At the Cross

"At the Cross" is one of the songs we are singing for our Easter Program this year. We had our first service tonight. They flooded the aisles when our Pastor gave the invitation. Amazing grace; amazing love.

"You tore the veil. You made a way, when You said that it is done."

Oh Lord Jesus, thank You for making a way.

Blessings,
Linda

As For Me

As For Me

I see them sleeping
when You needed their prayers.
Would my head nod too
had I been there?

I see them running
when they took You away.
Would my heart be racing, legs pumping
abandoning You too?

I hear him denying, with curses,
when he pledged to stand with You.
Would I say I didn't know You
when the darkness threatened?

How often, Lord Jesus,
do I sleep when I should pray,
run when I should stand,
hurt You with my words?

Now, as then,
You search my heart with eyes of love,
Speak words of forgiveness,
Give Your life that I may live.

This week I am thinking about the young men who followed the Savior for three years and seemed to fail Him so utterly just when He needed them most. And I wonder, what would I have done had I been there.

(My contribution to Ann's blog today.)

Blessings,
Linda

Multitude Monday

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride."
Psalm 46: 1-3

We may not experience anything as dramatic as these verses describe in the course of our lives, but there are times when it feels as though the earth has shifted beneath our feet.

Eleven days ago, when my Mom stepped into the bathroom to take a shower, she had no inkling that things were about to change dramatically within the course of a few minutes. The simple act of putting on her slacks, a loss of balance and she found herself on the floor in more pain than she had every experienced in her lifetime.

She fell against the bathroom door, and my Dad could not get the door open to get to her. He slowly inched the door open as she screamed in pain. When he got to her, he was unable to lift her. He is far too weak himself from all the health issues he has had in the past year. They were in desperate trouble, and in the midst of it came the sound of the doorbell.

My Dad quickly went to open the door and there stood a big strapping six-footer of an exterminator man - there to do the quarterly spraying. He was able to help Dad and Mom and stayed with them until the ambulance arrived.

Some would say, "How lucky that he should arrive at just that moment."

We have said, "How good the Father was to send help before we could even ask."

We have had much to be thankful for over the course of these days, dedicated, compassionate nurses,a skilled surgeon, friends who have prayed and offered words of encouragement, made visits and prepared meals, and most of all a God who never fails to do good and love us extravagantly.

There are other things, so many other things, to be thankful for:

- the miracle of renewed life; I almost gave up on this poor little shamrock. At one time it was a full, beautiful plant, but one day it began to droop and lose its leaves. It got down to seven little leaves - a rather hopeless case - but I decided to give it one more chance.

- here it is today with more beautiful blooms that it has ever had before - a picture of hope and the belief that God makes all things new.


- I never can seem to do a gratitude post without including flowers. I love them!! It takes my breath away to look closely at the impossibly beautiful blooms.






-the miracles we see all around us, if we only have eyes to see. I nearly missed this little nest as I was taking my walk. It reminds me of the constancy of the Lord - spring always following winter, birds returning home and building nests to prepare for new life. How can we possibly fail to see the hand of a Divine Creator?



- my crown of thorns plant - especially poignant at this time of year. I cannot help but be reminded of what Jesus did for me.



- the thorns are cruel, but the tiny flowers are a reminder of the shed blood and the beauty of a Savior laying down His life that we might be saved.

"And they dressed Him up in purple, and after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on Him..."
Mark 15:17

"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us;..."
I John 3:16

"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."
John 15:13


This is the place where we gather to give thanks to One who loves us and gave His life for us.

Blessings,
Linda

Love

"Hereby know we love, because He laid down His life for us."
IJohn 3:16

"Love which outlives all sin and wrong,
Compassion which forgives to the uttermost,
And Justice whose clear eyes
through lapse and failures look to the intent,
And judge our frailty by the life we meant."
John G. Whittier

Words that bring such comfort to my heart, when in spite of the best of intentions, I fail yet again. Thank You, Father, for such love.

Blessings,
Linda

"Deep" Thoughts

My Mom looked at us from her unaccustomed position in a hospital bed and said, "I know God has a purpose in this. I just haven't figured out what it is yet."

Yes, He does have a purpose, one which we may never understand this side of heaven. He has promised that He will not let anything come to us on some purposeless whim. It all has meaning. We see with limited vision; He sees clearly. He sees with eyes of infinite love.

I was thinking about all of this this morning. Difficult circumstances tend to lead to "deep" thoughts. We so want to be able to figure it all out and make something sensible out of it all. I've struggled with that over the past few years and have come to the inevitable conclusion that there are some circumstances that I simply cannot make sense of.

I have finally (after much kicking and screaming) come to the place where I no longer try to fit suffering into a form I can understand. Sometimes it is simply that - suffering. Only the Father knows the purpose and only He can use it, as incredible as it seems, for our good. My part is faith and trust. That is more than enough for me to handle.

So I am trusting that whether or not all things work together the way I want them to - all will be well. I am choosing to believe that this life, with all its attendant sorrows and pain, is just a brief moment in time; to believe that when we step from this life into the next it will be for all eternity; to believe that there will be an end to suffering and pain and a beginning of unending joy beyond anything we can imagine.

For this present time, we have a Savior who loves and cares and provides all that we need. There is joy and peace in the midst of every circumstance when we simply rest in Him.

"Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am humble and gentle in heart and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My load is light."
Matt. 11: 28-30

"For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
Romans 8:18

"And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning or crying or pain; the first things have passed away."
Rev. 21:4

Blessings,
Linda

A Little Update

It is late. Mom is settled in at the rehab center. Dad is here with us - relaxing in front of the tv, watching the news. It was a dialysis day for him today, always a bit wearing. I'm a bit concerned about him. The new fistula the doctor put in his arm is causing the arm to swell up again. It really is so discouraging for him. The doctor doesn't seem alarmed, but even his hand looks huge. It is exactly what happened the last time. sigh.....

I think Mom will do well with her rehab. She has such a strong spirit and positive outlook - not to mention great faith. They will begin her exercises tomorrow. She is anxious to be able to get out of bed!

I am so thankful for all of the prayers and sweet comments. I long to be able to really sit and visit each of you. I think that will have to wait for a little while. I also long to "write it out" - but that will have to wait a bit too.

Much love and blessings to you,
Linda

Life Interrupted

We got one of those phone calls no one wants to get early this morning. My Mom had fallen in the bathroom while doing the simplest of things - putting on her slacks. My frantic Dad was on the other end of the line.

Forty-five minutes later, we met them in the ER. She had a fractured hip, and would have to have surgery to repair it. She is a real trooper and came through it all very well. After a few days in the hospital, she will be transferred to a rehab facility (probably the same one my Dad was in in October). In the meantime, we will have to keep Dad on his scheduled dialysis treatments and see that he is doing well.

We would so appreciate your prayers. These are not the plans any of us had for the next few weeks. In fact, Mom was getting ready to come visit us later in the day. However, we know that nothing comes to us that does not first pass through the hands of a Father who loves us with a deep, deep love and has good plans for us. We will rest in that.

I don't know how often I will be able to get on the computer, but I'll update as I can.

Blessings,
Linda