Walk in Faith

What is the opposite of faith? Most would say doubt or fear!

What do you fear?

If you are like me, you don’t really have any fears – you’re a stoic person. You just trust God on the surface. But subconsciously there is fear. Fear of the future, fear of what if???? Fear of how well I handled that situation. Fear of that diagnosis.

Recently we planned a trip to Florida. I was to drive, and the forecast was for heavy rain for the entire trip. No problem, we could just go slow. In packing and planning for the trip – I experienced trouble breathing – anxiety – not sure why I was having trouble – realized subconsciously I was fearful of the trip – the rain, flooding.

For us boomers, our concern is if the retirement funds will be enough? How long will I live? Will I be able to take care of my spouse – or will he be able to care for me? Who will take care of us?

Will our children take care of us like my husband took care of his parents? Can I trust God in this situation?

I’m helpless like Elisha’s servant in II Kings 6:8-23. The King of Aram was at war with Israel. He sent his men by night to capture Elisha in Dothan. (not Alabama) When Elisha’s servant got up early the next morning, he saw an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. “Oh, no, my lord! What shall we do?”

Elisha responded – “Don’t be afraid those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

Elisha prayed for the eyes of his servant to be opened. The servant saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around. Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So, the Lord struck them with blindness and the army was defeated.

Am I just like Elisha’s servant who could not see the army of the Lord surrounding the camp? – open my eyes Lord to see your ministering spirits working in my life, in my children’s lives, in my husband’s life – in my future Lord. Help me to see and to trust you for all these situations. Praise you Lord, your provision is enough.

Help me to:

Acknowledge the presence of God,

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

To claim the promises of God,

2 Cor. 1:20

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. ²¹Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, ²²set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

To know the peace of God

Philippians 4:7 ]

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Then walk in the power of God.

2 Corinthians 4:7

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

One of my favorite songs regarding walking in faith is below by Greg Wilde.

Is it Ok to Argue with God?

⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

The nurse called, “Mitchell family.” I jumped up from the hard bench I had been sleeping on and said, “Yes.”

She said coldly, “No!” and shook her head negatively.

That was the most deflating, agonizing word I’d ever heard. Just

“No,” not “I’m so sorry” or a tender look or compassionate hug.

Just “No.” And there was no one to turn to.

I knew Mother was gone. My father was sleeping on the other side of the waiting room. It was my responsibility to wake him and inform him his wife did not survive the heart attack.

When my sister and her husband arrived my father said, “Let’s go into the chapel. He asked me to say a prayer for us.

Why pray?

I wanted to argue with God.

He gave me a verse when I got on the plane that day.

Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)

³Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

My prayer was for mother to keep her mind on God, trust in Him and he would keep her in perfect peace.

I claimed that for my mother. I was trusting that she would be healed.

I believed God would heal her.

I wanted to argue with God, I did not want to lead my family in prayer. Pray for what? She was gone.

Instead of arguing I had to trust. Trust that God would help us walk through this valley of the shadow of death, that he would be with us and comfort us.

Although my mother died thirty-three years ago, I can still feel the agonizing pain of loss. The blur of visitation, funeral and the empty feeling at her graveside. Over the years, the loneliness of not being able to share joys and hurts with her is a walk through that valley.

Are you walking in the shadow of the valley of death?

It is ok to argue with God? Absolutely!

He wants us to be honest with him. His heart is to be with us and comfort. The rod and staff pictured in Psalm 23:4 are of the shepherd guiding and protecting his sheep.

You will never get over this – but you will get through it.

We can not fear because God is with us. He will guide and protect his sheep.

Death cannot separate us from the love of God.

³⁸For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

Her Hands

Proverbs 31: 30-31

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

While the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord

The hands of a good woman are certainly to be adored.

Young hands once embraced her lover’s strong hands

as they joined in holy matrimony,

They embarked on an adventure

That built a lasting legacy and testimony.

Tender hands to hold the precious babies

Firm hands to administer discipline to the naughty

Loving hands to console the scraps and bruises

While always skilled hands, though never haughty.

Eager hands seeking God’s design for her life

Led to a life of devotion to her Savior,

The Holy Bible became her nourishment

And she desired more and more to gain His favor.

