Laced With Grace

“…long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.” – 2Peter 3:5 (NIV)

Living by the ocean is a dream come true. The ocean is the one part of creation that seems somewhat untouchable by mankind. I know we have polluted the waters, killed much of the wildlife that inhabits those waters and used the ocean as our own personal playground and toilet at the same time. Still, there is something about that aspect of God’s creation that reminds me that He is in control and His will cannot be thwarted.

If you doubt it, take a nine foot by two foot piece of polyurethane foam covered in layers of fiberglass, cloth and epoxy resin into the ocean and paddle out past the first few sets of breaking waves. If you get that far, lay on the fiberglass covered foam and try to paddle in as a wave begins to form, standing up just as the wave crests.  If you succeed, it’s the closest you’ll come to walking on water. If you fail, like I often do, it’s still the closest thing to seeing creation in its raw unbridled state.

It still brims with fish and the waters come ashore every day without ceasing – sometimes angrily as though they were fighting back against the damage we inflict on the water and its inhabitants. It cannot be tamed by jetties or shorelines and it cannot be constrained by manmade means. We cannot even begin to explore its depths or even its surface in some areas of the world. It is one of the few things on this earth that is beyond exploration to it’s fullest because we are incapable of withstanding all that the ocean is.

There’s something reassuring about that – about our weakness – our insufficiency – our incapacity.

There is something comforting in knowing that while we have done our best to exert our power over His creation, God has created things we can barely touch the surface of even though we can immerse ourselves in it. It is a reminder that God is sovereign. It is a reminder of the words God gave Isaiah to speak in Isaiah 40:12 (NIV):

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,

Or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?

Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,

or weighed the mountains on the scales

and the hills in a balance?

Lying on a foam board covered in fiberglass that weighs less than I do less than half a football field’s length from the beach is not something I take for granted. The reverence it commands and reflects back on our Creator is not something I think will fade either.

I am grateful man has not been able to subdue the ocean. I am humbled to be a witness to His creation – to God’s glory. I am overwhelmed by the fact that our God loves His last creation, mankind, despite what we’ve done to the world He created for us.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” – John 3:17 (NIV)

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

Many of you have been faithful followers and prayer warriors following my family’s “Journey of Change” these past few years since I have been blogging. From May 2008 to present we have journeyed from losing our 1800 sq. ft. home in Phoenix, Arizona; downsizing to an 800 sq. ft. apartment; followed the leading of the Lord for my husband to resign the church he ministered for 12 years and resign a full time teaching position to move across country to Pennsylvania to live closer to my family after being away for 33 years; Jim received a teaching and administrative position at a Christian school for a 1/3 of his income in Arizona (no benefits, i.e. health insurance, etc.); and Jim and I living in a 36 ft. 5th wheel travel trailer for the last 18 months.

God hears and answers prayers!

Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! Psalm 66:16-20 (NIV)

Since July of 2009 Jim has been assisting a struggling church in the Schuylkill Haven area (about 14 miles north of where we currently live). A few months ago Jim and I received peace from the Lord that Higher Ground Worship Center was where the Lord wanted us to call our church home. Since this was where the Lord desires us to worship, we felt we needed to live closer to the church so we could enjoy the fellowship of the dear people of Higher Ground. We began to pray for the Lord to open doors for us to move into an affordable rental or even by some miracle purchase a home. We also know – and greatly appreciate your prayers as well these past 18 months for the Lord to provide“more permanent” and healthier living arrangements for Jim and me.

God is the God of miracles!

Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, Psalm 105:5 (NKJV)

Through your greatly appreciated prayers these past 18 months for the Lord to provide “more permanent” and healthier living arrangements for Jim and I, the Lord God – Jehovah Jireh miraculously provided a 1977 single wide, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 934 sq. ft. refurbished mobile home for us to purchase and we will be moving this week! After living in a travel trailer for 18 months it will seem like a mansion!

