The Lilies of the Field

"Therefore I say unto you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing: Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather unto barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you can by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore, do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you needs all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall bee added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

If I can testify to any passage in the Bible, it is this one. Every single word of it.

Currently, I am sitting in our "home away from home," University Medical Center. Keith is here for what we hope to be his last brain mapping test for the brain surgery team. They said it should take about five hours so I brought things to do here in the waiting room. I planned on getting this blog post out today because tomorrow a benefit fish fry is being held in our honor, yet another testimonial to back this post up.

If you know us or know about us, then you know what the past few years have meant for us financially. I'll go back a few more years past my aHUS diagnosis to Keith's submission to the call to ministry for the purpose of this. When we followed Jesus' call to the ministry, Satan took it upon himself to do his work personally. I believe he, Satan, no longer trusted his pawns to do his dirty work for him because after all, they did fail to win the battles of our family and alcoholism, right?

Moving to New Orleans and living the seminary life was not a load of fun. It was hard, and we were poor. One time our fridge was stocked with just ketchup and ice. But, we managed. And God, never leaving His children alone, provided for us. We never went without food or clothing or a roof over our head. Isn't that what He promised? There were times our distrust did get the better of us, but little did we know that God had His army working for us... a food drive was set up by our home church; random checks from anonymous people came to our mailbox, scholarships were awarded, Christmas gifts were always provided, mission opportunities were given...many, many ways God kept his hand on us.

We moved back and the struggles financially continued. Keith was working as a bi-vocational minister and we had added another life to our crew, Cooper. But again, every time Satan would make a move to steal and destroy, God countered with a move to provide and get glory. We never did without. Our children have always hand-me-downs, and good ones, too. When there was a need for a vehicle, God provided. God provided a house big enough for us all, a nice house, too.

Then came the harder times. When Aubri was born and I was diagnosed with aHUS. We were basically homeless, yet God provided shelter. Keith had to leave the ministry and was off work a considerable about of time to care for me. God provided. Our children were taken care of by family and friends. And after looking back and doing research, I should have had a stroke and should have been in a coma according to my medical records. But God took care of that, too. No questions.

And last July when epilepsy struck Keith out of the clear blue yonder...yep, God was ahead of that as well. It rocked our world but it was no surprise to the God I serve and love. He knew Keith would no longer be able to work and all of the challenges that would bring. He sent many angels to provide and care for us.

Through ALL our troubles, I can tell you this:

I have eaten. It is quite obvious. My family has not gone hungry.

I have not been thirsty. We have never had to look for a drop of water to quench our thirst.

We have not gone naked. Please take a moment to thank God for that right now. He blessed you with that as well. Trust me. You do not want to see me naked!

Just as God takes care of the birds and the fields, He has taken care of me. In the beginning, yes, I did worry, and I worried a whole heck of a lot. As I spent more time "seeking God and His kingdom," I worried less and less. I trusted more and more.

How could I not? How many times did He have to prove Himself to me before I believed His word? I'm hard-headed, I admit. But this is something I get, something I truly believe with all my heart. GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF ME! He does it mostly through you. He uses you as His hands and feet. I am thankful for each and every one of you that have allowed God to use you as his minister to clothe this field and water this lily.

 

Share your "Birds of the Air" or "Lilies of the Fields" stories in the comments. Testify and praise Him for what He does!



My Weather Forecast

Randy Travis sang, "Oh baby, I'm gonna love you forever. Forever and ever. Amen. As long as old men sit and talk about the weather, and as long old women sit and talk about old men..." That was a lucky lady because those are two things that will always happen...old men talking about the weather and women complaining about men. Those are just a given.

 

Living in Mississippi, there is constant change in the weather. No day is the same as the day before. No season is predictable. We have tornadoes and hurricanes, separately and together. Our deltas flood from the rivers and yet suffer droughts from the sweltering sun. Summers can start early in April and end late in November. We may not even have a "winter". One day the temperature can be sunny and 75, and the next day it can be snowing. Yes, that happened this week. You get the picture.

 

All of this weather here in Mississippi, as well as across the globe as I gather from all the news channels, leaves plenty of room to talk, and to complain. When it's hot, we want it cool. When it's cold, we want it to be summer. We are never satisfied with the weather, are we?

 

I personally prefer tropical climates. I pray diligently that God keeps me here for all my service, or at least in warm climate. I do. Seriously.

