Devotional 1/31/13

"Our Forever Guide"

I think about the countless times that I haven't a clue as to what to do in many circumstances. That is when I remember to cry out to the Lord to ask for help and guidance. The Lord is always faithful to show us the right way to go, for we know His ways are perfect.

Just this morning a sister in the Lord and I were needing to work out some details in a ministry we are both involved in. We both sought the Lord befor we came together in our meeting. It was so beautiful how we experienced God's strong guidance. His perfect will unfolded befor our very eyes. At the very end of our meeting there was some changes and we knew the Lord was in it completely. He gave both of us great peace.

I will leave you with His powerful word out of Psalm 48:14 " For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide, Even to death."

In His Amazing Love,

Sandy Billingham

Devotional for 1/30/13

Chambers of the Heart

 

 “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.” 

Proverbs 21:2

How often do we think that we finally understand what God expects of us, and then, “bam!” we get hit with some unexpected impact that slams us to a complete stop and sometimes even makes us fall?  Even if the drop is not far, we can fall into thinking that we are being punished for something we have done.  We waste time drawing into ourselves, missing our chance to be lifted up by the faith and support of those around us.

Sometimes, help we need comes from the support of our birth family; but it can come from the unexpected brothers and sisters the Lord presents to us within our church.  It can even come from a single well-timed word from a stranger on the street.  Hopefully, these people have a measure of faith to share while we gain our bearings and find our footing again.

It is amazing to know that once we invite Him in, even when we do not remember to ask for it, God’s Love is always there, inside our hearts.  And just the smallest whimper for help, from the dark places that still try to overwhelm even the strongest faith; can open the floodgates that were closed to His everlasting light!

Instead of trying to look faithful, and feeling like a retreaded tire, why don’t we take a deep breath, nod and open our whole hearts to receive all the Lord wants for us?  Let’s exercise our hearts, exorcise our minds and let this year be the one that shows the world what it really is to be REBORN!  In every chamber of our hearts!

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.

Proverbs 18:15

Lynda Kinnard

Devotional 1/29/13

 Stooping Down

It is almost the end of January but I am still thinking about what I should focus on for this New Year: my family, my friends, my work, my aspirations or dreams? I believe those are all good things. But I want a vision, something beyond the ordinary. Then I came across this verse:

Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day is out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.

Galatians 6:1-3 The Message

Dear Lord, thank You for faithfully showing Your Word and Your Way whenever I seek it. Thank You for showing me a purpose beyond myself. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

Devotional for 1/28/13

Be Willing  

The Bible tells us the following…

Work willingly at whatever you do,
 as though you were working for the Lord
 rather than for people.

~ Colossians 3:23, NLT

This is great food for thought. How many things do we have to do that are not fun and may even be disliked? I will name a few things that may be on your pleasing, boring, annoying, or even dislikable tasks. You can decide what category you would put them in.

1.    About that baby that you adore:

 

                        ·         You get up at night because he/she is crying. It takes
                            more than an hour to rock the baby back to sleep.

      ·         You have to change a diaper.

      

      ·         You have to follow the baby around to make sure it stays safe.

2.    About house that you live in:

·         You love that it is spacious or compact. Still it requires a lot of time every day to keep it clean and organized.

·         You believe that old saying that “Dull women make impeccable house keepers.”

·         Stuff like furniture, appliances, the furnace, etc are always wearing out or getting broken, and there is not enough money to replace them.

3.    About the world that you live in:

·         You volunteer often and find yourself at a loss to fit everything in.

·         You like to read or do a craft but other obligations seem to steal most of the time when you would like to be doing ‘favorite’ things.

·         Some of your friends are in need and you feel you must help them get over a crisis or deal with a problem in their lives.

 

I think you get the point. You are required by your own conscience to do things that impose on your time or are not usually enjoyable.

I repeat the verse I started with: When I have decided to do something unpleasant or hard I will remember this…

Work willingly at whatever you do,
 as though you were working for the Lord
 rather than for people.

