The secret of your own heart you can never know;
but you can know Him who knows its secret.
-George MacDonald
Showing posts with label trials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trials. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

An Unexpected House Guest

The other night my son was in his room cozily reading in his bed. Very suddenly, B. noticed a mouse was squeezing his way under my son's bedroom door. The mouse ran and then stopped, looked up at my son locking eyes, then scurried under a chest of drawers. My son got out of bed pounded on our door, waking us, and announced we had a "visitor". My husband got up to investigate but the "house guest" did not make himself known that evening again. We know he/she is still here.(we heard chewing last night) We have set traps...but we still wait.

It has occurred to me how many unwelcome events in our lives happen just this way. We are coasting along. Reading a good book or sleeping when suddenly out of nowhere, a "unwelcome visitor" appears. We seek to solve the problem but there are situations that cannot be solved immediately or at all. We question - why did this happen? Did we leave the garage door open? We ask - what is going to happen? Will this "visitor" get into our goods and make a mess? The only thing we can really control is the present and how we respond. Things are easier if that is what we make our focus--the present - And GOD. So we wait... and pray. (And don't underestimate the praying at all times) During this time, if we allow God, we can learn a good deal about our weakness and His strength, grace, and mercy. We must look to Him and what we need to do TODAY. Hopefully this "guest's" days are numbered as we allow the "sudden visitor" to teach us.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Reflections

Yesterday morning I walked outside in my yard. After all the rain we have had, the sky was absolutely beautiful. I think I was even more appreciative of the sun because of all the overcast and gloomy days we have seen this month. As I looked at the day I thought about how precious days like these are-there seem to be so few. It made me think of a passage in Lamentations. Life can be very difficult, even bitter at times. The worry-free seasons are few. It is comforting to read that throughout time others have had similiar experiences. Here is the passage from Lamentations that came to mind:

"I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, "My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord.


I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:


Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.


They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.' The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;

(And as this little guy quietly reminded me -when I tripped over him!)
It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:17-26