Laced With Grace

Sometimes surgery is needed for healing.

My 12 year old daughter recently had a “minor” surgery on her ear. Ashley had tubes put in her ears several years ago, and the right tube, stubbornly, would just not fall out.  It had been in Ashley’s ear for three years and the ear was starting to grow around it.  Leaving the tube in her ear could cause problems down the road, including hearing loss.

Sometimes surgery is needed for healing.

So….we made the decision to have the tube surgically removed.  Ashley also had to have a “fat patch”, which entailed taking fat from behind her ear lobe and filling the hole left by the tube.

As a parent, you never like to see your child go through a surgery.  It can be scary to know she will be “under” and then wheeled away from your watchful supervision under the care of someone else.

But, sometimes surgery is needed for healing.

Ashley was in pain for several days after the surgery.  She had stitches that needed to fall out.  She had a sore throat from a breathing tube.  Her voice sounded strained.  She was tired and needed to recover.

But, surgery was needed for healing.

The same can be said spiritually.

God sometimes needs to “surgically” remove things from our hearts- pride, lust, greed, unforgiveness, bitterness, jealousy, anger, hatred….

Sometimes it is painful and there is a recovery process.

Sometimes it seems scary while we are going through it.

Sometimes we have to close our eyes and simply trust that we are being cared for.

But, surgery is needed for healing.

Thankfully, we can trust that God is precise.  He is wise and knows what He is doing.  He is capable and skillful.  He is the master surgeon.  He knows what He must do in order for our healing to take place.

“God heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

Father God, I bless Your Name.  I praise You and give You all glory and honor and praise.  Thank You that You know exactly how to heal me, even when it means that You must perform surgery on my heart.  Thank You that You love me so much that You desire to heal my broken heart.  Lord, I surrender to You.  I give You my heart and ask that You remove anything that is blocking my hearing.  I ask that You remove anything that does not belong there.  Get my heart right.  Heal me.  Thank You, Lord.  In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen.

“Recovering Post-OP” with you,

Tracy

Sitting at the lake at 7:00 AM during family camp this summer, I was struck by the words, “It just takes a second to adjust.”

Some daring swimmers were braving the early morning lake water.  The first person jumped right in and her friend was gingerly putting her toe in the water, testing it.  The swimmer was encouraging her friend to take the plunge because her body would quickly get used to the water.

Although I was sitting on the sidelines, just enjoying the view, I knew the water had to be frigid, shocking your body.  But, I also knew from experience, that your body will also adjust to the temperature, allowing the early morning swim.

What profound words!

I thought that life can often be that way…..our attitudes/thoughts/behaviors taking “just a second to adjust.”

I thought about all the times I allowed my mind to “just take a second to adjust.”

Are there times when I am “shocked” like that jolt of cold water, by worldly situations…TV shows, song lyrics, philosophies and reasoning of the world, of pop culture, but I allow my thinking to “adjust”?  Do I allow myself to “get used” to the “water” of the world?

The Word tells us, “Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- His good, pleasing, and perfect will.” -Romans 12:2

Father, help me to always stay focused and aware.  Help me to NOT adjust to the world’s thinking….and thus, conforming to it.  Instead, Lord, may I always be transformed by the renewing of my mind.  Shine Your Light on my thinking, revealing any WRONG thinking.  Show me areas where I have “adjusted” to the ways of the world.  I love You, Lord.  I want to always live for You!  In Jesus’ precious Name we pray.  Amen!

Have you ever seen an “everyday miracle?”

I believe we will find “everyday miracles” around us if we just open our eyes to see them. God is so amazing and when I slow down long enough to notice, I find little surprises all around me!  For example, there is a miracle sprouting up in my driveway.

Can you believe this beautiful petunia?  Yes, it is growing in the middle of the asphalt!  Never planted…never watered or cared for…but still growing and blooming and vibrant!  This flower growing in my driveway looks better than some of my potted ones planted in fertilized, beautiful, nutrient rich soil!

This petunia teaches me a lesson in perseverance.  When I first saw it, I immediately thought about Romans 5:4 :

“…we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.” NIV

…and James 1:4 :

” Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

This little seed, wherever it had come from, had persevered through the rock, the lack of rain, and even the lack of nurturing.

Even through trials, hope perseveres!

I believe God has been teaching me lessons on perseverance this summer.  This pretty petunia was the second lesson.  Earlier, I had an experience with a very persistent wasp!  He kept building a nest in the corner of our garage, near the garage door.  Every day I would shoo him away and knock down the nest.  Some days this occurred several times throughout the day.  I even sprayed bug repellent in the corner, thinking that would keep him away.  Desperate, I saturated the corner with “Awesome”, a stain remover/cleaner that always removed all my pesky, persistent STAINS in clothing and carpets!  He would fly away and I was sure my problem had disappeared until I came outside, and there would be the wasp, building a new nest as if nothing had happened!

I have often pondered these verses from Romans and James this summer, thinking about the wasp and the petunia.

A few weeks ago, I had a much needed spiritual renewal at Family Camp.  You can read about that here.  I had been so dry and weary upon going.  The theme was “Restored” and God did exactly that!  I came back exhilarated and ready to recommit my life, my time, my SELF to the Lord again!

….and then life happens.

I again allowed my schedule to get busy.  How convenient it became to push God to the “back burner” and do all the things that just HAD to be done!  Instead of getting up and filling up on Him first thing, I again allowed all of life’s distractions to pull me away.  Each morning, I was off and running, checking emails, making calls, and doing “stuff.”

As I thought about how “RESTORED” I had been just a few weeks ago, God brought Matthew 7:7 to mind. “Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking (reverently) and the door will be opened.”  AMP

I need to keep seeking God, keep pursuing this relationship with Him….I need to have perseverance in making Him the most important thing in my life.  Just because I “reconnected” with God at Family Camp, I can’t slide back into my old habits.  I desire to passionately seek Him…..intimately pursue Him…and keep seeking and keep pursuing….and keep seeking…and pursuing….

And, isn’t God so amazing to put “everyday miracles” in our lives to remind us of these simple truths?

Persevering with you,

Tracy