Sunday, December 14, 2008

Restored Ground and Renewed Hope

Today was another great day! Tom and I spent the morning together with the Lord and reconnected some more. God is so good! I know that the prayer from Friday night had a lot to do with this. We feel like we are gaining back some of the ground we had lost.

Another cool thing is that the tire is holding air now! NL prayed and God answered :) Also, Tom looked up online the situation with our camera and found out that there is a recall on this problem, and Canon will repair it for FREE! Thank you, Jesus! Now, all that still needs a resolution is Tom’s teeth. I know our God is faithful to answer all prayers in His perfect way and timing.

I had lunch with KK today, and during the lunch we discussed the logistics of us staying at her house while she is gone. The cool and interesting part is that she had already made arrangements for her dog to stay at someone else’s house, so we won’t need to worry about staying the night there every night. That really helps, because the other two houses required that we spend the night because of the animals. So now it simplifies the logistics of it all. We could have done it, but we would have had to sleep in two separate places—and now we don’t! Another big thank you to the Lord! :)

We really enjoyed going to B and L’s tonight! It was great seeing everyone again, and we got involved in a conversation with a couple of ladies who are struggling in their marriages. We stayed and talked with them the whole night. God was there in a big way—guiding and directing the conversation, the people who joined in, and what was said. They walked away feeling so much lighter and freer, yet burdened for their husbands in a different way! It was so cool to watch God work in such a wonderful way.

Lord, thank you so much for your Holy Spirit that guides and directs healing and freedom for your children! I pray that these ladies will go home and seek your face, continuing down this path of healing for their marriages.

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
—2 Corinthians 3:17

Power of a Praying Wife prayer:

Lord, I pray for Your healing touch on Tom. Make every part of his body function the way You designed it to. Wherever there is anything out of balance, set it in perfect working order. Heal him of any disease, illness, injury, infirmity, or weakness. Strengthen his body to successfully endure his workload, and when he sleeps, may he wake up refreshed. I pray that he will have the desire to take care of his body, to eat the kind of food that brings health, to get regular exercise, and avoid anything that would be harmful to him. Help him to understand that his body is Your temple and he should care for it as such (1 Corinthians 3:16).

“I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you.”
—2 Kings 20:5

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Learning to Walk Humbly and Listen Deeply

I feel like I’ve been back in “God-school” this past week—learning some really powerful but really hard things. Today I met KM for lunch and prayer, and I feel like God finally broke through something in me. But before I get to that, He showed me something yesterday during my Discovery Bible Study that I had never noticed before in Matthew 11:29:

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

It hit me that humility is the key to rest. When we become like Jesus—gentle and humble in heart—that is where true soul rest is found. So KM and I were talking about this, and she brought up Micah 6:8:

“…and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

As she shared, conviction started flooding in. Humility is not something I’ve been walking in lately. The Lord began showing me the ways I speak and act that reveal how far I’ve drifted from humility.

When we were praying at the end, I started to pray—as I always do—“Lord, do whatever You need to do to get our husbands where they need to be…” But the Spirit stopped me mid-sentence. Instead, I prayed, “Lord… do whatever You need to do to me to make me the humble servant and woman of God I need to be—for You and for my husband.”

And honestly, I think heaven erupted. I could almost hear the Spirit saying, “Finally!” and the angels singing “Hallelujah!” It was a breakthrough moment. I’ve been battling a self-righteous attitude for so long, and it’s even been leaking into my prayers. But today, I think the Lord got through.

Then I came home and read Oswald, and the confirmation continued:

“Do we not see God at work in our circumstances? Dark times are allowed… Are we prepared to let God do what He wants with us?”

Oh Lord—yes. Please do whatever You need to do in me so I can bear fruit that brings You glory.

This has been a tough week for E and R and the kids. R was home for a week before being deployed to Iraq. He was very sick, but they savored every minute together. We watched the kids on Saturday so they could have some time alone. Saying goodbye Wednesday night was heartbreaking. Lord, please keep Your hand of protection over them.

It’s also been a tough week for marriages. Saturday morning I got a call from a friend in tears, devastated over her marriage. Saturday night, another friend emailed saying her husband wanted a divorce. Monday night—another call, another broken heart, another husband saying he was “done.” It feels like the enemy is targeting marriages left and right.

By God’s grace, Tom and I have been doing better. We’ve been making intentional choices—more time together, more time in the Word, more worship.

Because of all the crisis calls this week, I’ve felt a stronger pull toward intercession—especially for marriages. Interestingly, Oswald’s devotions lately have all been about interceding. Once again, His timing is perfect.

I’m still learning what it means to do only what my Father in heaven wants me to do. I’m spending less time running around and more time at home with God and with Tom. I feel a little more grounded, a little more at peace.

In one of my study times this week (I’m working through Matthew), another phrase grabbed my heart—Matthew 10:8:

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”

I used to hear this through a financial lens. Now I sense the spiritual meaning: God has freely poured into me—so I must freely pour into others. But only in the ways He directs and in His timing. The theme of “only doing what the Father wants” keeps coming up. The more I obey, the more He shows me. It’s exciting to see new things in His Word and then watch Him confirm them through people, Scriptures, or devotionals. He is so faithful.

We also received some encouraging financial news. We were able to handle all the necessary expenses and still had enough left to buy tickets for the family reunion in CA this May! Originally, we thought only Tom could go, but airfare was so low he was able to get tickets for both of us. I’m looking forward to it. Lord, help us be good witnesses while we’re there.

On a different note—I got a jury summons for the 16th! I had one years ago, around 2000 or 2001, so I guess it’s my turn again. It should make life interesting since we only have one car. But the Lord will work it out. Funny thing—I don’t remember Tom ever getting a summons. Things that make you go “Hmmmm.”