~ Colossians 3:23, NLT

Heavenly Father,

When I choose to do something less than edifying for another person, please remind me that I am serving You when I do this. Remind me that when I take on these chores that You are using me to work Your will. Remind me to pray for the person that has a need before and after I perform the task. Thank you Lord for choosing me to be Your hands and feet. Amen.

Written by Corinne Mustafa

NOT FAIR!

Sunday devotional, 1/27/13

When growing up there may have been times that things did not seem to be fair.  Sometimes it might have been with siblings, and seemingly different punishments meted out by parents for the same infraction.  Other times it may have been at school with different repercussions for similar actions by different students.  Perhaps it was life in general, like when we wonder why life seems to pile up so many difficulties for some of us, but others seem to have a perfectly fine life, even when they appear to be undeserving of it.  There are injustices throughout the world, like when an innocent child suffers abuse that has repercussions their entire life, but the perpetrator seems to always get away with everything and enjoys their life.  How can things be so unfair?  

You are always righteous, O Lord, when I bring a case before you.  Yet I would speak with you about your justice:  Why does the way of the wicked prosper?  Why do all the faithless live at ease?  Jeremiah 12:1 NIV

Sometimes things are not what they appear to be.  One child's infraction may have been a little different; the exact circumstances may differ, or each child may respond differently to different consequences making it appropriate for differences in the responses of parents or school authorities.  When life seems unfair, we have to remember we cannot see everything clearly.  We can only know our own experiences.  What others suffer inside is hidden at least partially.  Our view is colored by our own perceptions based on our own experiences and knowledge.  When other people's lives seem good, they might actually be tormented in ways unseen.  And even if not, there may be future consequences awaiting them.  It is not up to us to determine that.  God will.  Our job is only to remain faithful to God and do what he desires of us.

And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people.  But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.  Jeremiah 12:16-17 NIV

  

Holding a resentment over what has happened can be devastating.  It does not change what happened, nor does it punish anyone but yourself when you hang on to it.  The same goes for withholding forgiveness.  Forgiveness does not reward the bad behavior, nor does withholding it punish anyone but ourselves by torturing our minds, replaying the memories and feeling repeatedly wronged in our heads.  Earthly infractions result in earthly consequences and that is still acceptable by the appropriate authorities.  But personal resentment and withholding forgiveness is a separate issue.  It may be a difficult struggle for us to let things go, and we may need to go through other stages of grief first, but it is possible with the help of God through prayer.

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.  Romans 12:19 NIV

Finally, it is important to remember that if everything were perfectly fair, we would not be able to enter heaven either.  Thank God he is NOT fair - or we would be dead in our trespasses.  We could never earn our own way into heaven because none of us are perfect.  None of us actually deserves salvation on our own because we all sin.  In fact, it took the completely unfair act of the one perfect human being and only Son of God being sacrificed on the cross in our place to earn us the right to live eternally in bliss with him at the end of our life on earth.  How unfair was that?  How much more unfair could anything be than the death sentence of your only child who was innocent in order to reward the guilty parties?  And it does not matter whether we have lived our entire life following Christ, or we accept him as our Savior on our death bed after an entire life of rejecting him and committing horrible offenses.  Unfair?  Just remember, it is unfair for any of us to receive forgiveness and eternal life - it is an undeserved gift from God to each one of us.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.  Romans 12:3 NIV

Just like Jesus said in the parable of the vineyard workers - or the unfair Master - those hired at the beginning of the day and those hired at the last hour, all received the same pay:

 “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you.  Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’   “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”  Matthew 20:13-16 NIV

Thank you God for being so lovingly unfair!  Help me to remember these things and to be forgiving to others who have wronged me, just as you have forgiven me over and over every day.  Help me to release my resentments and to lean on your love.  Help me in this way to be a witness to others of your "loving unfairness" and forgiveness.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

written by Jan Andersen

Devotional for 1/26/13

God Speaks

  You know how some people have absolutely no tact?  They just leave you dumbfounded with the things that they say.You wonder, “Do they really know what they’re saying?  Are they really that mean?”  Could it be that God has placed them in our path because He’s using them to speak to us?

