“There is nothing like
returning to a place that remains unchanged
to find the ways in which you yourself
have altered.” ― Nelson
Mandela
My friend is
watching her mother grow older, less mobile, and frail. I wish I could comfort
her, but the truth is, it’s going to be painful. I can only offer prayer that
our Father will immerse her in assurance that her mother’s life comes and
inevitably continues with Him, though it may be in a different form. It is the
story of the butterfly, of the seed, and of the earth itself. This is the hope
of those whose lives have been given back to Him as an offering.
The last
time I saw my dad in this world, he asked me if I really believed all those
people who go forward at Billy Graham crusades were going to heaven. The answer
came from somewhere within, as if it had been waiting to emerge at the right
time. “If they really believe it, they are.”
I hope it gave him hope. Over
time, I would come to believe those words more fully. I have come to know the
nature of the Father, which is always to honor what we believe: our faith. In
fact, without faith it is not possible to please Him, because the one who comes
to him must first believe that He is, and that He rewards those who diligently
seek him (Hebrews 11:6).
So, while we may face dark clouds, we who believe must
look beyond them to the constant shining of the sun.
My friend and I had a nice talk over
our seaside lunch. The dark clouds evaporated into the ocean and in the course
of our conversation, she spoke Jesus’ words from Matthew 6:34. “Sufficient for
the day is the evil thereof.” She is working on believing it. Together we believe
that when she gets to the hurdle she’ll be able to go over it.
We walked out
into the sunshine and followed our separate paths. Mine got pretty bumpy, but
peace sustained me. At another time, those bumps would have knocked me off
balance into the undertow and dragged me out to sea. Her words drifted back on
the gentle tide of evening. I searched them out in various translations of
light until I found the one that expressed what the Spirit was speaking:
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and
don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help
you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (the Message).
Yes, He has and He will. Amen.
John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out. Good News Translation
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out. Good News Translation
Psalm 1:6
The Lord protects everyone who follows him. Contemporary English Version
Jeremiah 29:11
I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope. God’s Word Translation
“Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!” - Thomas Chisolm, Great is Thy Faithfulness
Excerpt from: While it is Called Today - a 30-day photo devotional for living well
by Dee Marvin Emeigh
(c) 2014 Dee Marvin Emeigh
all rights reserved
