Sunday, February 14, 2010

Prayer

My dear friends and family.  I have no funny little tidbit my kids said or even anything fun to relate to you that we have done the past few weeks.  I come to you to ask you to pray.  My heart is heavy and burdened.  My dear church is dealing with some things and what we need the most is prayer.  Prayer for wisdom. Prayer for a miracle. Pray for us to give God all the glory.  We don't see His plan and big picture.  How wonderful that would be, wouldn't it?  Our church is in the midst of a trial. We know God uses trials to His glory and great purpose.  So I ask you, please, please pray for us.  Pray for our deacons, the road ahead of them is great and wisdom is so greatly needed.  Pray for our Pastor.  His trial is great and peace and direction are needed.  Pray for our church body, that we can act and sacrifice and seek God's Will.  That this whole situation would build our church up stronger.
Thank you in advance for your coveted prayers.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Gentle Prodding

The past two years, Mike and I have really been trying to put a part of our lives in order. We have been working hard and trying to be strong when the other is weak. Recently, we got back on the same page and have been going full steam ahead with our plans to get back on track.

This area of my life, is a huge weakness for me. The Devil knows this and has gotten to me on more than one occasion. My prayer life has definitely increased by three folds this year as I tried to give up my worry and fretting to the Lord. It's so much easier said than done, isn't it?
Yesterday, as I sat in church, my Sunday School teacher said something that stuck to me for another reason, but came back to me last night as I laid in bed.
"God uses people to help people." He said. We are studying in Genesis and how God used Joseph. Through all the trials Joseph had to go through, God was using him. Joseph had to go through each of those trials to get to be where he ended up and be used to witness to the ones he did.
He then gave an illustration of a man sitting on top of his roof during a big flood. I boat came by and told the man to get in, the man declined and said, "No, God will help me." Shortly after that, a helicopter came by and told the man to grab the rope and they would lift him up. "No, God will help me." The man dies in the flood and when he gets to heaven asks God why he didn't help. God replies, "I sent you a boat and a helicopter!" The point being, God uses us to help others.
Last night, my dear In-laws gave each of their kids a very huge gift and blessing. This gift was amazing and so generous. A portion of Mike's and My, 'Get This In Order" has been taken care of. One thing checked off our list, plus a little extra to put towards getting another thing checked off our list.

How can I even describe how huge this was to me? One of my weakest spots in my life and they came in and took care of a portion of it, a gift. As I was laying in bed last night, I remembered this Sunday School lesson. God used my in-laws as a way to bless us. How undeserving we are, but how loving and patient our Lord is. How amazing that my In-laws were so generous and their hearts sensitive to the Lords prodding.

The lesson God is laying on my heart today is listen to the Lord. Those gentle prodding's the Lord gives us to help each other are how He helps and works in the lives of all of us. Such a humbling lesson for me. How often I have ignored some of those prodding's. To be on the receiving end of one, again, I feel so undeserved and thankful.