Melissa had just given birth to her third child.  Her two other children happened to be with her at this very moment in time at the doctor’s office.  Two twin girls, aged 13 months, and a brand new baby boy left her feeling rather irritable and not in the mood for rude questions.  Enough conversations in the waiting room revealed to all who were there that the twins were adopted.  It wasn’t a big deal to Melissa, though.  She had no issues with talking about it…that is until, a stranger started stepping over the boundaries of polite conversation. 

Question after question from this woman not only wiggled her way into some very personal spaces for Melissa, but was just flat out rude.  The young mother did her best to control not only her unbelief, but her temptation to tell this individual a thing or two colored with some creative expletives.   And just when she thought she couldn’t go any further with the prodding, the woman asks her, “How does your husband feel now that he has a child that’s really his?”

Really?  Did she really say that?  Before Melissa could blurt out the first response that popped into her head sounding something like, “Well, they’re not puppies,” she realized this woman was crying.  And this woman’s tears very likely could have saved her life from the ticking time bomb about to explode inside of the exhausted, post partum Melissa. 

Eventually, the reason this woman was behaving this way was revealed.  Apparently, when she was 17, she had given up her own child for adoption.  She opened up to Melissa that she thinks about her son everyday of her life.  When she sees a football coach, she wonders if he plays football.  She’s reminded of him whenever she sees a playground, and especially when she sees a boy that would be the same age as her son.

I guess we can never know exactly what is behind the reason some people come across the way that they do.  Melissa would never forget the woman who happened to be at the doctor’s office that day.  (Who, by the way, was only there accompanying a friend and didn’t even have an appointment herself…talk about happenstance...or a God moment.)  She always remembered and always will that someone out there thinks about her daughters every single day wondering how they are doing. 

Melissa wasn’t a Christian at the time, but she is now.  Looking back, she knows that God allowed this woman to cross her path not only for the sake of her own need for assurance that she made the right choice, but also for Melissa to be thankful for the one who “chose” birth and adoption and not abortion.  Interesting, the way God speaks.  Maybe we should be more careful about how we view others who annoy us.

 

Don't look out only for your own interests,

but take an interest in others, too. 

Philippians 2:4

written by Amie Spruiell  1/23/13
courtesy of my friend, Missy

Devotional 1/25/13

The Will of My Father…Building Your House Upon a Rock
 

Yesterday morning even before I got out of bed, I started praying….praying specifically for people I had on my heart. It was early in the morning as I had to get ready to go to work, but as I was addressing all that goes with getting out the door in the morning, I felt the presence of the Lord very strongly to the point that I felt engulfed with the spirit of God. I had something on my mind that I had been dealing with all week, and it was heavy on my soul. And so it was that even when I got to work, this heaviness of mind was still there upon me…but also the prompting of the Holy Ghost to look up a certain scripture. The scripture is in Matthew 7:21-24 which says:
 

Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;

but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?

and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them,

I will liken him unto a wise man,

which built his house upon a rock.

 

I have known of these scriptures for many years, hearing it preached across the pulpit, but sometimes the scripture has to come to you, and so these words burned in my heart. These particular verses were persuasive and hot off the coals to my eyes and heart yesterday. I really thought on each verse and what stuck out to me the most was verse 21 that says: 
 

“Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;

but he that doeth the will of my Father which is heaven.”
 

What heavy deepness of thought this brought to my thinking as “I don’t want to stand before the Lord someday saying to Him….”Lord, didn’t I speak in your name, didn’t I do many works in thy name?” I had to search my own heart and ask, what is Gods will?
 

I thought of the scripture that states in 2^nd Timothy 3:5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.” Another verse found in the Bible says “Be not conformed to this world, neither the things in it”. But what was burning on my heart the most is “What is not of God is sin.” With all of this may we say “Search my heart oh God and know my ways and help me to build my house upon you Jesus, you are the rock”. 

