Things happen in life that we don't understand, some big some small. That's okay, we don't need to understand, we need to trust God and do as He says.
This morning during my Bible time I was pondering the story of Naaman, he was a mighty man of valor but was afflicted with leprosy. Thanks to a servant he was directed to the Lord's prophet, Elisha for healing. He went to Elisha and Elisha sent his servant to tell Naaman to wash in the Jordan river 7 times. Well this annoyed Naaman quite a bit, it made no sense to him, why the Jordan, there were cleaner and nicer rivers where he was from, it was too simple. His servants spoke with him and he finally did it, and amazingly, he was healed and his skin restored to healthy skin.
As I pondered this story, I wondered, how many times does the Lord tell us to do something that makes no sense to us, so we don't do it, or we delay in doing it-- for me, probably more times than I realize or would want to know. Makes you think, what would have been if we had done as He directed, when He directed us? Would someones life have been radically altered? Would ours? We will really never know.
The challenge, as I see it, is to do what the Lord directs me to do, when He says to do it. I may still never know the reason for it, or the why of it, or even the full impact, but what I do know, is that staying in His will is always the best option. And I want to try to respond better, I won't even try to pretend that from this day forward it will be 100%... I know myself better than that. But what I do know, is that I want to do His will, and that means I must always strive to listen for His prompting and respond.
This last year and a half have helped me to see and understand this better. It is easy when life's challenges arise, to began to become focused on only the bubble around you and how everything affects you and what is in your sphere. However something the Lord challenged Glenn and me in, very early on, was to look beyond ourselves and not 'navel gaze' as it were, but to reach out to others. Sometimes, it was something as simple as praying the moment we knew there was a need instead of procrastinating and then forgetting. Other times when in the midst of Glenn's own issues, we found ourselves ministering God's love to others. And I believe that it is partly because of this that we were given the extra year over the doctor's initial feeling of Glenn's prognosis.
During this time, I also know that another area God grew me in was to let someone know if I needed something, and this was a harder thing for me, that simple reaching out and saying that simple word- 'help.' Oh my gosh!! How can such a small word be so hard to say?? I still battle with it, I don't ever want to get in the pattern of always asking, but at the same time, when I am overwhelmed-- I need to. This goes for anyone that is in a time where the walls are all closing in-- if you need something ask!
The Lord has shown me what an amazing family (of both kinds- blood and heart) I have... such support!! I want you all to know that I don't take any of you for granted, what you have done for me has been such a blessing... and that brings me back to wanting to hear the Lord better and have His eyes to do the same for others. It is those kind of things that will impact a life, a city, a nation and a world with a touch of His love. We are his hands to those around us, and something as simple as giving a smile to someone can change a life.
Be Blessed!!
Mary
No comments:
Post a Comment