Master Of Solutions

 

 

“There are no problems, only solutions.” - Unknown

Without a doubt, this has been the most difficult few years of my life.  A small crisis within our home has pierced our otherwise comfortable existence, and yet, even in the turmoil, light has overcome darkness.

During the onset of our struggle I was angry, frustrated and felt overwhelmed.  “Why us, God?  Why us?”  I would ask, and although my answer did not come as immediately as I would have preferred, the Lord did reply later by showing me truth.  This truth was the knowledge that there is no such thing as earthly perfection, and each and every human being will face adversity at some time in their life. However, God is greater than any problem.

Whether it is sickness, disease, relationship struggles or some other hardship, our life journey will never be perfect because perfection is only found in the Divine.  Along with the beauty of laughs and smiles will be the sting of painful tears, disappointments and shattered dreams.  Relationships may fail and jobs may fall through, yet will we allow these bumps along the path to alter our ability to possess peace and joy?

The answer, my dear friends, is no!

How we perceive crisis when it occurs can either make or break our peace of mind as well as affect the outcome of the situation.  As the above quote conveys, nothing is really a problem because there will always be solutions.

The greatest lesson I have learned this year is a phrase adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous; “Let go, and let God.”  The most successful solution to any problem we may face, no matter how large or small, is to trust in God.

As we act to resolve problems, we should never go at it alone, but to lay the issue in the hands of the Lord; knowing that where our earthly abilities may be limited, He alone is able to do all things!  While man may tell us a situation is hopeless, with God there is always hope!

And so, after doing everything possible to resolve my family's personal crisis on my own, I remembered my faith in God, and began to cleave to the Lord in a way that I had never before surrendered in trust.  Daily I pray about the matter, and then I hand the matter over to God, knowing that I have done my part, and now it is time for Him to take over.

As hard a period as this has emotionally been, it has ironically also been the richest in wisdom.  No longer do I feel overwhelmed by the problem, because I now know that all the worry in the world will not help resolve the matter, and in fact, will only add to my own emotional distress.

Today, I encourage you to hand any problems you may be facing over to the capable arms of the Lord.  Feel the peace and freedom which follows the leap of faith, and know that God is the Master of miraculous solutions.

By Melanie Schurr
http://www.melanieschurr.com/

 

               

                                                                                 A Melancholy Season

                                           
The morning was sunny and traffic light as I drove to a nearby community this morning.  I've driven that route many times and usually it's quite enjoyable.  I take a back road through the country and then swing onto the highway just before reaching the town.  There's a row of large Poplar trees along one side of the road.  Usually they make me smile - they are tall and stately, normally green and healthy looking.  Sometimes it looks like their leaves are clapping as the breeze blows and their shadows make the road look dappled.

But this morning I noticed a change.  They are turning yellow.  Some are just beginning, but you can see that soon they will all show the signs of an early fall.  When I saw those yellow leaves my thoughts turned to memories of living in the Yukon.  The first signs of Fall meant a lot of activity for us when we lived there.  It meant get busy and get your wood cut because winter is coming.  No-one in the north who heats their homes with wood takes that warning lightly.  Failing to respond could mean disaster.

I also thought how great it is that we have this warning.  What if the minus sixty degree temperatures happened overnight in the Yukon? Many would be caught off guard.  Some might even die as a result.  Even now, living in a place where all I have to do is turn a dial to turn the heat up in my home, I am glad of the warning.  It gives my mind and body a chance to adjust to the idea of winter.

I am in what is sometimes referred to as the "autumn" of life now - looking down the road at what's to come and, I confess, not feeling very good about it.  I had to see a doctor the other day and as he gave me a prescription he said, "I'm afraid this is something that happens as we age and I can't make you young again."  (Sigh.  I thought all doctors were supposed to be miracle workers!)

But then, there is a lot to be thankful for in this season of life.  In a way, as those Poplar trees warn about the coming of Fall, there are signs that tell me I need to slow down a little, take better care of myself, and prepare for the future.  God has given me this time to get ready.  I also believe He wants me to cherish and take advantage of 'the now.'

In a spiritual sense He has given us all that time.  As the scripture says, "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance"  (2Peter 3:9).  But there will be a day when time will run out.  Just as those leaves that are slowly turning yellow will one day turn brown and fall off the trees.

