I Will Always Remember...

I think I will always remember the day I took my sweet little princess to the pediatric cardiologist. We left the office praising God for his amazing work in her life. Although she has several small holes in the bottom area of her heart, she is a strong, healthy, vibrant little girl. We are so thankful!

As I shared a little while back, however, it was also the same day that we discovered that my husband had a heart problem called atrial fibrillation. From there we had  a series of doctor appointments, second opinions, medications, medical advice, and lots and lots of waiting. We were waiting to see which step to take next. Would God miraculously heal my hubby or would we need medical intervention?

I will never forget the look on my husband’s face when he told me the A-Fib diagnosis was confirmed by an EKG. More than that, however, what he said will be ingrained in my mind forever. It was if the Holy Spirit took hold of him and calmed his fears. The fear on his face melted away and was replaced by a firm resolve to hold on to his sovereign Creator. After battling with his own emotions of fear, he looked at me and said, “I am convinced that I have probably had this for a long time. Although the doctors are just discovering it, God knew the whole time. He is the one who has sustained me this far, and He will continue to sustain me.”

Following his lead, I decided to run with that peace that he was experiencing. In such a strange way it made such complete sense. There was no need to worry because I was not in control anyway, but GOD was always and will always be in control. It is a scary, but completely liberating feeling when we fully comprehend how “out-of-control” we really are, yet how in control God is.

I will not sit here and tell you that this process of spiritual refinement and growth through trials has been easy. It has not been (and it still isn’t), but God has been faithful to add to my character and my faith.

 I am so thrilled to inform you that after much discussion and prayer and discussion and more prayer, we decided that my husband would have a procedure called cardioversion to reset the rhythm of his heart…and it worked!!! PRAISE OUR GREAT GOD!!!

I look back and I am amazed at God’s faithfulness. I am grateful for his healing, and at the same time I find myself being thankful for the fruit—patience, peace, faithfulness, goodness, love, joy, gentleness, and more that HE has produced in our lives as we decided to trust HIM.

Ladies, I just want to encourage you to do three simple things in the midst of any trial you are facing—BIG or small:

1. Pray—this is your lifeline to the living, true God. It is your way to communicate your heart, feelings, concerns, frustrations, fears, and emotions to the God of the universe…and he will NEVER turn you away. Don’t be afraid to be honest with God; he knows what you are thinking anyway. He can perfectly handle anything you are feeling, and he wants you to cast your cares upon Him.

2. Read the Word—this is God’s way of speaking back to you. When the voices of doubt and fear try to crowd our thoughts, we can push them out with the TRUTH of God’s word. I often find that God’s word does away with a lot of grey in my life and makes things very plain for me—black and white. God’s word also provides me with comfort, strength, guidance, and peace when I need it. All I have to do is invest time in reading it and letting it sink deep into my heart and mind.

3. Serve others and pray for them in their distress. I often find that taking the attention off of myself and praying and serving someone else refreshes my soul in ways I can not explain. It gives me something good and trustworthy to do while I wait.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, you are faithful and true. You are with us even until the ends of the earth. When life gets tough and trials come our way, help us to hold firmly to our relationship with you. May we rest in your arms, delight in your truth, and hide in the shadow of your wings. Thank you that you are faithful to meet us right where we are. You never turn us away. You always have time for us. For YOU, we are eternally grateful and thankful.

In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonian 5:16-18

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55:22

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Clouded Vision vs Clear Vision

 

Wipers – essential for motor vehicles.  When I was single, a friend from Bible study replaced my windshield wipers.  I was thankful but didn’t think they really needed changing as they appeared to be working just fine.  I wasn’t expecting anything the next time I used them.  However, that night while driving home I hit a patch of rainy weather and to my amazement those new wipers helped me see crystal clearly.  It was like the veil had been lifted!  I thought I was seeing clearly before, but in reality it was clouded vision. 

How about us in life? Life with children is awesome, but we need to make sure our spiritual vision is clear.  We need to be in the Word, in fellowship with other believers, and praying, otherwise our spiritual vision could dim slowly…but surely. 

Isaiah 58

 ¹“Cry aloud, spare not;
Lift up your voice like a trumpet; …

⁶ “Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?  …

Fasting – essential for the Christian mom.  Have you ever fasted for your children’s salvation, for their health, for the friends they will choose in life, for their future spouses?  Let’s get on our knees and choose to make a difference through the act of prayer while fasting.  Let’s ask the Lord for clearer vision, discernment, and wisdom in raising the lives He has entrusted to us.  Foster moms, blood-related moms, aunts, sisters… have opportunities to change destinies through prayer.  Let’s refocus our spiritual sight, fast and pray, and expect God to do great things. 

⁸ Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

          Recently, our 2 ½ year-old son was sick and I fasted and prayed for him to receive the Lord’s healing and to show me anything I might be missing as his mom.  The Lord Almighty is doing a great work in us, ladies, just keep seeking Him and communing with Him.

 Lord, I thank You for your ever-presence in our lives.  Thank You for doing that great work in us where we can clearly seek Your face, follow Your path, and show our kids how to do that too.  Lord, it’s an honor to serve You in this capacity and we don’t take it lightly, so please fill us with fresh wisdom and a renewed spirit to raise our kids in the manner pleasing to You.  Please help us to lead them to You.  We know You are waiting to give us new wipers for our clouded vision and we receive Your blessing now.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen. 

**For extra credit :-)  read the amazing rest of Isaiah 58, especially WOOHOO, verse 12 (part B)!