Lessons from a Cast

Last week, I was released from my cast after a fall. It is wonderful to have the use of both hands! As I contemplated my freedom, it hit me that there are many lessons to be learned from my cast.

1. Sometimes, we need restrictions and rest for a time to heal. Mark 6:31 shows Jesus having the disciples take time to rest and recharge after much serving. Jesus Himself spent time alone with the Father. In our busy culture, we need to set both daily guidelines to allow for rest and time with God and periodic prolonged periods to recharge both physically and spiritually. These times could be seen as "casts" to allow healing. Just as my cast restricted me to allow rest and healing, my schedule restrictions allow rest and healing. 
2. While I had the cast, it was necessary to ask for more help than usual. It is easy to think that we can bear all of our burdens and do all ourselves. This can be pride. Galatians 6 shows how we are to bear each other's burdens as well as bearing our own. We should do what we can for ourselves and others, but also allow others to help us. The cast made this a necessity. I had to submit to others during this time. I Peter 5 addresses this humility of submitting to others, trusting God, and casting the care/burden on Him. 
3. The cast was uncomfortable and inhibited daily life. Many times, I simply wanted to remove the cast myself. I wanted comfort. In the same way, some of the things God brings into our lives are uncomfortable, but God uses them for His good. Psalm 71:20-25 tells how God brought trouble, but will revive us again. Oftentimes, the trouble serves to prepare us for a future task.
4. After the cast was removed, my skin needed much care to remove the dead and moisturize the dry skin. It hit me that if I hibernate away from others, my dead skin spiritually speaking is not removed. I need the interaction with other believers who will exhort and encourage me. If I am away from the water of the Word and not submitting to the oil of the Spirit, my spiritual life becomes very dry just as my skin did. I must take care to keep my spiritual life healthy! 
5. Slowly, my muscles and joints are gaining strength after their long rest. If I do not exercise my spiritual muscles and joints, they become weak and stiff. It takes time to build up the spiritual strength.

So many life lessons from just a few weeks in the cast. :) 

Sometimes, post script

Sometimes, God's answers to prayer are yes, but not in a way we would expect!

Within hours of posting last week, I fell. hard. on concrete. Did I mention that I fell hard, met the sidewalk up close and personal?

It was on the way into a meeting that would be hard but good, in which I knew God was calling me to graciously speak the truth of His Word when the easier path would be to be quiet. I had steadily been praying for humility in leading up to this meeting. He granted it just not in the way I would have. :) As I fell, I thought two things... 1) It seemed that the devil was working to prevent truth, 2) God was answering the prayer for humility! I sat through the meeting, spoke truth, and watched God work while in increasing intense pain. I realized that God was putting me in a place where NOTHING could be done in my strength. 

Side note: God intervened in the meeting in so many ways. My thoughts and opinions matter not. His Word is all that matters... He must be glorified. As Joshua 5:13-16 shows, God was not for Joshua or the enemy, but He is God and will be glorified. He is not about my selfish agendas! 

I ended up with a broken hand, displaced finger, sprained foot, sprained ankle, and multiple bruises and scrapes. Ouch! What good could come out of this? How could I keep going with these injuries on top of the current health struggles? Much good can come out of this. In looking back at the week which I survived, I saw many blessings and the hand of God!

Here are a few highlights:

• being able to work just short of 32 hours with all the normal health challenges combined with injuries... so grateful!
• learning that while my foot and ankle are both just sprained (YAY), the radiologist found a possible tumor in my leg bone. I must admit I simply laughed out loud with it since it was just one. more. thing!
• learning that I had been cleared from both the leg bone tumor (just the old break showing) AND the pituitary gland tumor. HALLELUJAH
• discovering that EVERYTHING takes three to four times as long to do when you are in my shape, but becoming so, so grateful for being able to do what I can! It is amazing how your priorities shift and show.
• finding that God WILL answer prayers for humility and lofstrand crutches... just not quite in the way or time I anticipated! Our Father is AMAZING!
• being frustrated that time with Him is not happening as much as I would like right now due to my health and feeling as if that makes me less desirable in His eyes only to be lovingly reminded by our Father that He made me, allowed this, and loves me the same. My time with Him is just more broken up in small moments throughout the day. :)
• seeing His abundant provision of food, rides to the store, funds, ladies from church coming to prepare said food, do dishes, needed equipment to be as independent as possible, and laundry. Seriously!!!! A niece came to clean and another lady is coming Monday night. Amazing grace!!!!
• watching God be more concerned with glorifying Himself and changing me into His likeness than my immediate "comfort!" He is revealing more sin and extending forgiveness. This is good.
• oberving God using my injuries in others lives. :)
• being thankful for the medical workers help and availability

Yeah... it has been quite a week. The ladies at church keep reminding me that God is still teaching me to rest! I am used to being the one serving, not the one having to be served. What a place to be! Yet,God continues to give opportunity to serve with limited strength through prayer, etc.!!!!

Romans 8:28-29 and Philippians 4 have become so precious!

What about you? What is overwhelming? Are you focused on the trial or on God? He is an amazing God!!!! May He be glorified! Sometimes, these trials are Him making us more like Christ, allowing God to be glorified!