There is another scripture that is pertinent here.  The apostle Paul quoted the prophet Isaiah and said - "I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation" (2Corinthians 6:2).

God is patient with us all, but there will come a day when all things end.  We would be wise to cherish and take advantage of today, listen for God's voice and respond.

By Marcia Lee Laycock
http://www.vinemarc.com/

                  

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking

 

A message every adult should read because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.


When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should
give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be
responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking...
I looked at you and wanted to say,'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.'

LITTLE EYES SEE A LOT

Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, friend) influences the life of a child.  How will you touch the life of someone today? Just by sending this to someone else, you will probably make them at least think about their influence on others.  Live simply.  Love generously.  Care deeply.  Speak kindly.

Leave the rest to God.

Author Unknown

                

Trying To Keep It Pretty

My grandmother once told me that it didn't matter to her what size I was, "just keep it pretty."  Most of you know I have tried to "just keep it pretty."  Unfortunately the more I aged, the more weight I gained, in spite of trying to watch what I ate and trying to stay active.  Keeping it pretty wasn't enough to thrive in the world we live in.

One year ago today, I had gastric bypass surgery.  My body has changed quite a bit, but I've got a lot of work ahead of me still.  This journey has been both exciting and emotionally overwhelming. But... I've learned so much about myself, people (especially men) and relationships.  It's really been amazing and disappointing. :o)

Each of us is impacted by body image, whether our own or someone we know.  We place so much importance on what we see and what we find physically attractive.  Don't get me wrong, we should all take good care of our bodies but often we fail to consider the heart and spirit of the people who live inside bodies that are challenged by obesity, physical impairments or handicaps.

Most of the time perceptions are not the true reality.  We make a LOT of assumptions about people based on how they look, and those who dare to get behind the shell of the physical still struggle with what is seen.

Today I ask each of you to take a second look at the obese lady in the grocery store, the man in the wheel chair or even a child who has a physical or mental disability.

Look into their eyes, speak or just smile - it means a lot.

~A MountainWings Original by Antoinette Jackson, Jacksonville, FL~
http://www.mountainwings.com/
 

         

 

You Answered Someone's Prayer

I have been so weary with fear
Someone I love and hold so dear
Became ill and needed some care
You answered someone's prayer

Father I did not want to fear
I wanted my faith to be very clear
Yet fear crept in and I needed help
I phone friends and emailed for prayer
For the healing of the one I love
You answered someone's prayer

The doctor did not call when I needed to hear
That all is well and the test was clear
I begged and pleaded for you to intervene
You did Lord Jesus the test was clean
You answered someone's prayer

I stand in awe of the privilege of prayer
You are there waiting to hear
Our heartache and burdens that we fear
Thank you for answered prayer
My loved one is fine and I know that you heal
You answered someone's prayer

Sarah Berthelson
http://www.heguidesmypath.com
www.christianpoetry.org/selentry-3.php?aid=87

 

 

      

 

Warning:  Objects In Mirror Cannot Be Ignored

I recently bought a big magnifying mirror ... a lighted one, so that it is easier for me to see all that it reveals.  It's a very strong magnifying mirror that enlarges objects FIVE times their natural size.  The first time I looked into it, I screamed in horror.  I haven't yet recovered totally from the shock of seeing all those wrinkles.  In my dimly lit bathroom, with my poor vision, I have been able for a long time to live in that lovely la-la land of denial.  I had deluded myself into believing that I still look pretty much like I did at 30.  Well, hello ... time to wake up and smell the Oil of Olay cream!  Reality hit me right between my sagging eyes and ouch!  That smarts. After looking in the mirror, now I think my driver's license photo looks pretty good.

I appreciate the Bible verse in Proverbs 11 that says, "A kind hearted woman will gain respect," because I'm smart enough to know that I can't get by on my looks.

I used to joke about being old, but until now I didn't REALLY believe that I was quickly approaching nursing home age.  Apparently, I blinked and missed my prime.  Now I'm over the hill and there is no escaping the undeniable and devastating fact that my youth is vanishing faster than the ozone layer is disintegrating and the rainforest is being depleted.  At this rate, my family will soon be calling me "prune face."  I looked up "puckered" in the dictionary and there was a photo of my face!  I have not had enough time to prepare myself for being old, and as my five-year-old grandson often says, "I'm not very happy about this!"