 

 

                       Matthew7:24-27 

 

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

 

Written by: Glenna Williamson

Devotional for 1/24/13

A Nail Biter

I don’t know when I started biting my nails. My mother says it was practically from the beginning. If any nail had a chance to grow a little white edge, it was soon nibbled off. Any pressure, positive or negative, would soon have me searching my fingertips for something to chew on.

Fast forward more than 20 years and I did stop biting my nails (mostly). But another decade or two later I have found that when something is “Worrying me” I start to nibble again. Of course, I have a little psychological trick I play. I just nibble an uneven nail, or a broken nail, or the hang nails that develop on my thumbs. It is so ingrained in me, that I rarely notice what I am doing.

When my husband asks me what is bothering me, and I quickly reassure him “Nothing.” I am startled when he then asks, “Why are you chewing on the sides of your thumbs?” Huh, it’s like I’ve been exposed. Even I can’t deny that something must be up or I wouldn’t be chewing away on every bit of skin or uneven nail available to me.

So, when I sat down to write this devotional my husband suggested I share what I am worried about as he glanced significantly at my red and tattered thumbs.  I knew he was on to something. I am worried about many things, just like Martha! (see Luke 10:41) Children, young and grown; finances; my relationship with my husband; friendships; spirituality, am I growing in the knowledge of His Word? Am I being faithful to Him? Ha! I just caught myself, “trimming another nail with my teeth!” This is so real it’s funny!

 

What is my issue, after all? I am afraid. I am afraid that God, the same God who has watched over me and covered me and preserved me in the past will all of a sudden decide He will only do so much for me. It sounds silly as I write it, but truly what is the root of my fear?  It is doubt that I deserve for God to handle this.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7 Amplified

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Philippians 4:67 The Message

Dear Lord, thank You for Your patience in reminding me I can let go and I can trust You. I truly do want to lay down my fears and accept with confidence Your promises. So be it.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

Devotional for 1/23/13

"Running Over"

 

Over these last few months we have had several friends in need financially and gladly wanted to help them out. They are our loving brothers and sisters in the Lord and they are there for us as well. The exciting part was that around Christmas time we received a check in the mail for $500.00 that came from our church. We asked our church secretary where the check came from and she said the person wanted to be anonymous in their giving to us. We were thrilled and super blessed!

The Lord reminded me shortly after how very true His Word is. The scripture out of Luke 6:38 says, "Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

 

God's word does not lie. He accomplishes exactly what He says He will do. He is and always will be faithful to His people. What a joy it is to be His kid!

In His Radical Love,

Sandy Billingham

Devotional for 1/22/13

Just a Dog Gone Moment

It is the last day of house-dog sitting for friends and I am anxious to get back to my own space and my own bed.

It has been successful because now I have my own little “Abby” and “Bosley is a Lab-mix and rather aggressive toward other dogs. However he has been tolerant of Abby even though, being a puppy, she wants to play and he is a “grumpy old man”.

Back to my last day; I have backed my car up to the garage door and am in the process of taking load after load to the car. (It is much more work now because I have to move Abby also.)

As I take the loads to the car I leave the doors open and each time there is Abby at the house door with Bosley behind her. Finally I am all packed and ready to leave but I want to give Bosley a treat before I go. And where is Bosley? Not in the house and not in the back yard. Bosley has escaped to freedom.

Here is where I “Trust the Lord with all my heart” NOT! In my mind I think, "He's been taken to the pound!", or the possibility of him attacking another dog, or me paying to have him rescued, and all sorts of worst case scenarios. Panicked, I grab Abby and drive around the neighborhood but Bosley is nowhere to be found. Then I take Abby out on her leash, thinking I guess, that my little blood-hound (all seven pounds of her) would sniff Bosley out.

There is a young man who comes to walk Bosley every night so as a last resort I call him to find out what he usually takes. When I tell him what has happened, he says “I’ll be right over.”

I want you to know I am praying and I do know that God is in control but I am still thinking the worst. Tyler, the young man, calls me and tells me that he has found Bosley on his way to the house and is bringing him home. Thank You, Jesus!!