Strong hands contributed to the household funds

Working long hours in many different places

While sewing, serving or selecting fashion

She was a blessing to many special faces.

Vigorous hands displayed her devotion to her family

As unselfishly displayed in her desire to help whenever

Cleaning, folding, ironing or sewing clothes

Those diligent hands displayed a love to last forever.

Adventurous hands loved to play with the kids

Who says a grandmother can’t ride a trike?

She broke her wrist while roller skating

So it was much less dangerous to ride a bike!

Skillful hands designed many a quilt and afghan

All were grateful for the love contained in each stitch

And Praised the Lord for the loving hands

While we snuggled neath the softness without an itch.

Open hands always offered a hug

She wanted to make sure that everyone heard

Of her love and God’s, praying and trusting that

All would surrender and follow His word.

Fragile hands no longer able to cook and clean

Still wrote those letters and many a birthday greeting

She couldn’t remember if she had sent that card

Sometimes they received more than one reading.

Weak hands depended on her family for strength

Too frail to breathe without the oxygen tube in her nose

Coughing increased and eating was a struggle

She moved around the house with that clear hose.

Determined hands instructed her son to resist delaying her

Ready to reunite with her parents in Beulah Land

She used her last breath trying to help her husband

And in the arms of her oldest son she surrendered her hand.

Thank you Mom, Grandmother, MeeMaw for using those beautiful hands God gave you to bless each of us!

Another prompting to honor another mother.

This was written in 2009 for the birthday of my husband’s mother. She enjoyed reading my one and only attempt at poetry!! Again I was able to express in writing what I had difficulty telling her in person.

The last two paragraphs were added after she died in 2010.

Dear Mother

It was Mother’s Day 1985. Relaxing that evening, after a pleasant day with family, my thoughts turned to my mother in Georgia. Living In Michigan I did not have the opportunity to see her as much as I would like. So, I decided to write her a letter.

It has not always been easy for me to express my thoughts in person.

“Dear Mother,

Last night before I fell asleep I was thinking of “Mother’s Day” and how special my mother is to me. I don’t know if I ever called you “mom” or maybe “ma-ma” at a very young age, but “mother” just the sound of it means – comfort – especially as a child only a mother can comfort when you’re ill or hurting – I’m far from being a child- but even yet when I’m sick I want mother to know and comfort.

Mother also means encourager and helper. I remember how you helped me can peaches in Texas for a home economics project and helped me sew my first skirt.

You encouraged me to do my best. Mother is also an example – how you endured hardships and made the best of the circumstances you found yourself in. You devoted yourself to your husband when some would have given up. You devoted yourself to us in so many unselfish ways.

I remember so many outfits you sewed for me – that blue shiny dress in Columbus, Georgia with lace collar (4^th or 5^th grade); a lavender sundress in Texas – the royal blue dress and jacket I wore in the Cobb County Pageant; and the prom jacket with pastel sequins (which I have kept for 20 years – never worn but just something you made – I hated to part with it.)

When I think of you I think of potato salad (no one can match – even though my sister Terry says she can!); dressing, banana pudding – I could go on and on – no one can beat my mother’s cooking.

Also – how you love your grandchildren only matches your love for us.

Just a few thoughts to let you know I love you Mother.

Love & prayers,
Pat

She wrote back a simple letter:

Dear Pat,

You’re a very special daughter, you brought tears to my eyes in the letter you wrote to me on Mother’s Day. I appreciate all the good things you remember. I don’t dwell on the bad things cause we all make mistakes and as we grow older we mellow and learn from our mistakes.

I love you and have a special place for you in my heart.

Love, Mother

mom.collage — My mother; Easter in TN Mom, my brother and me; Mother with four grandchildren; and Mother’s Day with the first grandchild

Now, I realize God prompted me to write this letter to my mother that May. A simple letter but so timely as three months later my mother died suddenly of a heart attack. I’m so glad I wrote expressing my appreciation and love for her.

And it also gave me the opportunity to hear from her. She did not express herself very freely in person either. So, her letter is even more precious to me. My mother valued others above herself. She rarely complained about her struggles and forgave easily.

If your mother is still alive, please consider writing or better yet, expressing to her in person your love and appreciation.