And wrinkles aren't the only revolting development.  I'm not only turning into my grandmother, but I'm looking a lot like Grandpa Walton too, since I've sprouted whiskers!  And my entire face is lower than it once was.  Gravity has become my enemy and is pulling everything southward.  Instead of aging like a fine wine, I feel more like milk going sour.

There are, however, two things for which I can thank God.  One is that He doesn't examine my sins and faults with a magnifying glass that illumines all the ugliness.  If He did, it would be a sight even more hideous than the one that looks back at me from my mirror each morning.  Instead, He is willing to remove my soul's blemishes far from me and forget them forever.  Oh, how I wish I had a magic mirror that could do that for my aging face!

Secondly, I'm grateful that nobody is ever too old to be used by God.  No matter what my age, or how many thousands of wrinkles and gray hairs I have developed, there is always SOMETHING good I can do to help somebody.  God has plans for each of us.  He said (in Jeremiah 29:11) "I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

It's good to know that we will never outgrow our usefulness.  I used to know a lady who was rather negative.  At the young age of 60, she was always bemoaning "I'm too old" for this or that.  But nobody is ever too old to have hopes and dreams or to accomplish some pretty nifty things with God's help.  A friend of my dad's is in her nineties and she recently rode a motorcycle for the first time to her great grandson's birthday party!  She's one hip grandma!  I hope I can be that adventurous at ninety (if I'm not in the home before then).

I'm living proof that God doesn't just use the "young and beautiful people."  At 45, with poor vision and lots of physical ailments and handicaps, He led me to begin The HUGS and HOPE Club for Sick Kids ... and look at all the good that He's accomplished as a result. How cool is it that He uses little old me?  He'll use anyone who is willing and still breathing; and that includes you.

Open those wrinkled, droopy eyelids of yours and take a gander at the world around you.  No matter what your age, you are younger than someone somewhere and you'll see loads of things you can do.  Get your pruney face and your varicose veins out there and get going!

And by the way, if you have a magnifying mirror, do what I'm going to do.  Toss it into the dumpster or give it away.  There are better things than wrinkles for us to focus on.

Marsha Jordan
mmellow@newnorth.net

Marsha Jordan is the director of the HUGS AND HOPE FOUNDATION, a ministry designed to share God's Word and His love with families of critically ill children http://www.hugsandhope.com

By Way Of
HeartTouchers.com
http://www.hearttouchers.com

      

 

 

Memories

The best memories I have, Lord, are the ones with You, when my heart seemed so warm and almost ready to burst through my chest. You kept me in wonder…I had trouble believing I could be used by You.  You kept me busy too, with so many opportunities to love people ~ especially the little ones.  You gave me a sweet companion who wasn’t afraid of tears….and who believed the prayers he asked. You know he counted himself as nothing except for You…thinking schooling had something to do with worth.

Now, I’m alone, and I’m struggling a bit.  I know, with my mind, but I guess I’m like the child who told his father after the nightmare, that he needed someone with skin on.

It’s the everyday problems with plumbing and weeds ~ shingles and doors that throw me the curves.

Thank you for the bricks.  I had forgotten about that little walkway we made.  The dust over the years of illness had covered it all up and things had collected on top, but the moment I cleared it, I remembered that little head toddling out to the playhouse (long removed now) and the flowers we put by the side of the door.  I could see her from the kitchen window.  I could cook and watch the “grandies” play.

That made me remember the first swing.

She was so tiny we had an enclosed seat.  The trees were healthy then and I had the prettiest grass I’d ever had just outside the window.… beneath that swing seat.  We looked at each other when we saw her delight and I remember asking, “Do you suppose the grass will wear out?”

The answer must have come from God….”The grass will grow back, the child will grow up….”

I said I couldn’t stay here, Lord, if he went away…now I find I can’t leave.  There are too many memories.  It’s hard to watch what we worked so hard to make pretty, disintegrate and fade away.  Sometimes I understand that I can’t do this, ~ I just keep making it one more day.

So Lord, walk with me again today.  I can’t run anymore and I may have to lean a little harder, but I won’t be home again on this side, until You take me to the sky.

