Angels Watching Over Us
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Floyd is holding steady at the moment - no better, no worse. We've had a couple lovely sunny winter days this week. He gets nice sunshine in his room on days like these, so I'm sure that's been special for him.
In my last post, I wrote about the "why" questions we deal with when a trial, tragedy, or time of suffering comes our way. A friend sent me this quote afterwards. “We have no right to ask when a sorrow comes, “Why did this happen to me?” unless we ask the same question for every joy that comes our way.” That's a good way to look at it!
I recently wrote about the "gift of laughter." It is such a very wonderful gift. Laughter releases lots of endorphins in our body - we can't help but feel better. I had a good laugh at myself a few days ago.
The current treatment that I'm on causes me to gain weight and lose hair. I wish it was the other way around! :) I don't lose clumps of hair - rather strands of it. On a typical day I'll lose 30+ strands of hair. I have a few spots on my scalp that are getting pretty thin. I hope I don't end up with bald patches. It's a good thing my hair was thick to begin with. I've always joked that I have enough hair for two people, but I'm not sure how long that will remain true.
I was cleaning off some of the strands from my clothing when I thought of the verse that says "even the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Luke 12:7 In my situation that takes constant monitoring! I suddenly had a picture in my mind of an angel standing by keeping count of the number of my hairs to give a daily accounting to the Lord. No, there's no verse that says that. It was just an image in my mind - and it struck me as funny. I laughed and laughed. It's a full time job keeping track of the number of my hairs! I can almost hear the angel saying "oops! There's another couple hairs falling out." :)
As I was thinking of that - my thoughts evolved into thinking of how the Word speaks of angels keeping guard over us. There have been numerous times in our lives when we've been sure that angels protected us. And I'm equally sure there are countless times that we've been unaware of, as well, when angels were standing guard over us.
In the uncertain times in which we live, I take comfort in knowing God has promised to send angels our way. I often pray for angels to be with me, with Floyd, with our family. Floyd was speaking in a church one time. We were staying with some friends. After the service, a lady in the church asked one of our friends if Floyd always travelled with a bodyguard. Our friend didn't know what she meant. The lady said she was talking about the tall man standing behind Floyd as he spoke. (Floyd's tall - so he needed a really tall angel!) I wish I had seen that tall, bodyguard angel! Why the angel was there that particular time, I have no idea. But it was a sweet encouragement to know they're around, especially since Floyd travelled a lot.
We were in an accident one snowy night on a mountain highway when we lived in Colorado. Thankfully we weren't going very fast when we hit "black ice." Our car skidded, flipped, and rolled over a couple times off the highway landing upside down. The car was in pretty bad condition. Some other cars stopped and helped us. When the highway patrolman arrived, he asked the people standing around if they knew how many people were killed in the car. He was stunned when he realized we were alive. We had some bumps and bruises, but not even any broken bones. The patrolman said he'd never known people to survive an accident like that. I know there were angels watching over us that night!!!
When we moved to South Africa, we lived for about 9 months with a friend.....then moved to the village where we now live. Our house was near a lighthouse. At night the light circling around from the lighthouse would shine into our bedroom window. The day we moved into our house, Floyd left on a trip. I was in a still fairly new country to me, in a new home, in a new neighborhood, and alone. I didn't even know my neighbors yet. As I lay in bed that first night with the light flashing into my bedroom from the lighthouse - the Lord spoke into my heart that just as that light kept shining into my bedroom.....He was with me and was giving angels to watch over me. That word and the peace that it brought has stayed with me all these years. I never dreamed I'd one day be living alone full time without Floyd. It's a different house now, but the sweet peace is still with me......and I think the angels are too.
I often pray for angels to keep Floyd company in the long hours when he's alone at the hospital. I think I've mentioned to you before that there have been times when I've been with him that he looked behind me, or over my head. I've asked him a number of times what he's looking at - and, on several occasions, I've asked him if he sees angels. He usually gave me a sweet, knowing smile. He's always wanted to see an angel. Maybe that's one of the special gifts God has given Floyd during this hard time.
"He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways." Psalm 91:11
"I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared." Exodus 23:20
"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them." Psalm 34:7
"Therefore, angels are only servants - spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation." Hebrews 1:14
As my mind was reflecting on all this, I felt a fresh assurance in my heart that there are angels watching over us in this pandemic time. I haven't seen any of them, but I'm sure they are there. And they are there with you too! Maybe you'll see one.
My heart has been touched by all the messages I have been receiving lately from both friends and strangers who are struggling with the impact of the times in which we are all living. Many are anxious. Some are fearful. Almost all of them feel overwhelmed with situations they are facing. Others say things are out of control.
I understand. It's not unusual to be having these kinds of reactions. We are truly living in an unprecedented time. No one would have ever imagined that a worldwide pandemic, civil rights protests, and political upheaval (to name just a few things) would be happening all at once. It sometimes feels a bit surreal.
I've been asked how to respond to all this. I have to say that I'm learning along with everyone else! I'm not an expert. But there are things I've been learning in recent years that help me in this current time. The most powerful tool l've found to respond to all these challenges is worship and praise. Praise is the way to strength! When our hearts are filled with gratitude, we find that we have more to be grateful for - it opens our eyes.
When I'm anxious - I worship!
When I'm fearful - I worship!
When I feel overwhelmed - I worship!
When I'm sick - I worship!
When I have more questions than answers - I worship!
When I'm tired and weary - I worship!
When I feel like things are out of control - I worship!
When I feel weak - I worship!
I start by acknowledging who God is to me. He's my Rock, my Refuge, my Sustainer, my Comforter, my Counselor, my Husband, my source of Wisdom, my Provider, my Healer, my daily Grace......I speak out everything I can think of that God is to me. I thank Him for being those things to me.
Then I speak out promises from the Word - especially the ones that apply to what I'm struggling with at the moment. I was reminded today of Isaiah 26:3,4. "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord Himself, is the Rock eternal."
I acknowledge what is heavy on my heart at the moment. I "cast the burden" of that on the Lord. I give it to Him because it's too much for me to carry. Sometimes I can almost physically feel the Lord lifting the heaviness from my heart and mind and spirit. I heard Bill Johnson say that offering up praise to the Lord is like "road building equipment.....it clears obstacles." Confusion, pain, and loss is lifted from our hearts as we offer up our worship.
And I open my heart to receive from Him what I need. I let the Spirit wash over me and impart to me His strength and help. When I change the way I look at things by offering them up as worship, the things I've been looking at, focusing on, then change as well.
When we offer up worship and gratitude, it actually impacts us physically - it strengthens us, it supports our immune system, it enables us to cope. Gratitude is a strong, powerful, empowering emotion! Worry and stress just make us weak. When we offer up praise, worship, gratitude - it blesses God. Then He turns around and uses it to help and bless us.
"Because you have been my help, therefore in the shadow of your wings I will rejoice." Psalm 63:7
"Worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water." Revelation 14:7
"I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. O my strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God." Psalm 59:16,17
"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." Matthew 6:34 The Message
I honestly don't know what I'd do without the gift, the tool that God has given us, of worship. As I choose to worship the Lord - He, in turn, gets me through each and every day. He is faithful!