Philippians 2 (NIV)
Imitating Christ’s Humility

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Walk in the Way of Love

“What was your favorite Easter basket or Easter candy?”

Really? A Christian radio station talking about Easter candy. Is that what Easter is about?

My husband did have a memory of Easter candy. His mom required him to take his younger brother and sister to a community egg hunt. He was walking around looking cool and stopping occasionally to eat a candy egg. He picked up a plastic egg and opened it – he read $1.00 and put the prize in his pocket. Several hard candy eggs later – he heard over the loud speaker, “The prize egg has not been found. Look around for the $100 prize egg.”

He looked again in his pocket– and he had misread the note. He went to the announcer and returned the contents of the plastic egg for a $100 check. When asked what he planned to do with the money – he responded, “I will give it to my mom to pay for my summer school bill.”

Easy come, easy go!

I watched The Passion of the Christ recently for the second time. Incredible the suffering Jesus experienced for us. I remember a retreat and the speaker giving a physical description of Jesus’s crucifixion – this did not include the beatings and scourgings from Roman soldiers and the rejection of his own countrymen before being nailed on a cross.

I don’t remember ever receiving a basket. Maybe when I was very young??

My best memories of Easter are attending church with my Dad. Christmas and Easter were the few days we attended church as a family.

Unlike the casual attire today, people dressed up for church in those days. Dad could wear his dress Army military uniform. Mother used her limited funds to make sure her children wore nice Sunday clothes, especially at Christmas and Easter, which left no money for an appropriate outfit for her.

It was kind of ironic my Dad always looked so proud and got so many compliments for his uniform and bringing his children to church. While my mother was the one who sacrificed and covered for him and his drinking problem which caused her to squeeze every penny out of his paycheck to pay bills.

One of my best memories of Easter was the weekend my husband and I were married.

Other family Easter memories:

My brother & his children attended with us one year.

1974.teen ranch — Our Teen Ranch Familyr

The cute blue suit is what Timmy wore when he quickly said his part on stage, popped his bow tie and jumped off the stairs.

In the early years of our marriage the tradition continued of having new clothes at Easter. I made a yellow dress for the special day. I found a pair of yellow pumps to match and squeezed the luxury out of my paycheck.

Can you believe lady I sat by in church this Easter had on a yellow dress and yellow shoes?

It seemed the Lord was saying to me, “You could return them and give the $20 to missions.” I leaned over to John and said, “we can give $20.”

A few weeks before Easter, we attended a missionary banquet and the speaker, Rev. Jimmy Lentz, a powerful advocate for missionaries, made an appeal. He realized there was only a small group of people and we were most likely giving to our church. He asked if we would give sacrificially. My yellow shoes popped up before my mind. I didn’t really need them I just wanted them to wear with my new dress.

Now that doesn’t seem like a lot of money – but to us in the 1960’s it was a – a car payment or electric bill???? This began our love of missions and desire to give.

New clothes are not a priority for Easter to me now. I do cherish family attending services with us and cooking for them to enjoy.

easter.2014 — Little Timmy full grown with his family.

Our son Johnny and his children and their friends. We are still surrounded by young people.

Now Easter is a wonderful celebration of our faith as the highlight of the year when we commemorate our Lord’s resurrection. As our pastor said this year, “Without Easter we would not celebrate Christmas!”

Why would we? The purpose of the coming of the babe in the manager was for God to be with us in human form so that he could show us the Father and then die for our sins and leave the Holy Spirit to be our counselor, advocate and guide.

Thank you Lord for Easter memories in my life. May I share with my children and grandchildren that Easter is more than baskets, bunnies and egg hunts.

It’s all about the glorious resurrection of our Lord – King Jesus.

Behold our King! Come let us adore Him!

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV)

5 ¹Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ²and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Walk

He can walk!

Yes, my husband John was able to walk the next morning after back surgery. He was in a wheelchair for 3 weeks prior to surgery. The PT lady in the hospital was amazed how well he walked and the doctor released him that day. Wow, back surgery and only one night in the hospital. Praise God!

Walk

is my word to consider for 2018

– – how we take it for granted.

Continue reading Walk

Category: walking faithfully

Walk in Faith