#AlwaysGRACE
God's Sovereign Design
This blog has been rooted in my heart for over six weeks but has been delayed by God's design. I embrace His sovereignty and rejoice that the thoughts swirling around in my mind for so many weeks, can now be put down on paper. As we read in Ecclesiastes 3:1, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." God has taken me through a learning season that began 41 days ago and today marks a new beginning. A new day begins as one ends and our life is impacted every time we welcome the lessons Christ reveals to us! He is in the waiting. Last week, as I finished my study in Revelation and was rejoicing in the promise of Chapter 22, "And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely," available only through faith in Christ Jesus, I thought of the words that we are not to add unto these things or to take away from the words of the book of this prophesy, and the mandate He has given us to evangelize the World. I journaled that morning, "O Lord, how I long to see you to look upon your face. Come, Lord Jesus."
In the quiet of that day, and the family still sleeping, I lay on my granddaughter's bed, given up for Grandma, and contemplated on where God would direct my next study. He led me to the Book of Psalms and I was thankful for what was to come, opportunities to learn new truths and be encouraged, to shout praises to God, to be comforted and blessed by the truths of His Word. As I have read this last week of David's confidence in God, his prayers for trust, protection, mercy and deliverance, I have been filled with joy as God's shield continues to encompass me, knowing that God will give courage and steadfast hope, no matter what lies ahead. The blessings of the righteousness of God cannot be numbered. I give all glory to God for hearing the voice of my weeping in these last weeks. As I struggled to manage pain, it was the assurance of His Word that I was His and His still small voice that gave me always sufficient Grace.
A few weeks ago, as I talked with our oldest son, he told me that our oldest granddaughter wanted to know when I was going to write my next blog. I was touched because I was unaware that she had read any of them. This morning, as I walked through the garage to take out the trash, I paused at the dresser, to see if there were any additional odds and ends that had accumulated and could be thrown away. God prompted me to open a few drawers to see what they held, and among the ribbons, paint, brushes and markers, I came across a book that I started for our granddaughters 15 years ago. It was a gift for me to fill with thoughts, perhaps wisdom that I have learned from my life and to be passed on to let them know how special they are to me and that my heart goes with them throughout their journey.
I thought about our current "Imperfect Family" study at Reverb and the points given about how God has prepared before hand the good works that our children should walk in and the plans He has ordained. Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." It reminded me of when I was a prodigal, attending a Bible study and those who mentored and impacted my life. It was there that God convicted me of my need for a Savior and His spirit drew me, and at home later, I knelt and I trusted Him as my Lord. I remember as a new believer, a Chaplain's wife standing beside me and praying as our daughter was in the midst of a febrile seizure and what her encouragement meant to me. And I remember a teacher encouraging scripture memory and how my hunger for the Word grew. My love and I were imperfect parents, but we loved our children and tried to point them to Christ and we are thankful that God's Grace has rested upon them.
So, dear sweet granddaughters of ours, the following paragraphs are just a few excerpts written by your imperfect Nonna/Grandma, the one who loves you and has pictures of you all over my walls, shelves and tables. I think you are special because "you are gifts from God, and were created in love, you are beautiful, your smiles light up the room, you are loved by your mommies and daddies and that brings joy to my heart, and watching your Poppa/Grandpa, our sons and our daughter, your auntie hold you in their arms has been a blessing for which there are no words."
"It is my hope that you will learn to make good choices in life, even small decisions are important, and some will be tough. If you think before you choose, you will know what is right. Do not compromise your values or follow some one who is making a wrong choice. You might need to confront them in love, even though it hurts. Right is right, God's truth is absolute, and we must be obedient to that truth. Always choose to forgive even though you may feel you have been wronged. It may be tough and hurt, but holding unto hurt will only give you a grouchy heart. Being the first to say, "I am sorry, I was wrong, please forgive me, I love you" is a sign of strength and love and the Lord always directs when you listen to His voice. Stand fast in the Lord and treasure Him, above all. Remember that the "joy of the LORD is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10), so choose to smile, laugh and dance with joy. Some things to get you through storms, because they do not last forever, and rainbows only show up after the rain: Pray, read God's Word, talk with family and friends, laugh, and follow God's directions - He promises never to leave or forsake us. Choose your friends for their heart and character. They are someone to laugh with, they make life fun, and a good friend will give you the biggest half of the cookie."
"Love reading and treasure books that take you places you may never go in your life. My favorite book as a child was Heidi and I read it over and over and one of you always wanted to read from it before going to bed. Today, my favorite book is the Bible. Read it, study it and memorize it. Remember that Jesus is our example, "He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:8) Look for Godly examples in those who love the Lord and serve Him faithfully. Truthfully, we are all prideful, but God can still use us when we submit and humble ourselves before Him. (1 Peter 5:6). God always knows what His children need, and His timing is always right. He is never early or late. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes, fear the LORD, and turn away from evil." (Proverbs 3:5-7)
"Lastly, think happy thoughts and remember to smile. It's fun to be around people that smile. Some things that make me smile every time I think of them are: the day God brought your Grandpa/Poppa into my life, the day we were married, the day each of our babies were placed in my arms, and seeing them in their Daddy's arms, the day our sons, your daddies married your momma's, and 2 daughters in love were added to our family, the special time I have with our daughter, and am reminded of the sacrifices and care she has given to me in the last months, the love and encouragement from our sons, your dads, our first glimpse of each of you after God brought you into the world and we held you for the first time, silly days and fun tea parties with Poppa, reading books, visits to the library, overnights, baking cookies, occasionally doing our nails in bed, visits to the playground, birthday parties, and just spending time together. Trust God's heart as much as He loves yours, He is the one constant in your life, no matter what else happens. Always show kindness, love others and shine bright for Jesus, multiply happiness by sharing it with all those around you, and your days will be blessed."