So what did I learn from all of this:

First, Bosley had gained his freedom being outside of his master’s control, but he had no idea that the leash that restrained him and the house that kept him were for his own safety. While he roamed around free and loose, he had left his source of protection. He created his own danger.

Second, that is what we sometimes do, we think we want our freedom and to be free of the constraints that hold us back. When we finally realize that the restraints keep us safe and protect us from dangers we can’t even see, then we find that is where the true freedom is.

Finally, trusting God is an ongoing discipline, it is not just something to say, it is something to live. The Lord knew the outcome. He knew where Bosley was and He knew where I was. He was and is in control.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will keep your path straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Lord, help me to keep my feet on the ground and my eyes on You. Help me to trust You for everything, even the small daily mishaps. Thank You for caring about all of Your creation and taking care of us all. Amen

Written by Jacquelin Gilmer

Devotional for 1/21/2013

Do You Need A Miracle?

At one time or another we all need a miracle. Do we ask God for something that will bring a phenomenal happening in our lives? I was thinking about it today as I rushed around doing last minute errands for my trip to Bangladesh.

Through the years I have seen many miracles that I may not have recognized as such. I had fertility issues and after five heartbreaking years our first baby was born. A MIRACLE!

I still had fertility issues so we adopted and within two months I was pregnant with my daughter. A MIRACLE!

I had cancer just recently and my whole church family was praying for me. The doctor was sure that she had seen calcification and cancer in my lymph nodes. She was shocked when the lab results came back negative. She had the lab rerun the tests…negative again. This is a cancer surgeon who has seen lots of cancer and should know if it is present. She found out that my lymph nodes were healthy. ANOTHER MIRACLE!

God has blessed us all with many miracles. Some of them we recognize. I surely recognized that the lack of cancer in my results was due to the fact that many, many people were praying for me and God agreed. I had A MIRACLE!

It is important to actually ask for what you want when a miracle desired. In the Bible it says that if you pray and God is in agreement your prayer will be answered.

Miracles are beyond what we can do for ourselves. They are as the will of God makes them.

Here is a song by Third Day about people just like you and me who needed miracles and received them. Hope you enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmhNZkyGloc

Ask and you shall receive! Seek and you will find!

Written by Corinne Mustafa

 

LIFE

Sunday devotional, 1/20/13

How important is my life?  That might depend upon the perspective.  To those close to me who love me, my life means a lot to them.  But to those who have never even met or heard of me, what is my life to them?  There might be some indirect or remote connection that could have an effect on them, but my life may be inconsequential to them.  What about those who do not like me or even hate me?  Perhaps they feel they would be happier if I were not alive or had never even been born.  

God's perspective however is that every life is important to him.  He loves every single person the same, whether alive now or in the past.  He desires the best for all of them and wants all to be saved.  He even loves those not yet born, forms them inside the womb and makes plans for them.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  Psalm 139:13-16 NIV  

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 NIV

Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name. Isaiah 49:1 NIV

This understanding of the form inside the womb already being a person as described in the Bible has been distorted and denied by many in our world today.  But we cannot deny what God's word says.  Understanding the conceived egg to be a person makes it clear whether it is right to have an abortion or not - if we see it as a human being in process, the same as you and me, then ending that life is murder.  Many people today argue that it is a woman's choice whether to have an abortion.  But if it is a life, a person, then there is no choice whether to end that life or not.  Others say that it would be better not to bring that child into the world if it is unwanted - but what about all the people waiting to adopt an infant?  It is also argued that some people are unable to bring themselves to allow someone else to adopt their baby - so it is more acceptable to murder that baby?  If it is not OK to murder it after it passes out of the womb, it is not OK to murder it before it is born if we see it as a person the moment of conception.  What about the mother who feels she will be unable to provide appropriate food and shelter?  God promises to provide all that is needed, maybe not all that is wanted, but all that is necessary:

