Laced With Grace

A few days ago, I went to see my friend Rose in the hospital. After months of health problems, I heard she’d suffered a seizure and was heavily medicated. I had no idea that she’d be unrecognizable. I went into her room and promptly came out thinking they’d given me the wrong room card. The patient I saw looked like a child-size emaciated refugee from Auschwitz, nothing like the Rose I knew. Three times I came out and three times the nurses assured me that the patient was indeed Rose.

So I went in again and starting talking to Rose. She shifted toward me. I talked some more. Her hand opened and I clasped it in mine. And then she spoke. Not words, just some sounds. But I knew. The voice was unmistakable. Rose’s distinctive husky voice.

I stayed a while, praying and sharing Scripture with her. It soothed both of us.

At first glance (and second and third glance), all I saw was a twisted knobby skeletal frame. But when I heard her voice, I knew that sweet, gentle Rose was inside the thorny brambles.

It’s like that with life sometimes.

I see the briars, the thorns, the brambles. I see a dark complex maze of problems and issues. And then, in the midst of it all, I’ll hear God’s unmistakable voice. I’ll sense Him in the midst of it all. And it soothes me. Then I can see past the mess to the message inside.

I’m so grateful for His presence in ALL things. No matter how difficult things appear, He’s there.

I pray you aren’t going through a thorny time right now. But if you are, be assured. He knows, He cares, and He wants to speak to you in the midst of it all. These are the times that grow our faith, when we can’t see for ourselves and so must trust.  Listen for that gentle voice and let Him lead you through.

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Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  2 Cor. 4:16-18

Much love,

Susan

Ps – I saw my dear Rose today. She’s making some progress. She was able to briefly communicate coherently today and even joked. With a smile and chuckle, she said,“The Lord’s been good to me. I must have done something right.” As you read this or sometime during your day, would you pray for Rose? There are a myriad of issues, health-wise and otherwise, that need divine intervention. Thank you!

Every time I log on to the Internet I’m bombarded with news stories from all over the world. The headlines really grab my attention and pull me into the story and that’s exactly what they’re intended to do. Much of the time when I read the story however, it doesn’t live up to the headline from which I was pulled into it. As Shakespeare would say, it is “Much ado about nothing.”

It’s been the same with other headlines throughout the years: The crash of society promised by the Y2K scare, the prediction of the rapture of the church a few months ago (something that has been repeated many times before), and the end of the world foretold to be just around the corner…sometime this year – 2012.

It seems to be a part of our nature as human beings to want to know everything; even the future. The fact is, only God knows everything…including the future, and instead of following the headlines, He wants us to follow Him. His promises remain true no matter what the newspapers, Internet, or TV headlines say. He keeps us informed on a need-to-know basis, and He has given us his word to direct us. If indeed He sends a headline we are to follow, I am certain it will be found within the pages of the Bible and will lead in a direction opposite from where the world is heading.

In any case, we don’t need to be troubled about these things. Our Heavenly Father takes care of His children and provides for our every need. Let not our hearts be troubled, neither let us be afraid (John 14:27). If we keep our eyes on Him this brand new year, we won’t get caught up in the headlines.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My word will by no means pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matthew 24:35-36

Charlotte

“I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.   And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”  Romans 12:1,2

How I live my daily life is influenced by my view of eternity.  I firmly believe that my life today is part of eternity, therefore worship should be my way of life.

Worship is more than something we do like sing, pray, read our Bibles. It’s how I live out my life. Yes, it’s an act of devotion and involves all those components, but my ambition isn’t to simply become skilled and proficient at doing things and then proclaim I have worshiped. My most holy ambition is to be Christ like with every breath I take.  To be molded and transformed into His likeness.

When I read about the lives of great Christians, heroes of the faith, I see three common threads in their life style of worship.

First, they live a life of brokenness – a desperate sense of needing God, that it’s all about Him and not them.

The second common thread I see interwoven into the fabric of their lives is an uncommon communion with God. There was/is an attitude of pray that permeated their lives. They lived and breathed His presence. They spent serious amounts of time with the Lord.

Thirdly, they had radical, immediate obedience.

These three common threads are woven into the tapestry of every person God uses greatly. It was their spiritual service of worship to their Almighty God.

The first and third we can all do in any season of life.  But the second thread, uncommon communion with God, can be hard to do when you are homeschooling 4 little ones, nursing another, keeping your home, and meeting your husband’s needs.  Maybe we can’t devote hours to prayer and Bible study, but there is something we can do.

We can have our own “tent of meeting” like Moses had (Exodus 33:7-11).  He would frequently leave the group and go to his place to hear from God and the Lord would tell him what He wanted him to do. We can have our own private space to meet with Him and ask Him, “Lord, how would you have me show You my love and devotion? How may I worship You today?”

If you’re like the Mom I described above, His answer to you is not going to be, “Someday my dear daughter, I’m going to do something great with you, but right now, you just stay home.”  No, His answer is going to be something like this, “My dear daughter, I want you to make the most of each moment I give you today. I want you to use your unique position in life and your unique circumstances, and I want you to give time an injection of eternal values, a taste of heaven. Then those you meet and care for on your journey today will have seen a woman who truly loves Me and worships only Me.”

What’s your unique position or stage of  life?  What circumstances are you living with? Are you rising above the circumstance with an injection of eternal values, or are you smothering under the weight?  How can you use your position and circumstances to bring glory to God and worship Him?

Lord, I praise You for creating me to be me. Lord, I want to be the best I can be so I can point others to You and give you all the praise, honor, glory and  worship.

Create in me a spirit of brokenness. Give me an insatiable thirst and hunger for You. Lord, I want to have uncommon communion with You. I desire to give you radical, immediate obedience, but I’m weak and faint of heart at times. Help me to walk by faith with You and to trust You completely.

Lord, this is my one and only opportunity to live for eternity here on earth. To demonstrate a life committed to the service of worshipping You.

 I love You.

Your Humbly Grateful Daughter.