Sometimes...

Sometimes, God's answers to our prayers are not what we would expect. Consider this quote...

"They were people who were living to themselves. Their hopes, promises, and dreams still controlled them. They had asked for a repentant heart and had surrendered themselves with a willingness to pay any price for it, and He sent them sorrow. They had asked for purity, and He sent them sudden anguish. They had asked for meekness, and He had broken their hearts. They had asked to be dead to the world, and He killed all their living hopes. They had asked to be made like Him, so He placed them in the fire "as a refiner and purifier of silver" (Mal. 3:3), until they could reflect His image. They had asked to help carry His cross, yet when He held it out to them, it cut and tore their hands." ~Streams in the Desert, October 17.

At the first, this quote seems to be discouraging, even despairing. However, upon closer inspection, hope and love spring forth. You  see, sometimes the unexpected gifts from God are greater than our expected ones. :)

Sigh. I had prayed to be closer to my Lord, to rely on Him and to shine His love more. I had prayed to have His will for my life, to submit to Him. Some would say that I should then experience health, wealth, and happiness. Yet, I found this quote interesting as it was the devotional on the very day a trip to a specialist revealed that my most recent health challenges were simply chronic. The good news is that there is no more neurological damage. (For those wondering, I do have a brain!) This is good news indeed and encouraging. 

The harder news is that the symptoms are going to be with me. Muscle weakness, insidious muscle weakness is most likely a side effect of the asthma medications and is potentially permanent. Chronic fatigue syndrome has flared once again, the type of fatigue that at times makes it impossible to move and makes one's strength incredibly precious. This type of fatigue that is always with someone and hinders life. Complicated migraines which mimic stroke and cause everyday life to be ... hard... just hard. It has become a struggle to do basic duties. These things are not life threatening, but life altering.

This morning as I pondered these things in the quiet of my house, an overwhelming gratefulness swept over me. My life is changing of necessity. Daily, I am running out of strength before I run out of my duties. Why would I then be overwhelmed with gratefulness? You see, in my weakness, I have been given a precious gift and choice. Will I let Him shine through? I will be moved out of the way since I am so frail. He is my only hope! :) I began to ponder and remember these verses:

• His strength will be made perfect and shine forth. :) 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, "7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 
• An opportunity to learn contentment is given to me. What a gift! :) Philippians 4:11-13, "11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ[b] who strengthens me."
• And, in my weakness, I am drawn closer to my precious Savior who suffered so much for me. He is the Master Gardener and is pruning me. The Gardener is closest to the plant when He is pruning. :) John 15:1-4, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;[a] and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me."
• My life is not about me or my happiness, but about glorifying God! As John the Baptist said in John 3:30, "30 He must increase, but I must decrease."

As I pondered all of this this morning, my heart was overcome with gratitude. God has given me this amazing gift as well as so many provisions and blessings. He has blessed with a wonderful support system in family and friends. He has given me the opportunity to get to know Him better! :) What a wonderful Savior! 

Today, my heart is focused on Him and making the choice for gratitude. The days ahead will be no less difficult. I am thankful that sometimes, His answer is different than what I expect. I am thankful that sometimes, He allows me to see that His answer provides the unspoken needs of my heart in His infinite wisdom, rather than my desires. 

May my gaze continue to stay focused on Him! May my heart continue to draw close to Him! May I say with the Psalmist, 

Joy in the Fellowship of God

A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

63 O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

6 When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
7 Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
8 My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.

9 But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall fall by the sword;
They shall be a portion for jackals.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped."

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In the Midst

"In regards to your recent struggles, I would encourage you to stop thinking about your mountains.  You are with God, which means that they have already begun to move; you don't need to watch them anymore.  Turn your eyes on Jesus and they will grow strangely dim!"
                                                                                                           ~an excerpt from a recent email from a friend

As this quote suggests, I have been "in the midst" lately... in the midst of health crises, family changes, and spiritual battles. God has taught me much "in the midst." Little did I realize when my ladies' Bible study began Joy in the Midst: A Study of Philippians, by Carrie Gaul, how needed and timely this study would be. We have been blessed as we have learned valuable lessons from Philippians and needed Bible study skills. As my friend promised, when I stopped looking at the mountains and began looking at Jesus, those mountains did indeed begin to grow strangely dim. I then began to look at what God was doing "in the midst" just as I had been learning in our Bible study of Philippians.

I want to share a thumbnail sketch of my "in the midst" to show you a brief glimpse of the mountains and thus show you the power of my God. He is El Shaddai, God of the mountain! You see, the thumbnail sketch looks so small now that my eyes are back on my Almighty God. However, I must say that there were (and sometimes still are if I allow my focus to wander) points in this that it looked so big that it seemed impossible for any good to come out of it. But, keep reading, my friend, for after the thumbnail sketch of the mountains, there is a testimony to our great Savior! He is alive! He is able!!!!! He is bigger than our problems!

