Say A Little Prayer For Us, But Let Me Encourage YOU Today....

Well, It's Wednesday August 22. Today Is Supposed To Be D-Day For My Electric Service To Stay On Or Be Shut Off For An Unknown Length Of Time.

 And Yet, I'm Still Just Trying To Laugh It Off As Always.

   James 1:2-7 "Consider It Pure Joy, My Brothers And Sisters, When You Encounter Trials Of Many Kinds, Because You Know That The Testing Of Your Faith Develops Perseverance. Allow Perseverance To Finish It's Work, So That You May Be Mature And Complete, Not Lacking Anything. If Any Of You Lacks Wisdom, He Should Ask God, who Gives Generously To All Without Finding Fault, And It Will Be Given To Him. But He Must Ask In Faith, Without Doubting, Because He Who Doubts Is Like A Wave On The Sea, Blown And Tossed By The Wind. That Man Should Not Expect To Receive Anything From The Lord.".

   I've Tried To Learn The Lesson In This Verse. And Yes, I've Failed Many Times. But I've Overcome Also. I've Prayed And Wavered In My Faith. I've Pleaded And Cried At Times, Overcome With The Calamities In Life. Unbearable And At Times, Life Altering.

   And Yet, More Times Than I Could Ever Begin To Count, I've Been Strengthened To Ignore Every Trial, Every Disaster, Every Storm That Could Rise. To Ignore Even At Times, The Advice Or Counsel Of Well Meaning Friends And Family. Because I Was Standing Fast. And I Was Answered.

  My Most Relevant And Close-To-My-Heart Story Is That Of My Only Son.

   Born To A Mother Who Wasn't Supposed To Be Able To Bear Any More Children. Healthy & Strong As An Ox Yet Gentle As A Lamb. Blond Haired, Blue Eyed. Always Happy.
   Today, A 6 Foot Tall, 295 Pound Gentle Giant. But Then, At 22, After A Period Of Feeling Weak And Tired All The Time, We Got The Stunning News That He Had Stage 4 Non-Hodgkins Lymphomatic Cancer. The Doctor Wasn't Really Quite Sure Of A Time Frame, Due To The Late Stage.
 
I Came Home That Day Stunned, To Say The Least. I Walked Into Our Kitchen And Stood At the Counter, Hot Tears Beginning To Flow Down My Face.

   "Lord, Why?"

   At The Time, My Wife Was Also Already In The Hospital After Her Umpteenth Surgery To Recover From. Could Things Be Any Worse? And I Wasn't Even Able To Work Anymore To Boot?

   "Lord, Why? Have I Done Something Wrong?"

   And Then That Still, Small Voice Spoke, And Asked Me A Life Changing Question....

   "Would You Give Him Up For Me?"

   "I'm Sorry Lord. Come Again?"

   "Would You Give Him Up For Me?"

   "But Lord, You Promised Him To Me Years Before He Was Born!"

   "Yes, I Did. But Would You Give Him Up Now For Me?"

   (Heart Tearing In Half) "Lord, I Trust You. If That's Your Will, I Would."

   "That's All I Wanted To Know."

   And Then Silence. And A Profound Sense Of Relief.

   3 Months Later, He Was Clear And Free. To This Very Day.

   I Told You That To Tell You This: Never Give Up On The Tiniest Mustard Seed Of Faith You Place In Jesus. He Is An Overcoming And Consuming Fire To His Children He Holds Dear. He WILL Move Heaven And Earth For You.

   Today, I Have To Go Down To Social Services To Get Help With Our Electric So They Don't Shut Off My Wife's Oxygen Machine. And Hopefully Be Able To Get A Little Extra Help With Just Basic Monthly Expenses. At The Moment, She Needs 24 Hour Care. But That's Okay. I Love Her.

   But My Father In Heaven Is Good. I've Watched Now Time And Again When He's Come Through At The Last Minute With What Was Needed, Blessed By Friends Or Strangers. And In Turn, I've Thanked God So Much For His People And Asked Him To Bless Them Abundantly For Even the Little They Had To Give.

   And I Love To Bless People. It's A Rare Joy To See The Look Of Surprise Or Deep Appreciation With Tears Sometimes, On The Face Of Someone In Need That You Can Bless Out Of Nowhere. It's Actually A Lot Of Fun.

   Anyway, I Have To Go And Try To See If I Can Find All This Paperwork They Are Going To Need Downtown.  But Hey, My Father's Able To Make Anything Happen.

   Have A Supernaturally Blessed Day, In Jesus Precious Name.
.......<3'n Jesus Always,k.