An awesome story of God working in our lives. –Marla-
“Hon…”
I called out to my sleeping husband.
No response.
“Hey, hon…”
I called a little louder.
“Huh? Everything okay?”
he asked groggily.
“Ummm…yeah, everything’s fine. Could you come here?”
He stumbled into the bathroom.
“What is it?”
“I’m not positive, but I think my water just broke.”
This is not what either one of us was expecting. It was 4:30 AM on June 2. Our baby girl wasn’t due for just over another month. Sure, I had felt like she may come “early,” but not this soon! The nursery was still a glorified storage room. Hannah’s baby shower was not scheduled for another 3 days. We had no clothes for her, no diapers, not even a car seat to take her home! All of those little things we were going to complete in the next few weeks were left undone. But there was no time to do any of that now. We scrambled around, made arrangements for Moriah, our older daughter, finished packing for the hospital and we were on our way.
Several weeks earlier I began asking God to give me a verse to meditate on through childbirth and in those often-difficult weeks after, when I knew our lives would be changed forever and we’d be navigating through the familiar but somehow distant waters of caring for a newborn and adjusting to a completely different lifestyle on little—if any—sleep. I expected that completely changing our schedule and routine, then going back to work, would require extra strength and a greater measure of peace from God. So I simply made my request known to God for a verse to cling to, maybe something along the lines of “I can do all things through Christ…” I thought about different verses, but nothing clicked. Then one evening a passage came to me very distinctly:
…there was given me a thorn in my flesh,
a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
But he said to me,
“My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,
so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
That is why, for Christ’s sake,
delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
I read the passage again and thought, “Yeah, having a newborn and adjusting is a bit difficult, but I would hardly refer to it as a ‘thorn in the flesh.’ Sounds a bit harsh.” But I knew that this was the passage God gave me, so for several nights before Hannah’s birth, I read it again and again.
Once at the hospital, the nurses confirmed that I was indeed in labor and were very sure to tell us that we were having a baby that day. We were both in shock. Nonetheless, she was on her way. A few hours later, at 10:15 AM, we heard the long awaited cries of our little girl. Due to last minute medications during labor, I was unfortunately quite groggy the first few hours of Hannah’s life. I held her and looked at her, but failed to pick up on the little details of her appearance. I could hardly hear the nurses’ comments as they evaluated her. I remember one nurse asking, “Does she look like your other daughter?” And I answered that no, she had her own distinct look.
A few hours later, as I was trying to recover, the pediatrician came in the room and brought the news that changed us forever. He gently told me that they suspected Hannah has Down Syndrome based upon her features and her weak muscle tone. I was in shock. Down Syndrome? We had no idea. We never imagined we’d be the family with a special needs child.
When Eddie came back to the room, I shared the Doctor’s report with him. Thoughts came rushing through our minds. Tears flowed. Our joy was overshadowed by grief and fear of the future. She’ll never be like other kids. She’ll be made fun of. She won’t go to a typical school, have a normal social life, go to college or get married. Hannah will always be dependent upon us. What will happen when we’re too old to take care of her?
Since then, I’ve thought a lot about those irrational fears. What child comes with a certificate guaranteeing that she will live a successful life, go to college, get married and be independent anyway? I’ve never seen that certain promise at birth yet. Our responsibility as parents is simply to give our kids our best in way of care, training, and teaching and to raise them to know and love God. We simply encourage them to be all they were created to be.
Family came to visit and see her. More tears. More feeling of loss of all the little things we had planned for our child. Wave after wave of grief followed.
It wasn’t until later that evening that I remembered the verse and certain promise God had given me several days earlier:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
“Oh, God, I’ve never felt weaker in my life. I need your strength, your grace,” I prayed through the tears.
Sleep came sporadically that night. I was able to visit Hannah in the NICU just a few times before I was discharged the next day. They had to keep Hannah due to complications arising from her prematurity. Leaving the hospital without a baby was somehow just not right. (And in the weeks to follow, leaving her each day left me feeling like I was never home. Wherever I was—whether with her at the hospital or home with the rest of the family—I was never complete.) When I walked out of the hospital the day after her birth, my heart was still heavy with the news of her diagnosis. I was thankful to have her, but somehow still grieving all the dreams I had for her that would never be realized.
Late that evening, I found myself the only one awake in a quiet house. Seemingly out of nowhere I felt a sudden urge to read the verses God had given me, but in the Message version of the Bible. I don’t often turn to the Message version, but I appreciate its plain, everyday language and way of putting God’s Word into a fresh perspective. As I opened to the passage, I was amazed at the wording:
I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations.
Satan’s angel did his best to get me down;
what he in fact did was push me to my knees…
At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it.
