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Friday, August 3, 2007

Trusting God



Yesterday we received news from our dear son-in-law, B, that our daughter, M, had given birth to an 8 pound baby girl! Mama was doing fine and had the shortest labor that she has ever had. This being her seventh child, she has had quite a few to compare it to! But, this birth was different in another way also. This little one was born with complications. It was obvious from the very start to the experienced eyes of their competent mid-wife, D, that this baby needed extra care, including oxygen which was immediately administered there at the home. We were awakened sometime after 4:00 in the morning that they were on their way to the hospital. Baby and mama in the ambulance and daddy B following behind. The sound of B's voice over the phone showed uncommon control and strength in a very stressful situation. It was obvious to me that he had, at some point earlier, relinquished the circumstances to the Lord, and that He was working in B to bring calmness and control in the midst of it.



At the end of the day we are looking at these facts: Our little grand baby, who has been named Sarah, is currently on a ventilator in the Neonatal Unit of Children's Hospital, the cardiologist has informed us that she has a rare heart condition that will require at least one open heart surgery in the coming months to correct; Mama is doing exceedingly well physically; and , as always, GOD is in control.


This last fact is the one that I want to comment on as I get acclimated to the new situation that has arisen in our family with the birth of Baby Sarah yesterday. I know God is showing me more of Himself through this experience. I was blessed with a good night's sleep but awakened around 5:00 AM abruptly and was immediately reminded that we have a crisis in our family. M and B have another child and she will require an extra amount of additional time, care, love, prayer, anxiety, and whatever other noun you care to put to it, to a couple that already has a VERY full plate with 6 active children that are being home schooled.

I cried out in my heart, "Oh, Lord, how will they manage? I can't believe this is happening! I want it to go away and for Sarah to be miraculously healed, right now!" Any one with a grandmother's heart for her children would call out in the same way, I know. But I was drowning in emotion and I had to get out of bed and talk with God and call on Him to give me strength to deal with this and here am I, once removed! How can M and B handle all this??? As I allowed my flesh to take over, I got more and more panicky within my soul, I was feeling so overcome! Then that beautiful... still...small Voice crept into my heart..."Didn't you, just a night or two ago, at mid-week Kinship, share with your brothers and sisters in Christ the main points from the article in In Touch magazine? Remember what it said. Are you one who can only talk the talk and not walk the walk?" I had to agree, I had gone on and on about the truths in this article by Dan Schaeffer (The Bush Won't Burn)about the will of God. He had brought up 4 different "myths" people tend to believe about God's will and being in it. Myth # 1 was foremost in my mind....The will of God ensures smooth sailing, and smooth sailing indicates God's will. Baby Sarah is definitely not experiencing smooth sailing right now...but, as pointed out in the article, neither did Joseph when he was thrown into an Egyptian prison for a crime he didn't commit--yet he was in the will of God; as was Daniel when he was thrown in the lion's den. He was, however, in the will of God. Or Peter and John when beaten and jailed for refusing to deny Jesus and cease preaching. But they were in the will of God. And, of course, our Lord Himself, when He was crucified on the cross for our sins. Definitely, in the will of God. These things were brought to my mind and I allowed God to speak to me. This situation has been allowed and His Glory will be shown somehow in it.


I thought of our baby's name and I read in Genesis 17..."but Sarah (Princess) her name shall be. And I will bless her....Yes, I will bless her." And again, in Chapter 18, when Abraham's Sarah heard that she would have a child and laughed, "...and the Lord asked Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I really bear a child when I am so old? Is anything too hard or too wonderful for the Lord?" That last question really made me ponder..and, of course, the answer is NO--NOTHING is TOO HARD or TOO WONDERFUL for the Lord!! Baby Sarah and M and B are safe in His very capable Hands. I know it and I will believe it and I will trust it. I went to the morning devotion for today called Early Light and read 1 Peter 2: 9-10:


9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.


And then the commentary said, "Today's passage calls believers 'a chosen race,' 'a royal priesthood,' and 'God's own possession. ' And our purpose is to 'proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light.'

How encouraging it is to know that we've been called into God's 'marvelous light.' Yet unless we have help, we are unable to escape the "darkness" of our circumstances. As believers, we're empowered by the Holy Spirit, who enables us to overcome disheartening situations and Satan's manipulative tactics.

When circumstances seem unbearable, remember the Lord purchased you with a price (1 Cor. 6:20). Wake up each morning with the knowledge that you are valuable to your Father. Trust in His Word, not your feelings, and allow the Holy Spirit to change your self-perception."


That is where I shall stay...trusting in Him and continuing to pray. Please join me.





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