"By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast." Psalm 33:6-9 

 

I think we need to consider, however, before we voice our discontent about the weather the next time, Who exactly we are complaining to. God, the Creator of the universe, is THE ONE who directs it all. He created it. And yes, He created it all for our benefit.

 

Consider, if you will, the snow and ice our country is having right now. If there we did not ever experience the cold, how would we ever know what the warmth of the sun felt like? How would we know the pure color of white?

 

If there were no rain, how would our fields and crops get watered to supply our food? And think about the sweet aroma after a good summer rain...

 

Without the hot summer days, we would not appreciate the coolness of the night and the beauty of the moon. Those pretty flowers that we love to enjoy would be parched from the scorching sun and would not get to taste the dew of night.

 

Without disasters like tornadoes and hurricanes we may never turn a voice of thankfulness for our lives. We could never know the kindness of strangers.

 

There is much to consider when we complain and express our dissatisfaction with our weather, our situation. I give to you what God said to Job when he was a bit "unsettled" with his situation.

 

"Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth and issued from the womb? When I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band; When I fixed My limit for it, and set bars and doors; When I said, 'This is far you may come, but no farther, and here your proud waves must stop!'

Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? It takes on form like clay under a seal, and stands out like a garment. From the wicked their light is withheld, and the upraised arm is broken. Have you entered the springs of the sea? Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.

Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place, that you may take it to its territory, that you may know the paths to its home? Do you know it, because you were born then, or because the number of your days is great? Have you entered the treasury of snow, or have you seen the treasury of hail? Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? By what way is light is diffused, or the east wind scattered over the earth? Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water, or a path for the thunderbolt, to cause it to rain on a land where there is no one, a wilderness in which there is no man; to satisfy the desolate waste, and cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass? Has rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew? From the womb comes the ice? and the frost of heaven, who gives it birth? The waters harden like stone, and the surface of the deep is frozen." Job 38: 2-30

For three more chapters God continues to grill Job in the same manner. Read the rest of Chapter 38 and then continue. God puts Job in his place for sure. In Chapter 42, Job says, in short, "Yes, Sir. I hear You loud and clear. I am so sorry. You are in control."

 

Psalm 104 is another good pointer to God's sovereignty when it comes to nature and the weather.

 

Our lives can be a direct parallel to the weather. We have to take the good with the bad, the sun with the rain. Sometimes we need droughts in our lives in order to appreciate things. We need tornadoes to shake us up and re-evaluate. We need the nights to cool our tempers and sooth our souls. We need the days to work and to provide. God is no dummy. He knows what He is doing.

 

So the weather forecast for the rest of your life: stay tuned in to God's Word and be weather-prepared for whatever comes.

 

Even Bad Days Can Be Good

There are good days; there are bad days. It is the "best of times." Or, it could be the "worst of times." I believe, however, those in Christ have the upper-hand on the bad days. We know things that the world does not know, and we understand things that the world does not understand. We have Christ Jesus our LORD.

 

Today God has granted me a reprieve in the middle of the battle.

 

Today, at least for the moment, I can rest. God has been so gracious with the hours of my today. The kids and I slowly woke up and got ready for the day. I took Cooper to school and came back to clean the kitchen. (It has been a disaster area since the end of last week. I am so thankful to have gotten that off my to-do list. It just makes me feel better.) As we were having lunch, I got a phone call from a number I didn't recognize. I reluctantly answered the call, but to my pleasure it was a friend from a little while back that I have not gotten to talk to in quite some time. I was able to share my story about being the wife of an alcoholic.

 

This phone call was my gift from God today. He gives me opportunities to share what He has done for me with others. That is a tremendous gift. #1) It gives me a chance to offer a little of the peace that I have received from God. And #2) It reminds me of the journey that Keith and I have been on the last few years and the incredible grace that I have been given.

 

Everybody knows that our marriage together has not been the "happily ever after" we had hoped. We still struggle, each and every single day. Sometimes you can't even tell we love each other because we drive each other insane. We have had more than our share of struggles, financially, spiritually and physically. But today, through my gift, I have been reminded of how thankful I am for the path we have been on together. That's the kind of stuff that makes bad days good.