Joan Clifton Costner
© 2008 by Joan Clifton Costner
Under His Wings   Heavenly Poetry

Joan is a Heavenly Inspirations  Author.
 

         

 

My Journey

 

The bridge arches against the horizon, the firm wooden slats giving slivered glimpses of the river below.  The scent of cedar rises strong and heady in the breeze.  He stands on the bank before it, waiting for me.  He calls me by name, and we step together, He and I, onto the bridge.  Onto the path of My Journey.  We reach the middle, the tallest point.  I gasp, jerking to a stop.  The joy so nearly bubbling from within me dies, the creeping grasp of dread reaching to my throat.

On the other bank the smooth wood of the bridge abruptly meets a dirt trail, rocky and pitted with crevices.  The dark path twists downward, emptying into a valley filled with fog so thick it allows only shifting glances of thorny hedges and jagged boulders.

"But Lord," I turn to look at Him, tears already finding their way down my cheeks, "I do not understand."

"This is your path, my child."  His eyes fill with empathy--something stronger yet than that, a knowing, an understanding beyond my own.

"I cannot cross that."  Fear and confusion fill me.

"No, you cannot," He agrees.  "Only through My strength can you travel that path."

"But," the word escapes me once more.  I seem unable to stop it.  "Why me?  Why this path?"

He reaches out a hand, gentle and yet strong, lifting my chin so slightly.  "Because, child, within you is a faith strong enough to make this journey.  You will cling to me, and grow stronger because of the trials.  I will teach you, and you will learn.  In that, I will be glorified. This is your path."

I do cling to Him then, because my legs will not support me.  My eyes leave His, drawn once again to the darkness of the trail.  "Is that the good that will come of it, then?  That I will draw closer to You?"

"Not only that."  He kneels, drawing me to His side and pointing into the charcoal smog. "Look."

At first I see nothing, only the choking swirl of haze.  Then I see a glimmer of light, far in the distance.  It grows clearer until I can see a small house, lit only by a dim candle that seems one flicker from going out.

"You are the one I will use to brighten that light, encourage it and fan it into a flame so brilliant it will glow for miles around."  His voice rings with a timbre that fills me with something--almost an excitement. " If you do not follow that path it will continue to grow dimmer, until it fades to only an ember."

The fog closes once more, and I stand still, taking in the rocks that spike from the ground, the thorns leaning over the path, ready to shred any who pass by.  Slowly, I take my gaze from them and turn back to Him, seeking assurance.  He lays an arm around my shoulder and points once more.  The fog shifts in another area and this time I gasp in wonder.  A meadow of emerald green shimmers in a gentle breeze, mingling with flowers blooming so brightly I can see them from the bridge, almost smell their sweetness.  Birds swoop in gentle rhythm, playing among the limbs of the trees that circle the glen.  It all flows in a dance of worship, of joy, of peace.

The Creator smiles. "This is a place of rest I have prepared for you along the way."

My heart sings.  He cares.  He loves.  He has created for me.

He turns and looks full into my face.  Compassion fills His eyes.  "The path will be difficult.  You will fall.  You will hurt.  The journey will be long."

He searches my face.  I have no words to give Him.  I can only grip Him tighter, and wait for Him to continue.

"But I will be with you.  Every step of the way I will be there.  I will raise you when you fall. I will mend your wounds.  When your strength fails, I will lift you and carry you."  A tear drips down His face, filled with a rainbow of feelings pain empathy strength love  "All you have to do is reach out your hand and I will hold you up."

There is a silence as our tears mingle.  At last He holds out His hand, scarred and mangled, strong and beautiful.  "It is time."

My hand is small and white as it slips into His.  Strength flows from Him as we cross the span of the bridge.  I cling to His hand and, together, we step onto the path.

This is my journey.

by Amy Michelle Wiley
8/16/2008 / Christian Living
copyright 2008 Amy Michelle Wiley

Amy is a freelance writer and is also training to be a sign language interpreter. She is the director of Peculiar People--an organization that creates unique fiction through group writing projects. Her website is http://www.sparrowsflight.net

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com

 

          

 

Seeing God Through Shattered Glass

 

 

 There is a window in your heart through which you can see God.  Once upon a time that window was clear; your view of God was crisp. You could see God's will in your life as vividly as a gentle valley or hillside.  The glass was clean; the pane was unbroken.  You knew God.  You felt secure in Him and His plan for your life.  You knew how He worked.  There were no surprises - nothing unexpected.  You knew God had a will, and you continually discovered what it was.

