Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8
Every Friday morning, my grandfather would take my grandmother to the beauty shop as he has always done every Friday morning for the past few years. He loved taking care of my grandmother and providing for her. He would drop her off for her hair appointment, then he would go to the store to pick up some groceries, fill up the car with gas, go to the bank, and be back just in time to pick up my grandmother looking quite beautiful to enjoy the rest of their day.
But on the Friday of Sept 9, they didn’t make it there. They were in a serious care accident that landed them upside down after the car finally came to a stop.
I had taken the day off to go out of town, when a coworker called me to let me know.
I was shaking on the way there. As I entered the ER I could not have imagined the series of events that would unfold before our family for the next month. It was tragic and one of the most traumatic experiences of my life.
To see my grandparents hurting was beyond painful. They were bleeding and bruised beyond anything I could imagine. I was trying to be brave and encourage them but my heart was sinking as I struggled to hide my tears. I didn’t know if they would make it, and if they did, how would they survive the pain of healing?
After the ER, came the intensive care unit. You pray, you wait…you pray…you wait more. Then you have people pray for you because you can no longer find the words as your mind and body have gone numb.
Then you wonder if you could have done anything to prevent it. If only I had been there, if only they had waited 5 minutes, if only, if only…
But the Lord is sovereign. He knows all things before they happen. And I could only find comfort repeating Romans 8:28, “ For we know that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord.”
My grandmother finally made it out of ICU and so did my granddad, but only for a day before he had to go back. I would be happy to see my grandmother doing so well, then my heart would sadden as I went back to my grandfather and saw his pain.
But even through all of his pain, he never cursed God. He reminded me of Job. My granddad would ask us to read him scripture, sing hymns, and we prayed with him every night.
And then one day, he stopped responding to us. He appeared to be in a deep sleep and I knew he was getting ready to go Home.
I found comfort knowing He would be with the very One he had so beautifully followed. He displayed the heart of Jesus more than I any man I know. He was always loving me unconditionally and always letting me know how special I was. Isn’t that what Jesus does? I look forward to seeing them both when my day to go Home comes.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Letting Go to Receive
Letting Go
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Hebrews 12:1
I’ve been thinking about a lot of the things in my life. Especially some things I’ve been holding on to that I need to let go. God has been prompting me more and more to let them go. I’ve been wrestling with this question: “Am I willing to let go of things the Lord has been prompting me to lay aside?”
The things we hold on to may be harmless but still God has something really better, if he's asking to lay it down.
I don't want anything I am holding on to, to prevent God from giving something better.
Today, I'm letting go to receive from God.
Today, I'm willing to lay down some priced possessions to take what my Savior has for me.
How often I have stubbornly held on to things...when the Lord asked me to let go..ever so...gently.
Today I just want to lay it all at his feet tell him…" Lord take away all that's not required and replace it with things from Your hands."
It may be painful to let some things go and lay some stuff down. But I need to do it.
It reminds me of a story of a little girl who bought a cheap pearl necklace from the dollar store. She treasured them because they looked pretty on the outside, although the pearls were not real, just an imitation. Her father, seeing how much she treasured them, decided to give her a real, genuine set of pearls, far more valuable and beautiful than she could ever have imagined. Time and time again he would ask her ever so gently…."Will you give me your pearls?” She would refuse, holding on to them more tightly. She would ask, “Can I just give you my doll instead? Or how about my favorite dress? ” He would just give her a hug and say that’s ok…Daddy loves you. This would happen time and time again, until finally one day, with tears in her eyes, she approached him held out her little hand and opened it up and said, “Daddy, I am going to give you my pearls”. With tears gathering in his own eyes, her kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the cheap necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to her. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.
So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things
in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasure. Isn't God good?
Are you holding onto things which God wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary relationships, habits and activities which you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go?
If God's been prompting you to let go of things that hold onto you...pray to fully let them go. Anything that comes between us and God is an idol. Let's remove all idols from our live. Let our Lord and Savior be our first love always. He deserves our best. Let's let go of things that so ensnare us and receive his blessings.
Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in theother hand but do believe this one thing...God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Hebrews 12:1
I’ve been thinking about a lot of the things in my life. Especially some things I’ve been holding on to that I need to let go. God has been prompting me more and more to let them go. I’ve been wrestling with this question: “Am I willing to let go of things the Lord has been prompting me to lay aside?”
The things we hold on to may be harmless but still God has something really better, if he's asking to lay it down.
I don't want anything I am holding on to, to prevent God from giving something better.
Today, I'm letting go to receive from God.
Today, I'm willing to lay down some priced possessions to take what my Savior has for me.
How often I have stubbornly held on to things...when the Lord asked me to let go..ever so...gently.
Today I just want to lay it all at his feet tell him…" Lord take away all that's not required and replace it with things from Your hands."
It may be painful to let some things go and lay some stuff down. But I need to do it.
It reminds me of a story of a little girl who bought a cheap pearl necklace from the dollar store. She treasured them because they looked pretty on the outside, although the pearls were not real, just an imitation. Her father, seeing how much she treasured them, decided to give her a real, genuine set of pearls, far more valuable and beautiful than she could ever have imagined. Time and time again he would ask her ever so gently…."Will you give me your pearls?” She would refuse, holding on to them more tightly. She would ask, “Can I just give you my doll instead? Or how about my favorite dress? ” He would just give her a hug and say that’s ok…Daddy loves you. This would happen time and time again, until finally one day, with tears in her eyes, she approached him held out her little hand and opened it up and said, “Daddy, I am going to give you my pearls”. With tears gathering in his own eyes, her kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the cheap necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to her. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.
So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things
in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasure. Isn't God good?
Are you holding onto things which God wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary relationships, habits and activities which you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go?
If God's been prompting you to let go of things that hold onto you...pray to fully let them go. Anything that comes between us and God is an idol. Let's remove all idols from our live. Let our Lord and Savior be our first love always. He deserves our best. Let's let go of things that so ensnare us and receive his blessings.
Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in theother hand but do believe this one thing...God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.
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