Three times I did that, and then he told me,
My grace is enough;
it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen.
I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift.
It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness.
Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer…
I just let Christ take over!
And so the weaker I get,
the stronger I become.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (the Message version, emphasis added)
That instant, I had peace about Hannah’s diagnosis. I knew that her unique and special qualities had been given as a gift, and I should see them as nothing less.
A few days after her birth, I was holding Hannah in her NICU room when the thought occurred to me: I didn’t even know what her name means—I, of all people, who usually obsess over things like this. I, the mother who long before Moriah’s arrival had researched her name and written a poem based upon it’s meaning, could not even think of the meaning of my youngest daughter’s name. A few months before, Eddie and I had deliberated quite a bit over what to name her, and finally agreed that Hannah was perfect. I’m sure in the process I had looked at the meaning. But sitting in the hospital room with her, I was in shock that I could not recall something so important. With her in my arms, I managed to get a hand free and search for the name on my phone. When the results came up, I was in awe.
Hannah means “grace.”
“My grace is sufficient for you…” God had promised.
Whatever the future holds, for every unknown challenge on the road before us, so long as I call Hannah’s name I will have a reminder of God’s promise ever before me. His grace will be enough to meet every challenge. His grace will carry us through the frustrations and strengthen our faith in times of uncertainty. His grace will flow through us and enable us to show grace to those who show ignorance or even cruelty toward her.
And God’s grace will pour out joy upon us as we delight in Hannah’s adorable smile and melt in her hugs. His grace will sing over us as we cheer her on and take pride in her accomplishments.
Most of all, His grace will enable us to fully enjoy the precious gift of our sweet Hannah.
To believe that wholehearted commitment to Him is more important than any other thing or person in our life.
To know that nothing we do in life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving the people He has made.
True faith means holding nothing back; it bets everything on the hope of eternity.
This whole swimming-upstream, pursuing-Christ, taking-up-your cross, counting-the-cost thing isn’t easy.
The road is narrow and few will actually find it!
We can’t afford to just assume we’re one of the few on the narrow way.
Be totally in love with Christ.
Even Heaven would be a desolate place without Christ.
Don’t just let life happen.
Love and desire Christ, for when we love, we are free!
Let God change us.
We need to let Him in our life.
We need God to help us love God, and if we need His help to love Him, a perfect being, we definitely need His help to love other fault-filled humans.
Don’t hold back, be consumed with Christ.
We need to show a “Love” that is crazy to the world.
True love, a kind found nowhere else, but through Christ.
Don’t be lukewarm, be obsessed with Christ.
People obsessed with Christ…
Love people and are friends to all…
They’re crazy risk takers for Christ…
They’re humble…
They serve…
They give…
They think about eternity…
They’re engrossed and delighted with God’s Word…
They’re passionately in love with God…
They’re unguarded and open with Him…
They meditate, are nourished by, and are rooted in the Word…
They’re dedicated and faithful to Christ.
They know they’re a child and a friend of God.
Let’s evaluate our lives…
Is what we’re doing, what we want to be doing, when Christ returns????
Taken from: Crazy Love by Frances Chan
Lukewarm is completely useless…
Neither like hot water (as in a comfortable bath)…
Nor like cold water (as in a refreshing drink)…
Interpret “hot” and “cold” in light of the historical context of Laodicea…
It had no permanent supply of good water…
Efforts to pipe water to the city from nearby springs were successful…
But, it would arrive lukewarm…
Located close to both natural hot springs by Hierapolis…
Often used for medicinal purposes…
And a cold, pure stream by Colossae…
Both hot and cold water are desirable…
Both are useful for distinct purposes…
All believers can be used of God…
The spiritual state of this church…
More closely resembled the tepid, lukewarm water…
That eventually flowed into Laodicean pipes…
Neither hot nor cold…
It was putrid!
The metaphor condemns Laodicea for not providing…
Spiritual healing (being hot)…
Or, spiritual refreshment (being cold) to those around them…
Revelation 3:15 is a condemnation of their lack of works and lack of witness.
They spread spiritual disease…
What disease?
They believed they were spiritually rich…
When in fact they had gone bankrupt…
They thought they could see…
But they were blind…
They thought they were healthy…
But they were corrupt….
They thought they were fully clothed…
But they were naked…
The difference was in their opinion of themselves…
vs reality…
They thought they were well off…
But they were starving to death…
They were spiritually content and self-satisfied…
Although actually they were wretched and pitiful…
In Revelation 3:17, they had the audacity to say…
“I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.”
The problem with being lukewarm…
And the case against Laodicea…
Revolves around the idea of self-deception…
They were self-deluded…
The church at Laodicea was made up of Christians…
Who were trusting in themselves and their wealth…
Or, what they thought their wealth could buy them!