Then, suddenly, the window cracked.  A pebble broke the window; a pebble of pain.  Perhaps the stone struck when you were a child and your father walked away - never to return.  Maybe the rock hit in adolescence when your heart was broken.  Maybe you made it into adulthood before the window was cracked.  But then the stone came.

Was it a phone call?  "We have your son at the police station.  You'd better come."

Was it a letter on the kitchen table?  "I've left.  Don't try to reach me.  Don't try to call me.  It's all over.  I just don't love you anymore. I've found someone else."

Did your boss call you in?  "We down-sizing and we just don't have room for you.  Here is your two-week severance check.  I'm sorry."

Was it a diagnosis from your doctor?  "I'm afraid our news is not very good."

Was it a telegram?  We regret to inform you that your son is missing in action."

Whatever the pebble's form, the result was the same -- a shattered window.  The crash echoed down the halls of your heart.  Cracks shot out from the point of impact, creating a spider web of fragmented pieces.  And, suddenly God's will was not so easy to see.  The view that had been so crisp had changed.  You turned to God, but He was distorted.  It was hard to see Him through the pain.  It was hard to see Him through the fragments of hurt.

You were puzzled and angry.  God wouldn't allow something like this to happen, would He?  How could this be in His plan?  Tragedy and travesty weren't on the agenda of the One you had seen, were they?  Had you been fooled?  Had you been blind?

Most of us know what it means to be disappointed by God.  Most of us have a way of completing the sentence:  "If God is God, then..."

There would be no financial collapse in my family.  My children will never be buried before me.  My prayers will be answered.

When pain comes into our world -- when the missileing pebble splinters the windows of our heart - these expectations go unmet and doubts begin to surface.  We look for God, but can't find Him.  Fragmented glass hinders our vision.

In the Gospel story we are examining (Matthew 14,  Mark 6,  Luke 9,  and John 6) where Jesus hears of His cousin John the Baptist's death, heals the sick and lame, feeds five thousand with only a few loaves of bread and a few fish, and hears the crowd proclaim Him King, Jesus' disciples weren't sure what they saw either.  Jesus failed to meet their expectations.  He didn't do what they expected and wanted Him to do.

The Twelve returned from a successful mission trip where they had healed the sick and cast out demons (Luke 9:1-6) with an army of followers and supporters.  They finished their training; they recruited the soldiers; they were ready for battle.  The Kingdom of God was at hand, and they were the leaders to usher it in.  They expected Jesus to let the crowds crown Him king and overthrow the Roman oppressors.  Israel would be restored to the greatness she knew under King David, only greater.  The disciples expected battle plans, strategies, a new era for Israel.

What did they get -- just the opposite?  Instead of weapons, they got oars!  Rather than being sent to fight, they were sent to float.  The crowds were sent away.  Jesus walked away.  And they were left on the water with a storm brewing in the sky.

What kind of Messiah is this?

"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowd.  After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray.  When evening came, He was there alone, but the boat was a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it." (Matthew 14: 22-24)

Or as the New King James Version reads, "the wind was contrary."

It was evening -- about 6 PM.  The storm struck immediately.  The sun had scarcely set before typhoon-like winds began to roar.  Note that Jesus sent the disciples into the storm alone.  Even as Jesus was ascending the mountainside, He was aware of the torrent that was coming that would carpet-bomb the sea's surface.  But, Jesus didn't turn around.  The disciples were left to face the storm... alone.  The greatest storm that night was not in the sky; it was in the disciples' hearts.  Surely Jesus will help us, they thought.  They'd seen Him still storms like this before.  On the same sea, they had awakened Him during a similarly violent storm, and He had commanded the skies to be silent. (Luke 8:22-25)  They'd seen Him quit the wind and soothe the waves.  Surely He will come off that mountain.

But He doesn't.  Their arms begin to ache from rowing -- still no sign of Jesus.  Three hours, four hours -- the winds rage.  The tiny fishing vessel bounces from wave to wave -- still no Jesus.  Midnight comes; their eyes search for God -- in vain.

