I Now Have What I Prayed For!

 

While shopping in Hobby Lobby, I saw this plaque.

And it hit home with me.

 I Now Have What I Prayed For!

When hubby and I married, we spent the first seventeen years living in church owned homes. The first two houses, or parsonages as they are called, were furnished with sofas, tables, and beds from parishioners. All items were cast off from various people and no longer wanted.

A few items weren’t too bad, but they weren’t my choice, and none matched. These furnishings were a mishmash of necessary pieces.

We outgrew the second parsonage when two of our daughters were born. The house had one tiny closet for four people. I often felt like a sardine stuffed into a small can.

Frustration became a daily emotion.

The flock expected me to keep everything clean and look new, and I did what I could. We ordered a beige metal closet from the Sears Catalogue and placed it in the bedroom. It was not pretty, but it was functional.

The time came when we needed a new kitchen table. I was elated! “Now I can choose something I like.” I said to hubby. Nope! Not to be. A man found a table in a used furniture store, bought it, and delivered it to the parsonage. It was actually nice, and I liked it. But my point? I didn’t get the chance to shop and select.

I prayed for the day I’d be able to have my own home with my personal choices of furniture.

Our first owned home came seventeen years after marriage, and we are currently in our fourth one. Today I have a beautiful home with my selections!  We have lived in four parsonages owned by churches and four we bought.

I’m thankful God heard my prayers of long ago. He told me to wait. He said it would happen, but I didn’t believe Him! I thought I was destined to never have beautiful things from my personal selection.

I don’t know why He times events the way He does, but I know the waiting from all the yesterdays made me more appreciative of today.

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Nature's Wonders

 

 

Nature’s Wonders

Years ago, I produced a video, Psalms from the Mountains. This film contained audio Scripture and traditional hymns.  My motto was "Sharing His Creation."

I remember with joy the euphoria I experienced as I rode with a film crew through vistas in Canada, Hawaii, and Texas. They were all beautiful beyond description. God has done amazing work with this place He calls Earth.  As I followed the crew, I beheld a dazzling scene, and I said aloud, “God, have You seen this?”

And then I laughed. I think He did, too. Of course He saw it on that day with me, but He created it eons ago, and He must have enjoyed it then as well.

Studies have been done on the effects of nature to our wellbeing. Most of us spend our days on the computer, and we miss the benefits of outdoors.

The colors of nature can enhance our cognitive abilities, elevate our moods, and reduce stress. The lowering of blood pressure is another benefit.

I live in Houston, and it is brutally hot in the summer, so I don’t enjoy leaving my house. As I write this, it is spring, and the weather is beautiful. I’ve increased my walks.

I've been sitting on the porch.

I'm remembering my trips through the mountains.

Gazing at my many pictures of Texas bluebonnets.

Do I feel guilty for doing nothing?

I fight the guilt. In truth, I’m doing something. I’m listening to my body. I’m relaxing, healing, and I’m thanking God for giving the beauty around me. And I can do this from the comfort of home. There is beauty here, too. Tall trees. Blue sky. Birds chirping. Green grass. Colorful flowers.

Take a few minutes to breathe in His Creation.

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Anger

 

“Are you angry?”  A lady ambled up to me after a fitness class. I see her working out, but I’ve never met her and don’t know her name.

I’m sure my eyebrows rose at her question. They usually do when I’m surprised. “Am I angry about what,” I asked?

“I know your daughter passed recently, and I see you looking normal. Aren’t you angry about what happened to you?”

“No, I’m not angry. I get sad, and sometimes I’m more depressed than at other times, but I’m not angry.”

The lady began to cry. Tears of sorrow flooded her cheeks faster than she could wipe them away. “I’m so angry that I want to yell and smash something.”

Whoa! I thought. What do I do now? I replied. “I can see you are upset. What caused this rage?”

Between sobs, the woman explained her husband of 50 years had made unwise decisions, and they now they had no money or friends. She went on to tell me he yells at her over and again to “just get over it.”

I said you need a hug, and I gave her one. But what else to say? People who are hurting don’t need platitudes. They need help. Answers. But what can I do to support, and what answers could I give to help?

Our choices affect other people and cause a ripple result. This lady didn’t gamble money away, her husband did, and she now suffers the consequences of his actions.

Bummer? Right?

I never expected to bury a daughter, but I did. We have no control over all our circumstances, but we can choose our actions and thoughts.

The troubled lady thought I looked as though I’m doing well. She can’t see inside my heart, just as I can’t see into hers. But I see hurt on her face. She didn’t see pain on mine. On that day, anyway.

This lady kept saying, “I need to be kind. I need to forgive.”

I replied, “That is a good response. You’re on the right track.”

 Is it easy to forgive and move on?

A big no! Choosing to forgive and acting kind takes work. And it is exhausting. And for hundreds, like me, it’s more draining than not. It is equally hard for this dear lady, too.

I’m not angry with God for taking my daughter. She was so sick! And now she isn’t.

But what if my feet were in this lady’s shoes? I’m guessing I’d be angry at my husband for doing unreasonable things, and I might be angry at God because He allowed it.

I’d be in good company. In the Old Testament, Job and Jonah became angry with God. They also lived to talk about it.

Moses also had his problems with the Almighty.

What did they do to get over it?

Nothing.

God intervened at the proper time.

Did it make them feel good to be angry at God?

Probably.

For a tiny bit of time, anyway.

But when reason took over, these guys realized how merciful God is.

And that humbling fact surpassed everything else.

My friends, I don’t know where you are on your journey. Perhaps you are angry. Depressed. Feeling hopeless. In daily tears.

Emotions are just that. They aren’t facts. And that’s okay. God gave them to us, and they teach us stuff He wants us to know.

Facts are these:  God loves us. He’s merciful beyond measure. He’s with us even when we are angry, and He understands.

As the day darkens into night, so do our circumstances.

Chin up!

Dear one, it will get better. Don’t give up! Wait to see what God has planned for you!