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Why is it that everything in life involves some waiting? From the time we are children we are taught to paitiently wait our turn, or wait until we are old enough for certain priviledges (dating,driver's licenses, voting, etc.). We wait nine months in anticiaption of a baby, and 365 days so we can be a year older.Perhaps it is a part of the preparation process for the longer waits that we will endure as an adult. And yes,I mean endure. I feel like I am waiting for so many things right now. My husband to come home from a week long business trip, for my terminally ill mother to take her last breath (how much more time do I have with her, Lord, time enough for another visit? She lives in another state.), for our house, which has been on the market for over a year, to sell, for my prodigal son to come home, for an answer to insurance acceptance or rejection, which holds more answers, especially for the prodigal to continue to be in the recovery house longer or not, and the list could go on, but these are tops on the list now. Every morning as I spend time with the Lord, I eagerly seek to hear/see something that will come in the way of an answer. But all I get is more on waiting. Sometimes He'll send a phone call that brings encouragement or even a new promise to keep me perservering. These are what I hold onto on the good days. On the not so good days, when I complain, He sends His gentle rebuke (as He did this morning in Job) reminding me He has everything under control. I guess what makes it so hard is that I am probably more of a Martha, a doer, and He wants me to be a Mary, and wait at His feet right now. What a wondeful place to be, if I can only sit still. Thank you, Lord, that You are longsuffering toward us and Your love endures forever. I guess that's why it takes some of us a lifetime to acheive even a hint of this in our lives. How much more do we learn as we persevere and wait upon You! To trust, walk by faith, love, forgive, compassion, generosity, peace, understanding, contentment,self-control, and the list can go on. God has so much more to teach us in the waiting than we can imagine, and then when it is over, we get the added blessings of the prayers being answered, and the promises being fulfilled. Our God is good! "But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8:25 Thus, true saints have continued long in patient waiting without reply, not because thier prayers were unaccepted, but because it so pleased Him who is sovereign, and who gives according to His own pleasure. If it pleases Him to bid our patience exercise itself, shall He not do as He will with His own? Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way!
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| Ever since I joined mychurch just a couple of months ago, I have been amazed at the inspiring blogs out there. I have been considering ever since, what do these blogs really represent? You see, I am not really computer literate with terms and all the technolgy, so I gave a higher purpose to this acronym. Bite-sized Lessons On God (BLOG) At the end of each day, I explore new words given for the day and am so blessed and encouraged when I think in wonder at this Ominpresent God "who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Phil.2:13) How pleased our Lord must be to see His body interact, encourage and pray for one another in a much grander scale than just the community church. He truly is everywhere, from WA to FL and all the places in-between. He is so incomprehendable! It is awesome to see Him working through so many, in so many different places all at the same time! What a mighty God we serve! BLOG on, bless much.
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I almost missed a blessing a couple of nights ago. I had continued to receive invitations to a night of pampering at a Mom2Mom group sponsored by our church. With so many things going on in our life right now, things changing on a daily basis, I just didn't want to commit and have to cancel. So as usual I'd continue to be the homebody that I am. That is, until one last invitation from my daughter, that I realized that God really wanted me to be there. As I pulled up in front of the house, I was totally overcome in my heart with God saying "I just want to bless you." It was a very strong impression that I almost began to weep. I stopped myself, saying this is supposed to be fun. Well, it was fun, and more than that it was warm, comfortable, soothing, refreshing, and delicious! As I left, I was reminded of a story a friend had shared wih me. There were two women. One was alone with many troubles, yet always appeared to be joyful, never complaining. The other had much, yet was never satisfied and always searching. One day, God showed the one who was never satisifed the reason why. It was like they were both standing in a great open field. The one who was never satisfied had her arms crossed in front of her, making it difficult for her to receive anything. But, the one with little, had her arms open wide, looking up towards the heavens, receiving all the blesings the Lord was sending down. After remembering this story, I had to ask myself, how was I holding my arms.It's not that I'm not satisfied, for everyday, He feeds me with His Word, but I realized, that He has so much more for me, and sometimes I limit myself by not recognizing and responding to opportunities leading to a floodgate of blessings. I've decided I don't want a funnel of blessings, I want those floodgates! I'm looking up from now on with outstretched arms. I don't want to come that close again and miss something just for me :) "He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob." Psalm 24:4-6