Continued Prayers

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16 (NIV)

We still need your prayers for the following:
• Weather and safety while moving– we have about a foot of snow on the ground already and this coming Tues. and Wed. the forecast is for more snow and temps in the low 20’s on Friday thru the weekend!
• Need furniture – living room furniture, lamps, etc.
• Need a handicap ramp to enter the home.
• And this is the biggie – we need to sell our 5th wheel.
• Down the road – storage shed, air conditioner unit, patio furniture, and funds to make some improvements.
• Health needs – for my continual chronic health needs and Jim’s health; also that he will not “over do it” concerning heavy lifting because of his degenerative disc disease in his back

Thank you again for all your prayers.

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. I always pray for you, and I make my requests with a heart full of joy Philippians 1:3, 4 (NLT)

Dear Gracious Heavenly Father, I come to You with a grateful heart knowing that You have promised to provide all our needs. I thank You for hearing and answering our prayers according to Your perfect will.  If there is someone reading this devotion and struggling in their day to day life wondering if God will provide their need, I ask that You would give them peace and reassurance that You are their provider.  I ask Lord that You continue to bless those reading this devotion.  Thank You Lord for each prayer warrior that has so faithfully prayed for my family.  Thank You Lord for being our Provider.  In Jesus precious name, amen.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 3:1

Living with chronic illness has taught me that well intended plans can change overnight. You would think that since I have been living with chronic illness for 25 years I would be accustomed to my plans changing and accept the changes with grace and dignity. Apparently this year I have failed big time!

In the early part of October I had suggested to my Aunt that we combine our Thanksgiving celebrations. She was ecstatic and offered her home. I was truly looking forward to celebrating the holiday with extended family for the first time in decades. A couple weeks after our conversation I became ill with viral bronchitis which in turn caused my chronic illnesses to “flare-up”. My muscles, tendons, and joints etc. throughout my body are in great pain, even more so in my left leg that I can no longer walk due to the severity of knee pain of which I may not know fully why and what can be done for several more weeks. On top of all this my doctor has given me orders not to put any weight on that knee and to basically “stay put” until further notice in evidently meaning a change of plans for Thanksgiving.

Instead of accepting this set back with a positive attitude of a possible lesson to learn, I threw myself a “pity” party instead. I began to dwell upon all the things I cannot do, wish I could do, and even started thinking about all the things others could and should do for me or have not done to my satisfaction. As I continued to dwell upon these things I began “inviting” others to my “party”. If I was going to be miserable I wanted to make sure others were miserable too! Let’s face it, misery loves company – right?

Well the past few days the Lord has brought simple reminders my way to open my eyes and heart reminding me once again just how blessed I truly am. As I was preparing for today’s Thanksgiving devotion I came across previous posts I had written in past years regarding being Thankful. One post in particular I had mentioned keeping a Blessings Journal. Then on Monday as I was listening to my sister’s Blog Talk Radio program, Grace Café, she mentioned a box she found that had Blessings written on it. She gave the box to one of her daughter’s who said she will use the box for her family providing them pieces of paper to write ways they have been blessed throughout the year and place them in the box; when any of them needs a reminder of just how blessed they are they will go through the blessings box and read each blessing out loud. On Tuesday morning I visited a blog where the post title was of all things, “Count Your Blessings”. At the end of their post they had the words to the hymn, Count Your Blessings; I immediately said, “Alright Lord, I know, it’s time to end my pity party and begin Counting My Blessings.”

How about you, has life’s trials been so overwhelming lately that you too need a reminder to Count Your Blessings?

Blessings
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who won’t survive the week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 20 million people around the world.
If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world.
If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.
You are so blessed in ways you may never even know.
by Stephen Eardley
“Reconnections & New Directions” 2003 Conference
Lester B. Pearson College

There is not enough paper in this world that can contain how blessed I really am!  Thank you Lord for reminding me this week of all the blessings you have bestowed upon me.  Yes, Lord, I am truly blessed!