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, says,
Lukewarm…
Useless and self-deceived…
They thought they were of great value…
But were hypocritical…
Promoting themselves, as those who saw the truth…
When in fact they did not…
Actively covering their sins with a cloak of religious observance!
Lord…
Help us to be obsessed with You…
Show us where we’re lukewarm…
Give us the strength to deal with these areas…
Do whatever it takes…
For us to please You…
We need constant infilling of Your Presence…
A constant love relationship…
Constant prayer…
Constant worship…
Constant renewing of our minds…
With the Word of God…
We don’t want to be lukewarm:
A believer who isn’t a threat to satan’s kingdom,
A person who is unable to accomplish anything for the Lord,
Who no longer brings God glory,
Who no longer accomplishes His will,
Who no longer builds His kingdom.
Refresh!
Rekindle!
Our lukewarm hearts…
Restore!
Us to a heart perfect in its commitment to You!
Amen!!
Lukewarm is not enough…
Try Crazy Love!
Ahhh…
My new non-lukewarm refrigerator!!!!
Cold and Colder!!
To match my repaired non-lukewarm dryer…
Hot and Hotter!!
Forget lukewarm!
If a dryer’s not HOT…
Or, a refrigerator’s not COLD…
They’re useless…
And so are we!!
Amen!
Don’t sing these Top Ten Songs Of The Lukewarm Christian!!!
1. Blest Be The Tie That Doesn’t Cramp My Style
2. Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me
3. I Surrender Some
4. I’m Fairly Certain That My Redeemer Lives
5. Sit Up, Sit Up For Jesus
6. What An Acquaintance We Have In Jesus
7. Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following
8. He’s Quite a Bit To Me
9. Oh, How I Like Jesus
10. It Is My Secret What God Can Do – See more at: http://diggingtheword.blogspot.com/2010/03/top-ten-songs-of-lukewarm-christian.html#sthash.IJf1kito.h1RhYzKB.dpuf
1. Blest Be The Tie That Doesn’t Cramp My Style
2. Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me
3. I Surrender Some
4. I’m Fairly Certain That My Redeemer Lives
5. Sit Up, Sit Up For Jesus
6. What An Acquaintance We Have In Jesus
7. Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following
8. He’s Quite a Bit To Me
9. Oh, How I Like Jesus
10. It Is My Secret What God Can Do – See more at: http://diggingtheword.blogspot.com/2010/03/top-ten-songs-of-lukewarm-christian.html#sthash.IJf1kito.h1RhYzKB.dpuf
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have in my hands a copy of today’s top ten list.”
“Today’s list is top ten songs of the lukewarm church.”
1. Blest Be The Tie That Doesn’t Cramp My Style
2. Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me
3. I Surrender Some
4. I’m Fairly Certain That My Redeemer Lives
5. Sit Up, Sit Up For Jesus
6. What An Acquaintance We Have In Jesus
7. Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following
8. He’s Quite a Bit To Me
9. Oh, How I Like Jesus
10. It Is My Secret What God Can Do
Let’s be fired up this Sunday when we sing. Our Savior was passionate for us and we need to be equally as passionate for him.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have in my hands a copy of today’s top ten list.”
“Today’s list is top ten songs of the lukewarm church.”
1. Blest Be The Tie That Doesn’t Cramp My Style
2. Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me
3. I Surrender Some
4. I’m Fairly Certain That My Redeemer Lives
5. Sit Up, Sit Up For Jesus
6. What An Acquaintance We Have In Jesus
7. Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following
8. He’s Quite a Bit To Me
9. Oh, How I Like Jesus
10. It Is My Secret What God Can Do
Let’s be fired up this Sunday when we sing. Our Savior was passionate for us and we need to be equally as passionate for him.
My dryer stopped drying the day before we were leaving for vacation…
I washed a load of clothes…
And the dryer did it’s thing of sounding like it was a normal laundry day…
It flipped the clothes around and around and around…
But when I checked, the clothes were as cold as ice…
Problem!!!
It worked, but it didn’t heat up…
Duh, we need the heat to dry clothes…
Now it’s just a large, metal box with a door…
Taking up space in my laundry room…
Useless to me…
For the purpose it was intended!!
So my son had to cart our laundry basket over to a loving neighbor’s house…
So we wouldn’t need to leave the last load I washed…
Sopping wet over vacation!
Mildew, Yuk!
It certainly held us up from leaving on time…
When one of our appliances wasn’t doing its job!
Thank God my neighbor’s dryer did have heat!!
And she was gracious enough to let us use some of it!