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| Lately I've been thinking a lot about trees and the many things I have learned and am in the process of learning about them. I guess not so much learning about trees themselves,but the life applications from observing them. Most of us have read the wonderful book "The Tale of Three Trees", in which three young trees dream of what they will be when they grow up one day. One wanted to be a beautiful treasure chest,another a strong sailing ship, and the third wanted to stay on the mountain top so that when people looked at him they would raise their eyes toward heaven and think of God. As their lives moved on it did not appear that thy would end up seeing their dreams fulfilled until the very end, when the first tree was the one that had been made into a manger and held the King of all Kings, Jesus, the greatest treasure of all. The second tree became a common fishing boat, standing strong in the midst of a storm that the King of heaven and earth calmed.The third tree had been in a forgotten woodpile. It was used to make a cross that a man was nailed to. That same cross, when people look to it, even today, they see God. God made the difference. Even now He still does. Since moving to WA and weathering many storms and the aftermaths that followed, I have witnessed giants uprooted because their roots were not deep. How often even in the Christian community do we see those who appear to be giants fall when a storm or trial creeps up in their life. We've got to have deep roots that hold tightly to the Father. This week Zaccheus was impressed on my heart. God had known many years before that the tree he would climb would change his life forever. He had planted (or had someone plant) that very tree for when that day would come giving Zaccheus the opportunity to make a choice that would save his life. Last week a tree stump saved the life of my oldest son. God had known about this day too, and had a plan in motion years in advance.He has a plan that is still unfolding, and cannot be denied, by keeping the boy whose name means "God will increase". The significance is amazing to me.Even my son is amazed he was not hurt at all in this very serious accident.I think we all have/had a tree in our life. Perhaps it came in some form that wasn't recognized at the time, but caused us to stop for a moment and see our life a different way. Perhaps it saved our life. Whatever the case may be, if you haven't reached your tree yet,I know God has one planted out there somewhere waiting just for you to change your life.That tree that was made into a cross certainly has changed mine.
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Jury duty. Nobody seems too excited to serve, and most people search for ways to avoid it. It's mostly viewed as an interruption in our lives as it never seems to come at a "good time".I have made attempts to get out of it over the years and have been excused for my valid ones ( nursing babies, in-home day care provider) but have served as well when the attempt failed. Just before Christmas and our trip to CA, I was summoned for the first time in WA. I was surprised as we have only been here for 2+ years, but sent in my reply believing God had a plan and He would work out the details of me needing to be present or not. Our 3 weeks were up and we had to return so I could make that first phone call to find out whether I needed to show up. I prayed and asked to be released especially for that first week as many transitions were taking place in our life, but I also asked the Lord's will be done. I ended up not having to report until the following Tuesday. When I did report, at least another hundred people did as well. We checked in, sat down, watched a video,received a brief intro into the case for which they were selecting, and heard a most uplifting speech by the judge on the trial. We received 4 page questionnaires, filled them in and were dismissed for lunch. Upon our return we began the process of selection which began with 82 people after several others had been released earlier because of their commitments in the next 3 weeks, for this would be the length of the trial. This is where God really began revealing to me what He wanted me to see. As the attorneys began their questioning of perspective panel members, the people behind the faces were revealed. I realized ever more how we can be in a crowd, whether it be in our own church, a mall, the grocery store, our workplace, and even the court room, and not truly have even a close idea of what goes on in people's lives. So much is hidden behind these physical bodies. The attorneys were representing parties in a mal-practice case which would be very sensitive and emotional and asked questions accordingly which revealed many hurts in many hearts.One gentleman had lost his wife just a year earlier and began to break down under the questioning. A mother of a doctor daughter had recently witnessed her daughter not be able to help her own young child after having severe seizures leaving her handicapped as a result. A 20 something young girl was told, as were the rest of us, that head attire (hats) could not be worn in the courtroom unless it had a religious purpose, thus leaving her to expose her scalp with little hair from chemotherapy. Another lady confessed the case would be very difficult for her as she is a very emotional, sympathetic person.The lady sitting on my right just worked on her sketches from the office, not too interested in much of what was going on. The lady on the other side was fascinated and remarked it was nothing like TV. And so it went on, each person a different story. One attorney asked all of us to raise our hands if we were parents and almost every hand went up. Then he asked who were grandparents- not quite as many, but it made me wonder, would I have guessed who and would they have guessed me, had we not made the motion. Bits of lives were revealed including mine. Will I ever see any of those people again, I don't know as I was released the following day (just in time to prepare for my oldest daughter's birthday dinner and my oldest son's homecoming from a long trip).I do know that God opened my eyes to the hurting, to the needy, the victims,the troubled,the lonely,the hardened and/or apathetic, most of all to those who need Him.I know that I cannot reach every person I see or come in contact with, but I do pray that those who am I connected to in my circles, I will be able to discern and know how I may help meet their need.I pray that my eyes would come off myself and look upon others as our loving Father in Heaven does and that I would not be in such a hurry to take a moment to call, send a note, or pray on their behalf. "The king will reply, ' I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' " Matthew 25:40
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