heart made room for all of them, just around the cracks in it. But I'm still looking forward to the day when we are all together again. Yet, while I am waiting, I will trust in the Lord and know that His promises are true and thank Him every day for that!
Now this part is just funny. :) Sunday we were in choir practice and we were singing "Build My Mansion" and the second part says "My mother's mansion may be close by me." As we were singing that I thought, "I don't even NEED a mansion. If Momma's is close by then I'm going to be at her "house" all of the time anyway!!! :)
Thursday, September 21, 2017
"Dear God, my heart hurts"
Friday, September 22--first day of fall for 2017. I looked at the weather forecast and it looks like it will be the first week of October before we are going to feel fall weather. And I can tell you one thing, I look forward to those cooler temperatures for sure!
These days I have mixed feelings about fall. It used to be my favorite time of year. The cooler temps, the Friday nights of football, the opening of hunting season. I loved watching the leaves change colors, making pots of soup, snuggling in a blanket. Good things. Fun things. Happy things.
BUT, then there is the other side of fall. The things that make it less of a favorite. Both of my parents died in the fall. Several other close family members died in the fall. Less sunshine, more clouds, deeper depression. Bad things. Heartbreaking things. Sad things.
So every year I have to make a conscious decision as to how I am going to react. And some years it is harder than others. As I tried to pray the other night before bed all I could say was, "Dear God, my heart hurts." No other words. No other thoughts for others that needed prayers.
I know that was a selfish prayer but I also know that God hears all of our prayers--even when we are focused on ourselves. Jeremiah 29:12 says "Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you." He promised to hear our prayers and we know that God does not go back on His promises. So that night as I lay there unable to sleep, unable to cry, unable to think beyond the pain, I started letting all of the sad thoughts go through my mind. Then one of my favorite verses came into my mind--"For everything there is a season..." (Ecclesiates 3:1). Ok, then. This is just a season and then it will pass. But that verse finishes with "...and a time to every purpose under the heaven."
So over the next few days I thought about that word "purpose". God has a purpose for everything we face, for every trial, for every triumph, for every valley and every mountain. And I know there is a purpose for my hurting heart. In time I will know, I will see, and I feel like I'm being shown a glimmer of the direction where all of that pain and loss can be used to bring glory to God.
As I said, I've always loved the changing of the colors of the leaves in the fall. As they die it shows us that there is beauty in growing old and reaching the end of our time. That even as we depart from our original purpose that we can still be of use. So that is what I need to focus on. The fact that we all have a cycle of life and there will be seasons and some will bring joy and some will bring sadness but they all come from God. I want to be like one of those leaves. I want to bring Him glory regardless of changes going on. I want to be of use until I'm all used up. That will be my goal this year. To provide beauty in the form of a helping hand, a listening ear or a strong shoulder to those people God sends my way--that would be an excellent way to spend this fall!
Even though I miss my loved ones no longer with me (and all of you have someone you miss too!) I'm making an effort to focus on the beauty, on the good things, on the happy things. Hopefully, I will find some time to get in the kitchen and make a pot of Momma's soup. And if the hubby is VERY lucky, I might even make a bowl of popcorn crunch. And the ache of my heart has eased a little because I recently was able to use my experiences to be a guide for someone else.
Thank you, Lord, for always hearing my prayers--even when very few word will come.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Midlife Crisis? Midlife Transition? Passage? Turning Point?
So here is where I am today. Y'all know I'm straight with you. So what you get is what it is.
I thought I had done all my midlife "crisising" at 30 and 35---which is not even considered midlife. (That is now 45-65----in case you were wondering.) Anyway, those birthdays, for some inexplicable reason rocked me hard. 40 was not bad. 50 was great. So why, now, halfway through my 56th year of life am I struggling? I kept thinking it was just the depression and maybe it was time to change my meds but as I was walking down the hall at work, it hit me. Oh my word! I must be having a midlife crisis! So I got to thinking about what I know about midlife from the psychological, social and emotional points of view. Then I began to look in my Bible to see what God's word had to say about it. So here are some thoughts I've had....
Ecclesiates 3:1 says "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" I kind of like talking about seasons in life. We all know we go through some distinct periods like childhood, teen age years, all the way to late adulthood. But we all also go through seasons--sometimes at different rates and sometimes simultaneously such as student, spouse, parent of young child, parent of teenager, parent to our parents etc. So many roles--wife, mother, grandmother etc. Most of the time we know right where we are and what our responsibilities are. But other times we are just at a loss. I think midlife may be one of those times. What exactly am I doing? Is my career as important as it once was? Is it still fulfilling? And what about my role as parent? Am I still necessary? What is my role as a grandmother? So in this season, why do I feel a little loss?
