Good Saturday afternoon

We have finally been getting lots of snow here! I woke before six this morning to go and watch our grandsons shoveling the parking lot of the business. Montana Cafe is really where we live, attached to it anyway. So for the convenience of customers, the parking area gets to be shoveled by hand. The boys are real servants and I am proud of them!

A nap would be great but I wanted to write while I can stay awake! I do miss the energy of my youth. That brings me to the next "never" on the list. Ella says, "Never compare your lot with others." Oops! I fall to that old flesh again. Lord thank you, for helping me today. 

This morning, after I got back into the nice warm house, I noticed a page from an old hymn book that I'd glued on the front of a notebook. The song is an Irish melody, "Be Thou My Vision." The words are worth repeating and I see how there was a purpose yet to understand in taking it out of the box of torn pages. It was at a retreat and the project was to resurface the notebook given to us with things that touched our hearts. This was the one that I used. At the time, I didn't know what the words were. 

Here are the words. "Be thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that thou art; Thou my best thought, by day or by night, walking or sleeping, thy presence my light." Well, that is the first line. When I read it touched my heart in a deeper way. There were other stickers that I put on the notebook too. Scriptures about hope and peace as I am comforted in God's love...you are inscribed in the palm of God's hand...fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you...come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest...and finally, great strength come from faith in God. As always, the Lord knows what we need to hear.

If I am dissatisfied with my lot then I can lift up my cup before the Father and say what Jesus did. In Matthew 26:39 we can hear the deep, deep sorrow of the Lord..."And going a little farther, He threw Himself upon the ground on His face and prayed saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire." God is not ashamed of us when we throw ourselves at His mercy. He loves our surrender! A good place!

I understand that some circumstances are as dark, as close to death as we may ever be. Jesus understands. He was going to the cross to take on the whole weight of the world's sins; past present and future. He already knows The Plan. He has trusted His Father from the beginning. Yet now, in His weakened human condition, He lifts the cup up for the Father to really just remove it from His hands. Abba, won't You take this from me: isn't there a plan B? Knowing there wasn't Jesus said, "Your desire, Your will Father."

When you think about another's lot you only see the surface. You cannot see the future of that person and those circumstances can you? Therefore, the best thing is to have your vision full of the Lord Jesus and accept your lot knowing again, He is the blessed controller of all things. You might be in the desert now. But, think, it could change in the next few steps to an oasis!

There have been things this week that I want to keep for the days ahead. I want to believe what the Word says about being anxious and that when I turn it to God His peace permeates every detail of my situation. I want to believe that my words and the meditations of my heart will be unstained by discontent and full of rejoicing. I wonder? What has the Holy Spirit spoken to your heart this week? I pray for you and trust you to continue walking in His grace. We will meet again soon. Be blessed and live Loved in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Abundance is...when my vision is clearly of Him