It's been an arduous and long day today, but not one without a rainbow of hope. Just so many hurting souls out there, in very critical condition and I'm not that many years out of my own tragedy to not feel the depth of their despair. Many might think that a bad thing, but I don't. Who better to minister to a soul in despair than one who can still touch that despair with their own soul; and consider it an honor. I know it must sound very strange, but I do consider it an honor of the highest order. When I hear back from people after we've prayed for them & they have experienced miracles in their lives, there are truly no words to express how honored I feel to be a part of this ministry. I'm awestruck by how mighty God is!
"He is your God, the one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done mighty miracles that you yourself have seen." Deuteronomy 10:21
Tonight may very well be the last night for a woman whom we have been praying for. Her name is Roberta and her body is ravaged with cancer. As with many families today, there is much discord among Roberta and her siblings. She has begged for her sisters to come to her side, but they have refused; leaving just her daughter & a wonderful friend to care for her. Please take some time out of your busy schedule tonight, right now, to say a prayer for Roberta, Kerrie and Sue. Just 5 minutes to pour out your soul for these three women. Roberta isn't going to make it for much longer & she doesn't know the Lord, Kerrie is her daughter who also is not yet saved and she will be left with more grief than she can currently bear and Sue, a Christian, needs all the strength God can grant her, to be there for Kerrie for this long journey.
"I can do all things through God who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13
"And we can be confident that He will listen to us whenever we ask Him for anything in line with His will. And if we know He is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that He will give us what we ask for." 1 John 5:14-15
I often wonder, as I walk this long journey after David's death, this new journey, where I am going. I'm not lost, I know the destination but I ponder the wanderings of the journey. Each step is one that I think about, where in the past I just walked. Now every step is a gift because I realize how quickly it could all be gone.
My life and future was always clear to me prior to his passing, but with his passing my life is now split into two. The "before" and the "after"…and I am not the person I once was. My character is the same, my strength of character is the same, I still possess integrity, I'm still pig headed and stubborn, still combative at times (when I find it necessary to tug that chain), I still stand firm in my convictions, I parent the same way, I work the same way, I still hate housework, I still struggle with the same weaknesses; so what's changed?
What's changed is that I've been shattered & once you realize that you can be shattered, nothing is ever the same. I will always know that I'm not invincible, & I mean really know it, because I've lived it. Once you see death shatter you & your family, in the blink of an eye, you realize how precious every blink of the eye is. In many ways you become less tolerant of people who don't understand how precious life is and how important their decisions are & on the flip side of that coin, you also admire those same people for the innocence (or ignorance) they possess that you & your family will never again know.
So here I am, four years later, my innocence gone & my "myth of invincibility" BUSTED. I'm still on a journey to Heaven, gathering as many who are willing to take this journey with me, along the way. I used to be very focused on where I would end up in life, now the journey is just about landing in Heaven when all is said and done. So it's all about the journey…the destination has already been chosen, and with each new day, comes new twists and turns in the road. And each day, I'm honored to be alive to experience the journey & I trust God fully with all He brings my way.
"So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in His good time He will honor you. Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about what happens to you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
He cares about what happens to me, and to you. He always has & He always will.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8
The journey is tough sometimes, absolutely devastating the next and in many cases there is absolutely no one who can fathom your pain, but Jesus. You are so alone, in your devastated world, and all you will find from the outside world, is judgment. This is commonplace after tragedies because human beings are cruel and hateful, and we love to judge and gossip; but God is always on your side!
"I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cheribum and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him--the dark rain clouds of the sky. out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The Lord thundered from Heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of your breath from your nostrils. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support!" Psalm 18:1-18
I've been there. The vultures tried so hard to devour me, but the Lord was my support. I followed the rules to a "T", but still they came…and God was always there.
"I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." Psalm 16:9
Amen & Amen!
God Bless you,
Please pray for Roberta, Kerrie and Sue tonight.
Pastor Dana
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