Faithful Through the Seasons
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One day this past week had some special meaning for me. I'd asked the Lord for a gift to my heart that day. By dinner time nothing unusual had happened. As I ate my evening meal, I thanked the Lord for a "good" day. Anytime I have a good day, it's a gift and I was very grateful.
Then suddenly we had a massive rain/hail storm hit. We'd had rain off and on all day. As the rain/hail hit, I realized the sun was still shining brightly......and I knew there would probably be a rainbow. I hurried outside to look - and, wow! There was a full arc, brilliant, double rainbow in the sky. It was gorgeous. From my vantage point I could see the whole arc. My-oh-my, because rainbows are meaningful to me - this was a perfect gift for my heart!!! I would have been blessed by a tiny snippet of a rainbow, but this one was over-the-top! I stopped and had a good time of worship in thanking the Lord.
We all go through different seasons in our lives. I, as much as anyone, am so aware of that. My life has changed "seasons" in every way imaginable in recent years. With Floyd's passing, I am in a huge new season of my life.
While every season change brings about a new path in my walk with the Lord, one thing never changes and that is His faithfulness. In every changing season He continues to give me sweet gifts as a reminder of His love and goodness. I’m so so grateful.
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1
"For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away." Song of Solomon 2:11-13
I've been asked repeatedly during this last season what the most important thing is that I’ve learned on our unexpected journey.
That's a hard question because I learned so many things! I could make a long list of all the lessons I've learned. I've thought about this question a lot because I've been asked it so often. I guess it boils down to learning that His grace really is sufficient for every need we face.
When it says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that His grace is sufficient for us and that His power is made perfect in our weakness - it's not just a comforting phrase. It is one of the most profound statements in the Bible! It is our lifeline for everything we walk through in life. It is what enables us to go through any and every difficult experience we face in life. In the last few years I have faced countless experiences of weakness … literally hundreds of them. Some were breathtakingly powerful! I wondered if I could survive them. Many of them came out of nowhere and shocked me with their impact in my life. "Weakness" hardly describes what I felt.
We are continually asking God for His help with something. We ask for His anointing, or His strength to get through … and yet He's already promised it to us. We don't have to reach for it or beg for it - it's there as a promise in His Word. All we have to do is receive it. And His help is completely, 100 percent sufficient. It's enough! More than enough. Whatever it is we're facing - sickness, death, financial needs, conflict, spiritual warfare, insecurity, fear, anxiety - whatever it is … His grace IS SUFFICIENT! Abundant even. I could not have survived without it. He is so faithful!
And following right behind that - kinda tagging onto it - is learning to be content in whatever situation we face. Because of His sufficient grace, I was able to be content in everything I walked through on our unexpected journey. I didn't like some things! I certainly wanted some things to change. I found many things hard. I wasn't always in a happy state of mind. But I was truly able to rest and to be at peace and content because of His sufficient grace. His grace combined with a contentment that came from leaning into His sufficiency enabled me to survive the journey!
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:12,13
That strength comes from His sufficient grace! My prayer is that you will find that grace for whatever you may be facing. The greater our need, the more sufficient His grace is.
For those of you in the US, I hope you had a happy and blessed Thanksgiving! I always loved Thanksgiving. It didn't have the hustle and bustle of Christmas - it was just a lovely time of being together as a family.....with lots of good food of course.
I have so very much to be thankful for - and right at the top of the list is all those who have loved us, prayed for us, given to us, and carried us all these years on our long unexpected journey! I’m deeply grateful. It has helped make it possible for me to persevere during this difficult season. I have appreciated every encouraging word, every note, every email – the kind words have been a sweet balm to my weary heart.