Well, did I get your attention with the title of the post? I'm just glad that you stopped by. I have been on somewhat of a hiatus from blogging the last couple of weeks, but with good reason. As most of you know, my sweet husband underwent another hip replacement, this time being his left hip. And the day before his surgery, my precious sister-in-love, Julie, had a colonoscopy and was then diagnosed with colon cancer three days after Rob's surgery. Our lives have been forever changed in the last month. But our God, in His divine providence, has met every need of every family member, especially Rob and Julie.
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is GOOD! For His mercies ENDURE forever. Psalm 118:29I get excited just reading that verse of scripture! But let me tell you, it's honestly only in the last few days that I can actually say that I'm "excited" about anything. God has been so faithful to us and I know that He will never leave or forsake me or my family.
Speaking of God's goodness, I have been blessed by being able to get away from work for a few days so that I could travel to my brother's house to be with him and Julie and the four children. You have to understand, when I come for visits, I'm no longer my regular self...I am "Sissy" when I'm with the kids. It was the sweetest thing to pull into the driveway this past Friday and see a bunch of little eyes peeking out from the upstairs blinds. It was even sweeter to come up the front steps and hear a parade of excited short people clomping down the steps while shouting a chorus of "Sissy's HERE! "Sissy's HERE!" I know that I'm prejudiced but they are the sweetest four kids on the planet. I love them as if they were my own...there isn't anything that I wouldn't do for them.
Here's where I let you in on the title of the post. A five hour drive to most people may be grueling. But to me, it's the sweetest five hours I could ever spend knowing that when I get into town, I can fix bo-bo's with Hello Kitty Band-Aids, I can enjoy sweet little giggles when I share a popsicle with my 12 month old niece, and I can have wound up little boys use my purse as the closest "trashcan" for their sticky sucker sticks (say that 5 times in a row really fast).
Like I've said, my family has had some really major things happen to us lately. But they are not "chance" happenings...they are not "bad karma", as the world would have you believe. In fact, they are trials that the Lord is using in all of our lives. And no one will receive any glory for any outcome but our Lord. He will be glorified in every outcome.
My brother preached a very strong message yesterday regarding what it means to suffer together and God's perspective on suffering. The message was titled "Jesus Answers Our Worry" and it was out of Matthew 6:24-34 (click the link in this paragraph if you would like to listen to the sermon). The message was a much needed reminder that worry is not of the Lord. It reminded me that God is never surprised or astonished. He has an absolutely perfect plan.
"Our suffering is in the present, our anxiety is in what the future holds and our theology is caught up somewhere in the middle." ~Dr. Paul S. Lamey
My spirit was so incredibly challenged with this message. Paul asked "do you really want to be beyond the headlights of God's providence?" My answer to that today was an affirmative "no". If you had asked me this question a few weeks ago, I really can't be certain what my answer would have been. Well, I'll tell you...within God's providence is where I want to remain. There were so many "nuggets" in this message that I can't possibly list them all. And if I knew that you could read and understand my notes, I would post them here for you. Since I can't do that, I would highly encourage you to listen to the sermon. I pray you would be as richly blessed as I was.
Well, I've rambled enough. There has just been so much going on...I have so much to blog! Thank you to those who are faithful readers. Thank you to each of you who have vowed to pray for our sweet family.
I'll leave you with the scriptures that I have committed to memory many years ago but that have become SO relevant to the circumstances that God is allowing us to experience. I praise Him for His Holy word. He is real and He is always on time.
Philippians 4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
