December 13
Scripture focus: The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you in singing. Zephaniah 3:17
God's promise to quiet me with his love was fulfilled in a creative way last month when I found myself in desperate need of peace. Our youngest son, a freshman in college and very far away from home was extremely ill. A mother likes to be close at hand when one of her babies has a fever of 103.7. I felt helpless. I was anxious. Prayer became a constant companion but did not soothe my anxious spirit in a way that I could embrace during the long night of waiting for the emergency room staff to attend to my boy.
Then it occurred to me that other mothers have suffered this same helpless feeling. In particular, I remembered Juanita Ryan writing something on the subject in her wonderful book, Soul Repair. Instead of pacing and praying, I went over to my desk where I keep my most essential books. I pulled out Soul Repair and thumbed through the pages until I came to the passage I had highlighted previously because it made so much sense…. "The events with our son were of crisis proportions. And they helped us see our need for surrender in a big way. But surrender is also about the ordinary realities of everyday life. Whenever we observe ourselves growing anxious or angry or resentful, it is often a sign that we are trying to control something that is out of our control. It is a sign that we are trying to play God in our own lives or in the lives of others. Our anxiety, anger and resentments are often reminders to us to call on God's grace and guidance. They are reminders to surrender." Soul Repair, p.140.
Juanita wrote this paragraph a long time ago in order for it to be nestled within the pages of one of my favorite books. Long before I knew that my son would choose a school three states away. Years before some germ crept into his system and stole his health.
I experienced Juanita's sharing as the Lord my God using her words to quiet me with his love. My heart lightened as I thought, "How mighty is my God! He is mighty to save." Only Creator, Rapha God could work in such a way at this – one woman speaking out of her mother's heart to another mom in need of quieting. Our situations were different, but our need the same. We need to experience God's mighty power to save; we need to know that he takes great delight in us; we need the quiet that only his love provides; we need to take the time it takes and go to the lengths necessary to hear his voice singing over us -- even on our scared days.
2 comments:
Psalm 136- I am brought back to a place of misunderstanding 4-22. This starts with thanking god for the beauty of His creation and quickly moves to destuction and death by His hand. All of this good and bad were done with love, am I being to judgmental as since all this is done by GOD it is good? I think part of my confusion comes from the fact that I find my story in alot of the reading. Am I missing the point because I am filtering the word with me or is just not my time to see. I do see that 4 - 22 could be a letter to my kids. I was not here for their creation, I was part of Gods plan for their life.I have seen the beauty of their light, I have seen their sorrow and delight, I have been responsible for both smiles and tears and all done with a Love that never quits. I know at times I have loved badly and with an intent that does not matter, Today I pray for away to undo the damage and destruction I have done. It is part of my journey to give them what I know today is given to me "Love that never quits".
This bring me to a place of comfort 23-26 "God remembered us when we were down, His love never quits. Rescued us from the trampling boot,His love never quits.Takes care of everyone in time of need.His love never quits. Thank God, who did it all! His love never quits! Maybe today I found exactly what I need to see, What do you need to see? God Bless...If you are reading this today I ask that you lift up Randy & Darlene as they struggle with the health of a parent whose time maybe ending, may they be reasured that " God remembered us when we were down,His love never quits."
"bless our G-d, o peoples, let the sound of His praise be heard, who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip. for Thou, O G-d, hast tested us; Thou hast tried us as silver is tried. Thou didst bring us into the net; Thou didst lay affliction on our loins; Thou didst let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet thou hast brought us forth to a spacious place." (Psalms 66:8-12) tested/tried as silver-melted to remove the impurities. His holiness cannot be mixed with impurities. His removal of our impurities makes way for His holiness to be able to live in us, and become our life. His life/spirit is a spacious place. a'nanny'mouse
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