But This Time...

Well, it happened again.  It probably happens a lot, and I’m just not aware of it.  But this time…

A friend’s name just kept coming to me for over a month.  And every time I thought of her name, I also felt that I needed to go over to her house and pray for her.  I saw her over this period of time, but I never told her of the promptings.

You know how it is.  Life interferes with our good intentions.  Or maybe I was just lazy and didn’t get over there.  I’d like to believe the former, but I’m pretty sure it was the latter.

Between the holidays, a little traveling, bronchitis and extremely cold weather, I kept putting it on the back burner.  When things calm down, I told myself, I’ll get right on over there.

Finally, this past week, I called her and invited myself over.  I usually don’t do that, but, frankly, I was tired of this feeling that I needed to pray for her.  I just wanted get it over with. It was really in self-defense way more than any spiritual connection.

My strategy was to ask her how she was doing and how her family was doing, then tell her about this nudge I was getting, pray for her, and go on about my business.  In my mind, it was much more about me than it was about her.

So I asked my two polite questions so that I could get on to the praying part.  Forty-five minutes later, the praying began.  In between, she told me what had happened in her family’s life in just the last few days. 

Family problems are always the worst, aren’t they?  It’s a very hard thing when family lets us down.

It just so happens that I had gone through something similar decades ago.  She already knew some of it, but now she knows most of it.  She knows the parts that can help her the most now.  But not because I was oh, so wonderful to show up on her doorstep and listen to her, share with her and pray with her.

No, it wasn’t because of me at all.  It was because God loves her in a very profound way. 

And even though I believe it wasn’t because of me, the crazy thing is that I got a blessing out of it even if she didn’t.  Because I felt that God had used little old me in His great big plan.

Mercy!  His blessings come showering down upon us.  Even when we’re just looking out for ourselves. 

Especially when we’re just looking out for ourselves. 

All I Need

God’s love really is all I need.  Everything else springs from that.

~ God’s love teaches me to be a better wife.

             The heart of her husband trusts in her,

    and he will have no lack of gain.

She does him good, and not harm,

    all the days of her life.

 Proverbs 31:11-12

~ God’s love teaches me to be a better mother.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.  Always remember these commands I give you today.  Teach them to your children, and talk about them when you sit at home and walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.                                          Deuteronomy 6:5-7

~ God’s love teaches me to be a better neighbor.

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.                                 Romans 13:10

~ God’s love teaches me to be a better driver.

You have commanded your precepts

    to be kept diligently.

Oh that my ways may be steadfast

    in keeping your statutes! 

Psalm 119:4-5

~ God’s love teaches me to be a better grandmother.

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.             2 Timothy 1:5

 

~ God’s love teaches me to be a better customer or client.

Do to others what you would want them to do to you.

                                        Luke 6:31

~ God’s loves teaches me to be a better patient.

            Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.                    Romans 6:12

~ God’s love teaches me to be a better friend.

            The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.
                                Proverbs 27:9

~ God’s love teaches me to be a better church member.

I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a helper in the church in Cenchrea.  I ask you to accept her in the Lord in the way God’s people should. Help her with anything she needs, because she has helped me and many other people also.

                                Roman’s 16:1-2

Yep, I think that’s right – God’s love is really all I need.  Everything else springs from that…

 

Spoiler Alert: Plan 2 is better...

Here were the plans we had made:

1. Go to Big South Fork National Forest in Kentucky to the Blue Heron Campground on Tuesday and stay one week, leaving the next Tuesday.

2.  Come home from Blue Heron Campground.

Here’s what actually happened:

1. We didn’t like the Blue Heron Campground for reasons I’ll get into via my other blog Miscellaneous Ramblings on Friday.

2. On Sunday, we decided to travel back down to Alabama to a campground about 40 miles from our home.  We had never been there, but it had been recommended to us by several folks.

3. We planned on staying at least two nights and maybe three.

4.  Monday morning, as we were sitting outside our camper in the beautifully cool weather (hard to believe it’s August in Alabama), I got a phone call from a friend who said that my mother (who is 91 and lives in an assisted living apartment in the same town where I live) was going to be hospitalized for bronchitis.

5.  After calling Mom and getting details, David and I drove to the hospital, beating her there by about 10 minutes.  She didn’t really feel bad, but her cough was something else entirely.   

6.  I stayed with Mom during the three days she was there.  She handled the 2 nights alone just fine.

7.  It took 6 hours to get discharged from that hospital today!  Very frustrating.

8.  Mom is home, reunited with her cat, Gracie, who was very glad to see her mama.

As you can see, our simple 1-2 plans did not quite work out. 

But did you notice how God put us within shoutin’ distance of home where we would be needed?

And did you notice that Mom didn’t really feel bad?

And did you notice how much God loves each of us to orchestrate this whole deal so that it turned out well?

And have you noticed that God does the same for you?  Think about it.  It will come to you. 

And when it does, thank Him for His grace, His unmerited favor.

 

Grace (God’s undeserved favor) be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with undying and incorruptible [love]. Amen (so let it be).

                                                                   Ephesians 6:24 (AMP)