By now the disciples have been on the sea for as much as six hours.  All this time they have fought the storm and sought the Master. And, so far, the storm is winning.  And, the Master is nowhere to be found.  What went wrong?  Earlier in the day they were ready to conquer the world and usher in God's Kingdom on earth.  And now they are about to die at sea in a typhoon-like storm.

"Where is He?" one probably cried.

"Has He forgotten us?" another may have wondered.

"He feeds thousands of strangers and yet He leaves us to die."  Another likely muttered as the waves crashed into the boat.

The Gospel of Mark adds compelling insight into the disciples' attitude.  "They had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened." (Mark 6:52)  What does Mark mean?  Simply that the disciples were mad!  They began the evening in a huff.  Their hearts were hardened toward Jesus because He fed the multitude when they wanted to send them home.  Jesus told them to feed the people but the wouldn't even try; they said it couldn't be done.

And remember that the disciples were celebrities of a sort.  They had rallied crowds; they had recruited an army.  They were pretty proud of themselves when they told Jesus just to send the crowds away.  Jesus didn't though.  Instead he chose to bypass them and use the faith of a reluctant boy.  What the disciples thought couldn't be done was done - in spite of them, not through them.

They pouted; they sulked.  Instead of being amazed at the miracle, they became mad at the Master.  After all, they had felt foolish passing out the very bread they said could not be made.  Add to that Jesus command to go to the boat when they were ready to do battle, and it's easy to see why these guys were fuming.

It's 1:00 AM, no Jesus.

It's 2:00 AM, no Jesus.

The disciples were bone weary from fighting the storm.  Peter, Andrew, James, and John have seen storms like this.  They were fishermen; the sea was their life.  They'd attended the funerals.  They knew better than any that this night could be their last.  They were freighted.  "Why doesn't He come?" they sputter.

Finally He does.  "During the fourth watch of the night (between 3 AM and 6 AM) Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake." (Matthew 14:25)

Jesus came.  He finally came. But, between verses 24 -- being buffeted by the waves -- and 25 -- when Jesus comes -- a thousand questions were asked.  Questions you have probably asked, too.  Perhaps you know the anguish of being suspended between verses 24 and 25.  Maybe you are riding a storm, searching the coastline for a light, for a glimmer of hope.  You know Jesus is aware of your storm.  But as hard as you look to find Him, you cannot see Him.  Maybe your heart like the disciples' hearts has been hardened by unmet expectations.  Your pleadings for help are salted with angry questions.

Storms attack your faith.  Storms destroy.  Storms come like a missile.  Storms usher in night.

The question of storms is,  "Where is God, and why would He do this?"

The pebble of pain has struck your heart.  You may be in the midst of a typhoon-like storm in your own life.  You know the horror of looking for God's face and seeing only His back as He ascends the mountainside leaving you to face your storm alone.

But this story from the Gospels has a message for all who know the anxiety of searching for God in the storm.  When you can't see Him, trust Him!  The figure you see is not a ghost.  The voice you hear is not then wind.

Jesus is closer than you've ever dreamed.  He won't ever leave you or forsake you!

Adapted from the book In The Eye of the Storm -- by Max Lucado Used by Permission

Max Lucado
ministry@maxlucado.com
By way of
HeartTouchers.com
http://www.hearttouchers.com

 

       

 

                                                                                               Until

 

 

Until we have a burden for
Someone else’s soul,
A heart that breaks within us
For the hope of healing’s role ...

Until we shed the tears for friends
Whose heart's ache in despair,
I wonder if we know at all
The meaning of a prayer.

Until we hold the newborn babe,
We do not understand
The depth and breadth of this great love
Propagating man.

Until we nurture, hold, and teach;
The depth cannot be known.
Until we love with deepest love,
The Lord can’t leave us alone.

But when we’ve lived and struggled to
Understand God’s love,
When trials have paid off for us
And sent our words above ...

When we see, in the light of Love,
And understand His way;
He brings us to the River and
The sunset of the day.

Beyond this veil, beyond this space,
Beyond this flesh ~ this storm;
God has an everlasting world
We get to call our own.

Beyond these troubles, ease will come,
When all things correspond
And live, in tranquil unity,
As one ~ with God!

Joan Clifton Costner
2005  Copyrighted. All rights reserved.
Joan is a Heavenly Inspirations Author