I looked at the "signs" of a midlife "You ask yourself some deep, probing questions. You feel as if you're slowly losing your mind. You feel like life is one big pile of blah. You feel as if your best years are behind you." And so on and so forth. (Woman's Day, April 14, 2017) And yes, all of these things apply to me. So there we are. Or rather, here I am.
I do know that men and women deal with midlife differently and one thing women often focus on is our looks. Society says youth is beautiful. Wrinkles, sagging skin and crows feet are not. But God tells us this will happen. "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:" 1Peter 1:24 So we know this is going to happen but even then, it is hard. Yet, when we think of the most beautiful mature women we know, we seldom can tell you about wrinkles or the circles under their eyes. Their beauty comes from inside. It is made up of their love for God, for family and if we are really lucky, for us. Not from Botox or some magic potion. So why is this so hard for us to accept for ourselves? I even venture to guess that if you asked those very women if they thought they were beautiful they may say "I once was." But they don't see it themselves. So as I look at every line and wrinkle and dark spot, I have to remember that the "flower...falleth away." It will be ok. I will just slather on my moisturizing lotions and put on my makeup. And then not look in the mirror again. ha ha
One morning I was viewing a video on the 7 things that are done by effective people. I can do some of those things but a couple of them discussed these questions. If you were able to stand over yourself at your funeral, what would YOU say about you? Would you be pleased with the life you lived, with what you did for others, for the work of God? And what do you say your priorities are and how does that to compare to how you spend your time? Which made me think of the Dr. Laura quote "What do you want to do between now and dead?" But that is part of my problem. There is SO much I want to do between now and dead. So many other things I want to try. Other ways I want to serve.
So pray with me as I work through the transitions that many of you have navigated already and the rest will have to look forward to facing. And pray for those who have to deal with me on a day to day basis that we can each understand what the other is facing. I really can't imagine going through this passage without my family and my friends. And I will keep camping in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
I thought I had done all my midlife "crisising" at 30 and 35---which is not even considered midlife. (That is now 45-65----in case you were wondering.) Anyway, those birthdays, for some inexplicable reason rocked me hard. 40 was not bad. 50 was great. So why, now, halfway through my 56th year of life am I struggling? I kept thinking it was just the depression and maybe it was time to change my meds but as I was walking down the hall at work, it hit me. Oh my word! I must be having a midlife crisis! So I got to thinking about what I know about midlife from the psychological, social and emotional points of view. Then I began to look in my Bible to see what God's word had to say about it. So here are some thoughts I've had....
Ecclesiates 3:1 says "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" I kind of like talking about seasons in life. We all know we go through some distinct periods like childhood, teen age years, all the way to late adulthood. But we all also go through seasons--sometimes at different rates and sometimes simultaneously such as student, spouse, parent of young child, parent of teenager, parent to our parents etc. So many roles--wife, mother, grandmother etc. Most of the time we know right where we are and what our responsibilities are. But other times we are just at a loss. I think midlife may be one of those times. What exactly am I doing? Is my career as important as it once was? Is it still fulfilling? And what about my role as parent? Am I still necessary? What is my role as a grandmother? So in this season, why do I feel a little loss?
I looked at the "signs" of a midlife "You ask yourself some deep, probing questions. You feel as if you're slowly losing your mind. You feel like life is one big pile of blah. You feel as if your best years are behind you." And so on and so forth. (Woman's Day, April 14, 2017) And yes, all of these things apply to me. So there we are. Or rather, here I am.
I do know that men and women deal with midlife differently and one thing women often focus on is our looks. Society says youth is beautiful. Wrinkles, sagging skin and crows feet are not. But God tells us this will happen. "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:" 1Peter 1:24 So we know this is going to happen but even then, it is hard. Yet, when we think of the most beautiful mature women we know, we seldom can tell you about wrinkles or the circles under their eyes. Their beauty comes from inside. It is made up of their love for God, for family and if we are really lucky, for us. Not from Botox or some magic potion. So why is this so hard for us to accept for ourselves? I even venture to guess that if you asked those very women if they thought they were beautiful they may say "I once was." But they don't see it themselves. So as I look at every line and wrinkle and dark spot, I have to remember that the "flower...falleth away." It will be ok. I will just slather on my moisturizing lotions and put on my makeup. And then not look in the mirror again. ha ha
One morning I was viewing a video on the 7 things that are done by effective people. I can do some of those things but a couple of them discussed these questions. If you were able to stand over yourself at your funeral, what would YOU say about you? Would you be pleased with the life you lived, with what you did for others, for the work of God? And what do you say your priorities are and how does that to compare to how you spend your time? Which made me think of the Dr. Laura quote "What do you want to do between now and dead?" But that is part of my problem. There is SO much I want to do between now and dead. So many other things I want to try. Other ways I want to serve.