 

Keith and I both "know that all things work together for those who love God." (Romans 8:28) And we do love God. As I replayed our life to my friend, I can see God's gentle, and sometimes very strong, hand on our lives. I see that through that journey as hard as it was, I still have my family together, and now I even have two more precious lives in our "Peden Pack" that I had would not have gotten had I chose to walk away as the world told me a few years ago. That's what makes bad days good.

 

This is not even a bad day, per se. (Well, Keith would say for me to speak for myself. He is undergoing tremendous physical pain while they are trying to diagnose him.) We have had far worse. And our day is not nearly as bad as some people are having today. But even if today was our worst day, we still have an advantage. We can call on the "peace of God, that surpasses all understanding." (Philippians 4:6) It truly is inexplicable the peace that God grants you when you trust Him. In the midst of the fiercest battles God can reach down and touch you. You can see in slow motion the things that are happening around you: enemies coming from all directions, darts and arrows flying, open wounds. Yet you seem to be calm and collected...and not worried about the outcome of the battle because you know how it ends. God wins. You win. If it ends in death, you know your reward. If it ends with life bent out of shape and out of your plan, then you can share the comfort God gave you in the battle. You get to share the story. It is for your good and His glory. That's what makes bad days good.

 

"For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or my death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  Philippians 2:19-21

 

I aim for this attitude. That my suffering is nothing compared to what I gain in Christ. That attitude is what makes bad days good.

 

I praise God for my struggles for they have worked together for my good. I praise God for the good days and the bad days. Because even if I have a "bad" day, at least I had a day.

 

Every Little Girl's Dream

Tonight, I attended the wedding of one of the sweetest couples I have ever known. Oh, the weather outside was frightful. Yes, indeed. It has been a dreary, gray day. When the rain came this afternoon, it came with claps of thunder and lightning. Counties to east of us even had tornadoes. This weather was the kind that makes you wonder, "do I go or not go?" I almost didn't, but I am so glad I did.

 

Weddings have a way of either taking you back to your wedding day, or they make you dream of your future wedding. Which day dream you have depends on what season of life you are in at the time. I did think of my wedding tonight, and how long ago it was. I thought of all the life Keith and I have lived from that rainy day June 1996 until now. Births and deaths, moves and houses, love and hate. So much life!

 

But as I watched the couple tonight, I also watched my daughters out of the corners of my eyes. One in junior high and the other in college. My oldest is closer to her wedding day (by age and stage) that I care to imagine. I wondered what was going through their minds as the bride came down the aisle in her glowing white gown. I wondered if they were wanting to have simply beautiful decorations like tonight or were they thinking destination weddings. I wondered if they could see the qualities in the couple that I see.

 

We have had many conversations over the years about what each of them wants for their weddings. Some of their plans change with the wind; others have remained the same. There have been lots of talks about their dresses largely in part because we love to watch "Say Yes to the Dress."

 

My daughters and I have also had conversations about what to look for in their future husbands. They seem to more know of what they don't want instead of what they do want. More and more the older they get they are speaking boldly that God must be first in their dream guy. My prayer is that they settle for nothing less. I pray for Cooper to find a precious girl that seeks to serve and honor God with her life, too. I am thankful in advance  that Aubri will get to see her older sisters choose a man who's utmost desire is to be a godly husband and father.

 

As a paralegal, I saw many, many couples come in to our office and say they are ready to call it quits. Most of the time there was someone else already in the picture or the couple had decided that life would be better without the other person. God's law and intent was not honored; it was just thrown aside like a wet bath towel until someone was ready to pick it up again. I wondered if God was even really in the picture in the beginning. I suppose not.

 

Every little girl's dream is that of happily ever after. It is molded and planned in detail from the time they first hear of Disney princesses or Barbie's dream house. Every little girl's dream can be shattered into a million pieces in a matter of seconds, if she is taught by the world what to want and what to be. As parents, as mothers and fathers and mentors, we are to lay the foundation of that dream and build castle blocks upon castle blocks of God and His ways.

 

I praise God for parents who raised the Prince Charming and Cinderella that I watched take their vows to each other tonight. I praise God for the people in their lives that pointed them to the alter before God and who taught them that God must be the center of their marriage.

 

I praise God tonight for His direction in the raising of my own children. I praise Him for His Word and His laws. I thank Him for being there for my prince and princesses despite my human error. And I praise Him for the ones He has hand-picked for each of the "parts" of my heart.

 

I'm looking forward to the future and thankful for the past.