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  Matthew 6:25-26 

God did this for Hagar when she was kicked out, homeless, wandering, and ran out of even water.  She left the baby and walked away, sobbing, because she did not want to see her son die.  But God provided what was needed and they survived. (Genesis 21:8-21)

This sanctity of life applies to all people, even the old, the suffering, the impaired, those clinging to life on artificial support, the handicapped, everyone.  We are not to decide whose life is important and whose is not.  God has deemed all to be important.  He never singles anyone out as being not worthy of life, nor should we. This brings about many difficult decisions.  Remembering that every life is important helps, but we still must come to God in prayer at times as life and death situations come up for us.  Even if in the past we have made these decisions differently than we would today, we can come to God for forgiveness.  He still loves us, no matter what, as long as we do not reject him.

Today is Sanctity of Life Sunday.  May we be a positive witness to the world as to the importance of every life.

written by Jan Andersen

Devotioanl for 1/19/12

The Story of Mike

 

Some people just rub you the wrong way and we call them sandpaper people.  Some, on the other hand, go beyond sandpaper.  They're more like a thorn in your side, or worse, an intruder in your life.  Of course, we're to be Jesus to the world, but some places in our lives are sacred. 

 

Mike was a good man, but due to circumstances, he did not have a family to call his own.  So, he made his best friend's family his.  They loved and cared for him, but what Mike did not realize was that he was tresspassing on sacred ground, his friend's marriage. 

 

Mike's friend enjoyed his company.  The two of them mean't no harm to the family and definitely not to Linda, the woman of the house.  Good manners calls for the door to be open to friends at all times.  It's just expected that the friend will not overstay his welcome.  Years and years of Mike encroaching on this couple's time caused much animosity.  Linda did her best to not allow her feelings to turn to hate despite the raging battle inside of her.  It was a miracle the marriage did not end.

 

Over time, and after many heartbreaking fights, enough people interceded and Mike finally got the message.  No one's heart would ever be the same over the matter.  The marriage never ended, the family stayed intact, but the three would forever look back on those years with regret, always wondering how they could have handled it differently. 

 

Only one of these three was a Christian, Linda.  Though she knew it was wrong for someone to intrude, and she knew it was wrong for a man to allow it, she never quite felt sure of what God expected of her. Was she just supposed to sit back and allow it happen for the sake of being a witness?  In a situation like this, what exactly does it look like to be Jesus to the other person?  Her intense questioning would grow inside of her until it reached its peak when Mike was diagnosed with brain cancer a few years later and passed from this life. 

 

The truth is, regardless of any mistakes the three of them made, Mike did have a serrogate family before he got sick. Many people had prayed for Mike durng those years for his salvation.  God's hand truly covered the situation.  He showed Mike His love through the love in the marriage that he witnessed and in the love that this family had for him.  Though on his deathbed, Mike never received the Lord, God did not leave him without a witness.  This may have a sad ending, but the lessons learned are priceless.  They are as priceless as a pearl. 

 

 

The Irritant

 

The irritant slipped somehow into the shell.

It came uninvited.

The oyster began its work almost immediately

the wrong to be righted.

 

The irritant was enveloped day after day,

the new shape taking place.

The oyster did not hurry its task,

it was not in a race.

 

The end result

was a wonder to behold.

The pearl gleamed white when it was found,

the price was high when sold.

 

The irritant came to my house one day...

my inclination, to run away.

I was checked at once to stay.

 

 

God's love began to envelop the irritant

each time that it came by.

The cost was great, death to self,

again the price was high.

 

 

We will never forget Mike, nor the lessons this family learned.  I praise God that we had the opportunity to know him, to love him, and to be a witness to him. My mother, Linda, was an example to us all.  In our humaness, we'll battle with anger and frustration over injustices in our lives, like an invader in our marriage.  Some situations are just too complicated to handle on our own.  God always has a plan, and we can always go to Him when it's beyond our ability to handle.  He'll give us the strength and power to envelop the irritant with His love.

 

Amie Spruiell 1-19-12

poem "The Irritant" written by Linda Garrett