So pray with me as I work through the transitions that many of you have navigated already and the rest will have to look forward to facing. And pray for those who have to deal with me on a day to day basis that we can each understand what the other is facing. I really can't imagine going through this passage without my family and my friends. And I will keep camping in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Which Question Will You Ask?
This is from one of my favorite passages in the Bible. I've worked on this for several days because there is so much in this chapter but I knew there was no way to cover everything in this chapter. So I chose a little bit to look at. The questions are Who is at Fault? and Can this be used for God's glory? I think you'll understand more at the end.
John 9
John 9
1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Too often, when something bad happens, people ask "Who is at fault for this?" They wonder what has a person, family, group, etc. done to have bad things happen to them. The disciples were the same way. When they saw the man who had been blind from birth, they wanted to know who was at fault. Did this man do something before he was born to cause his blindness? Did his parents do something that led to their son being born blind? Remember, the disciples were just plain men, just like we are, so it was just out of their unknowing that they would ask. We do the same thing. We don't know all there is to know about God's plans for our lives or the lives of others. We don't know why some people who are God's children seem to face trial after trial. We, like the disciples, ask out of ignorance-out of unknowing.
Matthew Henry states: "We must take heed of judging any to be great sinners merely because they are great sufferers, lest we be found, not only persecuting those whom God has smitten, but accusing those whom he has justified, and condemning those for whom Christ died, which is daring and dangerous."
We need to be careful when we put forth our condemnations of others saying that everything that has happened was brought upon them by themselves. We don't know that. We only know what God allows us to know at any point. The disciples were the same way.
But then Jesus gave them some important information.
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
It is not this man's fault. It is not his parents' fault. It is for GOD to be able to show His strength and His mercy to the people. Many times we each face hardships because God will use it to His glory!
Jesus went on to say:
4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
And then Jesus gave the blind man his sight. Imagine the joy that man must have felt! He wanted to tell everyone about what had happened! Just as we should want to tell everyone about what happened to us. Though not physically blind, we are all spiritually blind until Jesus gives us sight. Of course, no one believed this man. Sometimes we also have trouble believing when God has worked the great work of salvation in someone. But just like this man now could physically see, when we accept Jesus as our Savior now we can spiritually see. And what a change that sight should bring to all of our lives!
The Pharisees didn't want to believe that Jesus had given the man his sight and questioned him over and over. I can almost hear the frustration in the man's voice when he said in verse 27 "...I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?" He had already told them what had happened and Who had healed him--more than once. But they just didn't want to believe. Remember they hated Jesus and never wanted Him to be glorified. Yet, this man, blind from birth who now could see, just kept saying Glory to God! In verse 33 he said "If this man were not of God, he could do nothing." And they cast the man out. But this was not the end of his story.
35-38 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
I am so thankful to serve a God who can give us our sight. I'm even more thankful to know that when we face trials and tribulations they can be used to bring glory to God. So that others can see His work in and through us. Through our faith, our perserversance, our knowledge that He and He alone will see us though every situation. Let's be careful as we see suffering that we don't do like the disciples and ask whose fault this is. Let us instead pray to be able to see God's work. Let us look at trials and heartaches in our lives and the lives of others as a way for God to be glorified. Let us, like the blind man, trust in Jesus and let His light shine through us so that others might see.
So now, when faced with trials will you ask, Whose fault is this? or "Can this be used for God's glory?
Sunday, June 4, 2017
The Bumps in the Road
As we were returning home today from a weekend spent in Conway, Arkansas, we ran through some pretty rough rain. Now, even though June 5th is our 35th wedding anniversary, don't be mislead into thinking this was an anniversary trip. This was a trip for Mark to run Biskit in a dog trial (he didn't do well at all the first day and some things there is just no coming back from) but Mark invited me along so I went and spent part of 2 days watching tv. He did, however, feed me well each evening and let me go shopping for him some shoes. :) He is so sweet that way!
The driving had to be hard on Mark because there was lots of traffic and it was hard to see so I know he would have rather the sun had been shining or at least that the rain would stop. And I was sitting in the passenger seat with my bare feet propped up in the window, I was trying to hide the fact that the weather and the traffic were making me a bit nervous. But never once did I think, nor did I hear Mark say, "This is just too hard and I think we should just pull off the road and forget about driving any more." No matter how hard the rain fell, or how thick the traffic got, we stayed in the truck just trudging along. A time or two we would see a sign that would warn us of a bump ahead; but the worst bumps came with no warning.
