Today marks the anniversary of God saving us from death. Actually, everyday is a celebration of God’s salvation and abundant life. How sobering that it sometimes requires us through tragedy or dangerous/threatening circumstances to gain fuller perspective of that truth. Many of us have had the “opportunity” to be awakened afresh to the truths of God. How has that played out for you? Have you laid hold of that opportunity? Rather than rushing on to the next sentence, reflect on God’s good provision for you.
For us, today marks one year since the motor vehicle accident with the charcoal truck. Everytime we pass the location of the accident we lift our hands and voices in praise to God. Do you have a place that draws you again into the realization of God’s saving love and perhaps also His literal saving you from physical death?
It’s not news that 2009 was particularly difficult for us as a family. A quick synopsis (If you want more details you are welcome to peruse past blogs): 8 weeks in January/Feb/March of acute hepatitis for Mary which required bed rest; the accident one week after recovery; weeks of pain and sub-par mobility for Kevin and Mary; the death of Mary’s father in early June and her subsequent absence from Geoff and the kids for three weeks while she was in the U.S.; the DAILY stress of overseeing the building of a house at New Hope while ALL of the above was going on! Yes, 2009 was challenging!
However, the questions do not beg WHY, but WHAT. None of us has the answer for WHY, only the answer for WHAT. WHAT are we doing with the stress and challenges we’ve been experiencing? Jesus invites us to cast all our burdens on Him for He cares. Matt 11:28-30 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." Are we doing that? Are we resting by letting Him teach us and accepting His ways? Honestly, some days we exhibit proper casting and some days we stir up only more stress as we try to handle things with all those burdens still in our hands. Our hands, however, already being full, can’t grasp firmly the hand of God, so we are foolishly directing our way. I’m reminded of Proverbs 16:9, “A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” Are we letting Him direct us?
Now it’s 2010 and we are approaching the time of a much needed furlough. Again, WHAT will we do with it??? Will we find REST that is so needed? God has made all the provision for us to live from a place of rest, it is for us to take hold of His provision by living in it. His rest is not promised as an absence of suffering, His rest is promised in the midst of it. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." In this life we will be presented with conflict, stress, struggle and difficulties, but His promise of rest is made and is available in the midst of such. Remember this verse of the famous Psalm 23, “You prepare a table before me IN THE MIDST of my enemies.” His abundance is available while “enemies” are present. If we are always waiting for a time without stress, conflict or battle to let God be God then we will always be playing God for ourselves and therefore exacerbating struggle.
For us, today marks one year since the motor vehicle accident with the charcoal truck. Everytime we pass the location of the accident we lift our hands and voices in praise to God. Do you have a place that draws you again into the realization of God’s saving love and perhaps also His literal saving you from physical death?
It’s not news that 2009 was particularly difficult for us as a family. A quick synopsis (If you want more details you are welcome to peruse past blogs): 8 weeks in January/Feb/March of acute hepatitis for Mary which required bed rest; the accident one week after recovery; weeks of pain and sub-par mobility for Kevin and Mary; the death of Mary’s father in early June and her subsequent absence from Geoff and the kids for three weeks while she was in the U.S.; the DAILY stress of overseeing the building of a house at New Hope while ALL of the above was going on! Yes, 2009 was challenging!
However, the questions do not beg WHY, but WHAT. None of us has the answer for WHY, only the answer for WHAT. WHAT are we doing with the stress and challenges we’ve been experiencing? Jesus invites us to cast all our burdens on Him for He cares. Matt 11:28-30 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." Are we doing that? Are we resting by letting Him teach us and accepting His ways? Honestly, some days we exhibit proper casting and some days we stir up only more stress as we try to handle things with all those burdens still in our hands. Our hands, however, already being full, can’t grasp firmly the hand of God, so we are foolishly directing our way. I’m reminded of Proverbs 16:9, “A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” Are we letting Him direct us?
Now it’s 2010 and we are approaching the time of a much needed furlough. Again, WHAT will we do with it??? Will we find REST that is so needed? God has made all the provision for us to live from a place of rest, it is for us to take hold of His provision by living in it. His rest is not promised as an absence of suffering, His rest is promised in the midst of it. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." In this life we will be presented with conflict, stress, struggle and difficulties, but His promise of rest is made and is available in the midst of such. Remember this verse of the famous Psalm 23, “You prepare a table before me IN THE MIDST of my enemies.” His abundance is available while “enemies” are present. If we are always waiting for a time without stress, conflict or battle to let God be God then we will always be playing God for ourselves and therefore exacerbating struggle.
Bottom line is, I’ve taken an indepth look at last year and see that at times I’ve responded in faith and resting in God, but other times I’ve responded in fear. In the past few months it has been mostly in fear (practically that shows up in my extreme tenseness as we travel on the roads and then exhaustion after having driven anywhere.) Today, as I reflected on the past year I realized that we probably didn’t take enough time to process and work through each situation. We went from our lives being turned upside down by illness, straight into an accident, dealing with death and separation and moving, all the while working 24/7 with only short breaks here and there. I pray that this year we are more honoring to God by taking time IN HIM to let Him speak to us each day regardless of what challenges come. I pray that you also see the value in listening to Him each day wherever in the world you are and whatever in the world you are doing.
1 comment:
really really really great blogs! but i fail to get pumped to rest when you use big words like" exacerbated" how do you even say that?
anywho, your furlough time with me will be anything but restful as we will be drinking massive amounts of sumatra and staying up late to talk and laugh before i have to go back to honduras. then, you can sleep. as mom says, 'You can sleep when you're dead". maybe that's what she was thinking when she stayed up till 2am this morning finishing her book. she just couldn't go to bed without knowing "who dunnit". love you!
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