HEALTH: After many months of increasingly strong health, my health took a nosedive. A few months ago, I slowly walked 3.5 miles on a handicapped hiking trail while tent camping, went camping at my family reunion, and was encouraged as my health improved. We do not yet know the cause yet, but I now struggle to work a full day, walk unaided very long at all, and do daily household tasks. To say each day is a struggle and overwhelming is an understatement. But... God! :)

CHANGE: Change is good. Without changes, we do not fear God. Recent changes in our family are actually good. As a creature of habit who happens to love routine, schedules, and planning... let's just say that change is hard for me. :)

SPIRITUAL BATTLES: Recently, a spiritual battlefield began to be set for my church. The stakes were and are high. I do NOT like conflict, but our church people realized that we would have to stand for truth. We sought God's face and Word as we (sadly) had not for a time, waking in the middle of the night for long sessions bombarding the throne of grace begging for help. This week, a glimmer of light appeared. Our Father was giving grace, strength,  and wisdom. His grace became evident as He began to mold and strengthen our hearts.

• Joy in the Midst: There is indeed joy in the midst. Joy abounds when we look to Christ as Paul demonstrated with his life. In Philippians, Paul showed that his life was all about Christ, not his own comfort. The joy comes when we simply surrender to God's will. 
• Gifted with Suffering in the Midst: Ok... I must admit that as a I have struggled to pray this prayer with Paul. I mean... he sees suffering as a gift since it follows Christ's example and draws us closer to His fellowship. Yet, how easy it is to forget that suffering is a gift when the pain and disappointment run deep. 
• Trust in the Midst: God has promised in His Word that He will provide what we need. Sometimes our perception of need is much different than actual need. You see, God sees what is needed to glorify Himself and make us more like Christ. For those who have trusted His plan of salvation restoring their relationship with Him and being adopted into His family, He is thus our Father and will provide. 
• Rest in the Midst: It is so easy in our society to tie our worth to our performance, not in God's love for us, to feel as if we have to be busy all the time rather than sitting to just enjoy God and our relationship with Him, to give our body, mind, and spirit time to be still and know that He is God. For, in resting, we are demonstrating that we trust/believe that God is in control. Will we let Him be in control?
  ANYONE who knows me knows that I tend to be a Martha, not a Mary. I don't like to sit still. (Is this why God gifted me with illnesses which mandate rest? When will I learn?) Through this illness, I am being shown again that rest and quiet are a gift. 
• Contentment in the Midst: Christian society has used Philippians 4:13 as a catchall promise to say we can do anything. However, in context, it is talking about being content in the midst! :) Those verses coupled with Hebrews 13:5 show that contentment is possible in any circumstance since we have something better... HIM! :) He is with us. I am also reminded of my recent study of Exodus 32. In the end of that chapter, you see that Moses is facing an amazing task. He implores God to send someone with him as he cannot do it alone. God says that He Himself will be going with Moses. Moses profoundly states that if God will not go, He does not want to go. You see, He needed nothing more than God!
• Humility? Dependence? Submission? in the Midst: I must admit, I will have trouble expressing this next concept. You see... I know my heart is not humble, that dependence on God and submission to Him are difficult for this strong-willed, independent, stubborn child. Bear with me as I strive to express this... A friend and I recently finished a two year adventure of memorizing 1 Peter. We came to chapter 5 just as all of my mountains began to crash in. Verse 7 has been a favorite go-to verse of mine. As we memorized and studied through the chapter, we saw that verse 7 FOLLOWS verses 5-6. (Who would have known? ;) ) What I mean is that you have to take it in context. In context, it is stating that we must humble ourselves before others and most importantly before God. THEN, we cast our cares on Him. We leave all up to God. He cares for us. We need to leave it to Him. We must humble ourselves in His sight. He will lift us up. It doesn't say that we will like what He chooses, but that He WILL care for us through it.
  As I prepared for a full day of testing at the hospital last week, these verses began to work in my heart.That day, another friend posted this song, "Bow the Knee."  Was I willing to humble myself for whatever He brought? Was I willing to cast the care on Him and be submissive? Sometimes, we think of being submissive before Him as being ready to be a missionary in a far off land or give our life as a martyr which it is, but I am becoming more convinced that the being submissive has more to do with taking up our cross daily!
• Gratefulness in the Midst: Thankfulness. Gratefulness. Rejoicing. When I begin to look to Jesus, my list of things to be thankful for grows and grows... even in the midst! 
• Prayer in the Midst: How grateful I am for prayer - both personal and intercessory - as I walk this path. Prayer is powerful!
• God in the Midst: Perhaps the most precious part of these mountains has been getting to know my God better. Now that we have finished 1 Peter, my friend suggested that we memorize Psalm 63 since it gives a good example of how to handle suffering. It shows how to have joy in the fellowship of God - even in suffering. It is as my other friend said, "Turn your eyes on Jesus!"
• God's Word in the Midst: Through this time, I have been reminded of the precious gift we have in the Word of God. We are truly blessed in this country to have access to it so readily. How do we use this precious gift? 

God wants us to comfort those with the comfort we have received. May something I have learned in the midst be an encouragement to others who are in the midst right now. Would you pray for me to continue to look to Christ and look to be a comfort in the midst? How can I best pray for and encourage you?