Monday, February 27, 2012

Beyond the Beyond

" For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

Sunday morning, my husband and I woke to find that our truck had been stolen from our driveway during the night.  It is one of "THOSE" things.  As I write that, I think, what exactly is one of "THOSE", and why are "THOSE" always the annoyances and interruptions that can make you have a headache.  We did all the things you do when something is stolen.  We called the police, made a report.  We called our insurance company and made a report.  We also began cancelling our credit cards and other important things, because my husband had left his wallet in the truck.

We attended church in a daze.  It was like we were walking around a little lost and wondering what now?  Since it was a Sunday there was not much we could do.  We were in limbo.  We also had to explain to our four year old that daddy's truck was gone.  For our sweet legalistic child, she was inquisitive, mad, and also determined that we needed to go out and search for it!  She was extra upset because daddy said she could have that truck when she grows up, and she does not forget anything!  We told her that it was "just a truck" and we were blessed that it could be replaced and no one was in it or hurt.  We also spent the day telling ourselves that as well!

I have mentioned before that I have been taking a Bible study called: Faithful, Abundant, and True.  It is part of the Deeper Still series with Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer and Kay Arthur.  The two weeks on Abundance taught me something key, that I put into practice for this situation.  The Abundance study covered the following verses:

Ephesians 3: 20-21
"Now to HIM who is ABLE to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen."

In the study the leader pointed out that God can go beyond our beyond.  God can do all we ask and more.  She commented that as she studied these verses, it changed the way she prayed.  She began to pour out all her heart to God.  She shared concerns, needs, and desires big and small.  Then she would ask, please do this, OR SOMETHING BETTER!  I absolutely LOVE this!  I love that my God is ABLE to do more than I can imagine.

Last night, my husband and I lay awake talking about the truck.  He commented  how his head hurt and he could feel the tension of the situation.  I said, " Honey, God has something planned for this situation.  They are either going to find your truck, or there will be something BETTER!"  As soon as I stopped talking the phone rang, and it was the police department.  They found his truck!  At that moment we were like teenagers running around with total excitement!  The truck had been found outside of Laredo and was being towed to Cotulla.  We are so thankful and give God all the glory!   Praise God in His sweet sovereignty!  We don't have much left to pay on this truck and it is an incredible blessing to have it back.  The officer that we spoke to said there was not too much damage.  We are optimistic that we will be able to get it fixed!  My husband is currently on his way to the Cotulla impound.  I will not be surprised and am believing that there is better and more yet to come.  I am praying and believing that God will give us the extra blessing of the wallet still being in the truck.

No matter what happens now, God has already exceeded my expectations!  I thought the truck would never be found and I was resolved that we would have to buy a new truck.  God has given me the real life example of praying for this or something better!  I love that his word comes to life and is proven as true today as it was when it was written!

I hope that today, you will remember just how big and how ABLE God is to work in our lives.  I pray that your Faith will grow, and that you will pour your heart out to the one true God who is ABLE to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine!

This is my mindset, now let me hear yours!

Monday, February 13, 2012

A Valentine thought....


“For God so loved the world….”  Immediately you are probably like me, in your head you are saying the verse that we all know so well: 

“ForGodsolovedtheworldthathegavehisonlybegottensonthatwhosoeverbelievesinhimshallnotperishbuthaveeverlastinglife.”  John 3:16

You see the trouble with that is I say it kind of like I typed it.  It is like run on sentence that I say and have taken for granted.  In this season of love, it occurred to me, for God SO LOVED the world.  I mean HE SO LOVED the world.  What exactly does that mean?
It means that He gave his only child, his only son to die for the sins of the world.  How often do you think about this in the reality that it is?  Well, for me I only have one child.  I think there is NO WAY that I would want to actively give my only child up for anything.  Yet God gave his only son because He loved.
I talk about love a lot in my blogs.  I guess it is because I love love.  Love in its true form.  That is love that is given unconditionally.  That is love that sacrifices without complaint.  I can only think of one true example of that kind of love and it is found in Jesus.   The closest that I think a person can come to having this kind of love is between a parent and child.  When I think about how much I love my child and how much more GOD loves me, it is humbling.
God’s love is so much more than I realize.  It is in fact healing.  I was reading an article associated with my Bible study this week.  It was written by a woman who was in Rwanda during the uprising that killed nearly one million Rwandans.  It is an incredible story.  This woman was a Tsusi married to a man outside of her tribe.  They were both attending college and living seemingly normal lives, when the uprising began.  She endured many unspeakable things.  She was and is a Christian.  She told of many struggles, but the summary of her story was about God’s love.
“When by the grace of God I became aware of the love of God for me in the midst of those hard moments, I made a choice to make peace with my past.  I closed the door to hatred and moved to a place called forgiveness.  And love healed me.  Today I can look back and see the unseen hand of God uncovering my stinky wounds and bandaging them with love and forgiveness.
…Today I can tell anyone who is going through injustice, abuse, and rejection that there is no deep pit that the hand of God cannot reach.  He is mighty to save.”
                                                                                    The Other Side of Darkness: By Dawn Hollomon

The Bible says, “The greatest of these is love.”  I believe that it is in fact the greatest.  It is the greatest gift God gives us.  He loves us despite our inequities, and more fully than we can even imagine.  This Valentine’s day, I would ask that you just take a moment and really let this sink in, “For God SO LOVED the world.” Let God's love fill you up, heal your hurts, and give you peace!

This is my mindset, now let me hear yours!