Anyway, as we were driving through the rain and the construction and the rough road, I just got to thinking about marriage in general and our marriage in particular. There have been times in our 35 years of marriage when the rain fell pretty hard. We had struggles. We had trials. We had sons. All of that can put a damper on things. There were times when we knew a bump was coming--a terminally ill parent or transition in parenting roles. But there were many times when we didn't see that particular bump up ahead and it was rough. One of those that bounces you up to hit your head on the ceiling even though you are buckled in. Those bumps that take your breath away. The kind that make you cry even when you are trying not to do so. And, there were some potholes along the way and lots of traffic--especially on those days of us meeting each other in the road. But in those times neither of us said, "This is too hard. I think we should just bail out of this and forget the rest of the journey." We hung in there, together. We prayed. We talked. We worked through things. We stood together when an outside force was the cause of the problem. We repeated in our minds that we didn't promise each other to stay only through the good and healthy. We said we'd stay through the worse and the sickness.
[Let me stop here and say I know there are somethings that you can't get over or through--abuse being the number one of those. I'd never tell somebody they had to stay in an abusive relationship although I know many women who stood firm and trusted God and got to watch Him take that abusive man and save him and make him a wonderful husband and father.]
Back to the thoughts I was having....How easy it would have been to just pull over today and wait out the rain. But we couldn't. We had commitments we had to honor. And it would have been easy many days to pack up and walk out. But we didn't. We had commitments we had to honor. We had made a 3 way covenant between each of us and God. We made vows. More than a contract----a covenant.
So here we are. 35 years later. 35 exciting, interesting, sometimes hard years. We have grown so much in these 35 years. We've learned a LOT in these 35 years. Would I do it all again? For sure!! (Have you seen my beautiful grandchildren!?!) Would I like to have 35 more? I will take every year that God has in store for us! There may be more bumps along the way. But together, the 3 of us can continue to abide as one. Happy Anniversary to us. Thank you, Lord, for never leaving us on our own!
Genesis 2:24 - "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
Ecclesiastes 4:12 "... a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
The driving had to be hard on Mark because there was lots of traffic and it was hard to see so I know he would have rather the sun had been shining or at least that the rain would stop. And I was sitting in the passenger seat with my bare feet propped up in the window, I was trying to hide the fact that the weather and the traffic were making me a bit nervous. But never once did I think, nor did I hear Mark say, "This is just too hard and I think we should just pull off the road and forget about driving any more." No matter how hard the rain fell, or how thick the traffic got, we stayed in the truck just trudging along. A time or two we would see a sign that would warn us of a bump ahead; but the worst bumps came with no warning.
Anyway, as we were driving through the rain and the construction and the rough road, I just got to thinking about marriage in general and our marriage in particular. There have been times in our 35 years of marriage when the rain fell pretty hard. We had struggles. We had trials. We had sons. All of that can put a damper on things. There were times when we knew a bump was coming--a terminally ill parent or transition in parenting roles. But there were many times when we didn't see that particular bump up ahead and it was rough. One of those that bounces you up to hit your head on the ceiling even though you are buckled in. Those bumps that take your breath away. The kind that make you cry even when you are trying not to do so. And, there were some potholes along the way and lots of traffic--especially on those days of us meeting each other in the road. But in those times neither of us said, "This is too hard. I think we should just bail out of this and forget the rest of the journey." We hung in there, together. We prayed. We talked. We worked through things. We stood together when an outside force was the cause of the problem. We repeated in our minds that we didn't promise each other to stay only through the good and healthy. We said we'd stay through the worse and the sickness.
[Let me stop here and say I know there are somethings that you can't get over or through--abuse being the number one of those. I'd never tell somebody they had to stay in an abusive relationship although I know many women who stood firm and trusted God and got to watch Him take that abusive man and save him and make him a wonderful husband and father.]
Back to the thoughts I was having....How easy it would have been to just pull over today and wait out the rain. But we couldn't. We had commitments we had to honor. And it would have been easy many days to pack up and walk out. But we didn't. We had commitments we had to honor. We had made a 3 way covenant between each of us and God. We made vows. More than a contract----a covenant.
So here we are. 35 years later. 35 exciting, interesting, sometimes hard years. We have grown so much in these 35 years. We've learned a LOT in these 35 years. Would I do it all again? For sure!! (Have you seen my beautiful grandchildren!?!) Would I like to have 35 more? I will take every year that God has in store for us! There may be more bumps along the way. But together, the 3 of us can continue to abide as one. Happy Anniversary to us. Thank you, Lord, for never leaving us on our own!
Genesis 2:24 - "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
Ecclesiastes 4:12 "... a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
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