Well, when we got back from vacation…
The Sears repairman came…
Opened up the back of the dryer…
Saw immediately what was wrong…
Went to his truck outside to get a part…
And in about 5 minutes…
Inserted a brand new heating element…
In our 12 year-old dryer!!
Voilà!!
Don’t just take up space…
You were intended to advance the Kingdom of God…
So do what you’re called to do!
I’ve been reading Pastor Daniel Kolenda’s book…
As the successor to world renowned Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, Daniel is the president and CEO of Christ for All Nations; a ministry which has conducted some of the largest evangelistic events in history, has published over 190 million books in 104 languages and has offices in 10 nations around the world. He also hosts an internationally syndicated television program. – See more at: http://livebeforeyoudiebook.com/?geo=USA&vid=Xnn9yAgu3aI#sthash.Q7247EvA.dpuf
s the successor to world renowned Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, Daniel is the president and CEO of Christ for All Nations; a ministry which has conducted some of the largest evangelistic events in history, has published over 190 million books in 104 languages and has offices in 10 nations around the world. He also hosts an internationally syndicated television program. – See more at: http://livebeforeyoudiebook.com/?geo=USA&vid=Xnn9yAgu3aI#sthash.Q7247EvA.dpuf
With my cup of coffee on a bright sunny day last week…
Reading through some old Pentecostal Evangel magazines…
I have ready outside for just such an opportunity to sit and relax!
I came across an article about “Dave and Robin Kidd, who pastor True North Church (Assemblies of God) in Minerva, Ohio, and offer marriage seminars through their Binding Hearts Marriage and Family Ministries. The Kidd family suffered the destruction of their home to a fire on the night of April 27, 2013. Their son, Justin, 20, was unable to get out of his basement bedroom, and perished in the fire. The Kidds have continued in ministry during the months following Justin’s death, and reflect this Thanksgiving on the blessing of his life.”
To read the entire interview with
Scott Harrup, Pentecostal Evangel managing editor…
And Justin had posted the same topic to his youth group!
It caught my attention, because…
I had just counseled one of our young adults on the same subject!
God gives us more than we can handle…
God asks us to do difficult things…
But, we aren’t expected to do them alone…
We’re expected to depend on Him and not on our own understanding!!
Here’s
Justin’s Post of Apr. 18, 2013
Can You Handle?
One of the most common things you will hear people say is simply this: “God Will Not Give You More Than You Can Handle.” Seriously…I have lost count of how many times I have heard this said. Not only have I heard it numerous times, I am also guilty of saying this myself over the years…But here is the thing..It actually is another one of the lies that we buy..Before I started studying the word of god, and actually getting to know him better over the last year I have learned that this is actually in fact false.
This Statement, is actually misquoted scripture coming from 1 Corinthians 10:13 which says simply this:
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be TEMPTED beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
Saying that God will not give you more than you can handle, and saying he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, IS NOT THE SAME! Temptation is not circumstances..they are separate. You will be tempted and Tested in life, but as it says with the temptation will come a way out so you can endure the temptation, but he didn’t say he wouldn’t give us problems we couldn’t handle. This is why so many people misquote this scripture.
I in fact now believe the opposite. God does in fact give us more than we can handle. This is for the sole purpose of our need for his divine intervention. We alone can not handle..but with his help we can. That is why he allows test/trials.
Yes the saying God won’t give you more than you can handle sounds good..but here is the catch…just because something sounds good…doesn’t mean its true or biblical. There are plenty of things out there in the world that people will tell you that sounds great, but as I said, that doesn’t mean it is true.
I in fact now believe the opposite. God does in fact give us more than we can handle. This is for the sole purpose of our need for his divine intervention. We alone can not handle..but with his help we can. That is why he allows test/trials.
So what is my challenge to my readers this week?
Before believing anything you hear, go to gods word first. As I already said, just because it sounds good, that doesn’t mean it is true. CHECK IT!
This is a new thing that is new to my youth, since this is what I preached last night, but I have been doubting myself and this message since last night, and just now my Aunt turned on a movie, and it just had a scene that I caught and in the scene this message was just taught by the pastor in the movie, so to me this was a confirmation that this is what was to be shared. And for that I thank god for. I needed that myself.
I just loved his passion for God…
For God’s Word…
And for the youth he worked with!
Here’s another one of his posts…
Perfectly Broken
An excerpt from Justin’s post on March 28th, 2013:
1.) If we think we are perfect, we simply are not real and we are empty.
2.) We are perfect at one thing…..being broken!
3.) We are imperfect and broken people being brought back together by the Perfect God!
4.) The sooner we stop trying to achieve the perfect life, the sooner we can start focusing on things that matter more, and do greater and better things!
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