Power In a Whisper

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Yesterday on the way home from North Carolina back to Virginia, my husband Brian said those dreaded words every caregiver hates to hear, "I don't feel good."  We immediately stopped due to him feeling nauseated in order to give him medication for nausea.  While doing this our 12 year old daughter became very upset and began to cry thinking something terrible was happening to her daddy and begging us to go to a doctor or the ER.

I immediately shifted into caregiver mode and reassured my daughter while trying my best to assess Brian's situation all at the very same time.  Did I mention I had a dog in the back seat, too?  Better to laugh than cry, right?  Well, as I entered back onto the highway for still another hour before reaching our destination, I asked Taylor to pray for her daddy.  She did and Brian began resting and waiting for the nausea to lift.

What I loved was during the hour ride I would hear Taylor from time to time whispering, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus" aloud.  I have taught her that when the enemy, the master of fear, hears this name he must flee.  What a sweet sound that was to this caregiver and mother's ears.  During a very fearful moment my 12 year old was calling on the name of Jesus to fill our car and help us all.

We did make it home and by the time we reached town Brian's nausea had lifted.  He told me after we were alone later that he all of sudden felt sick and the only way it lifted so quickly was the Lord.  He knows and I do too that there is POWER in the name of Jesus especially when it is spoken by a frightened 12 year old little girl.

The Storm Is Coming

James 3:16 (NIV)

  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

 I can remember vacationing at the lake as a young girl when all of a sudden the temperature would begin to fall and the wind would begin to move.  My dad knew instinctively, without the help of the Weather Channel, that a storm was approaching.  He would jump into action giving us all orders as to how we needed to secure the campsite while he secured our family's boat in the water's edge.  During those days we camped in tents and would all pile into our family's van seeking refuge from what could sometimes be very violent North Carolina summer thunder storms.  

Life is no different.  We can be enjoying our life when all of a sudden we begin to feel the temperature of a room or people change.  We begin to see a shift in a situation very similar to the shift in the wind before the onset of a storm.  Those who are close to the moving and guiding of the Holy Spirit will sense these things even stronger through discernment before any true signs of the storm actually appear.  When this happens it is our duty to begin praying like never before.  This is the time when prayer warriors should drop to their knees and cry out to the Lord for protection and defense from the enemy.  The storms of life are brutal and can leave us beaten and bruised.  They are real and they don't exclude anyone. 

God actually tells us very clearly that we will have trials in this world but to be of good cheer for He has overcome it all!  So, will storms come?  YES, they will!  But, what a hope and comfort we have in that God sends us warning signs before the storm hits so that we can prepare our hearts through prayer, fasting, and time in His Word.  I believe He does this so that we, too, can get our camp secure and braced before the storm arrives.

God Granted His Request

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

1 Chronicles 4:9–10, NIV Do you realize that you are no different than Jabez?  I have to remind myself every day that I am loved no less than any of those mentioned within the Bible.  I also relate to those within the Word of God like the man, Jabez.   There are days when I feel God may have put me on the back burner.  I never believe He has forgotten me or forsaken me, yet when long periods of waiting occur or suffering enters my life I have to be honest and admit that doubts enter in.  This is how I relate to Jabez.  His very name gave him a beginning of being associated with pain.  Even though much was "against" Jabez, he was still very aware of who his God was and the power of calling upon Him for help and blessing. When I read these scriptures it is evident to me that Jabez had no doubt but instead came before the Lord with confidence.  He asks for very specific things.  He asks for blessings upon himself and for God to enlarge his territory.  Some believe that is selfish, but not me.  God tells us all throughout the Bible that He loves us as His children and desires to bless us.   Jabez continues in his prayer by asking God to keep His hand upon him for protection from the enemy as well as keep him from harm and even pain. Again, some like to criticize Jabez by saying his prayers were selfish but I must defend him by saying, no, he isn't.  Do you know how I know he wasn't being selfish or self-centered in God's eyes?  "And God granted his request" is all I need to know!   I know God will grant my requests as well so I continue to pray with confidence and I pray you will decide to join me.

I Will Help You

For I am the Lord your God
    who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
    I will help you.

Isaiah 41:13

Today marks the 9th anniversary of my husband's diagnosis with congestive cardiomyopathy, or unexplained heart failure.  It is difficult to believe it has actually been that long when I can recount each moment of that night in my head like it were yesterday.  What's funny is that after all this time when I meditate on the events that took place I can still remember the fear I felt that night and the way that Brian looked at me when he thought he was dying.  To be honest it is all pretty surreal and I lived it.  But you see, that's how God works.  He carries us through things that we cannot do on our own.  

Soon after the realization of Brian's situation 9 years ago, God sent our family Isaiah 41:13.  To most the message is simple but to us the message is true and filled with power and an ever present comfort.  To imagine the past nine year's journey without God holding my hand, whispering for me not to fear or Him helping me daily in countless ways is horrifying.  I can tell you today that this scripture is real and God means every single word of it.  How do I know this?  I have lived it for the past 9 years of my life.  I still remember sitting in waiting rooms and in the middle of the night watching Brian sleep and squeezing my hand until it hurt for I was holding His hand as tightly as I possibly could. 

Today I celebrate this momentous day for several reasons.  First, because I have seen through my husband that God continues to be in the miracle business.  Second, because I have a husband and my daughter has a father when doctors told us otherwise.  And third, because God has done some amazing things through our pain for not only our family but for others all around the world.  God really has used what the enemy meant for harm and turned it for our good and His glory.  Today I praise the Lord even more than I normally do for it is a reminder of His great love and power in my life and in yours!

Been With Him

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13

Could you put your name in place of Peter and John's in this scripture?  Has anyone ever made the comment that there was just something different about you?  Have you had anyone ask how you got to where you are?  Do people notice a difference in how you face trials and problems? Are you afraid to speak God's truth or even stop right where you are and pray with someone?

Years ago I would have answered no to most all of these questions but then I realized the least I could do for the One who gave His life for me was to show I was changed and different due to His love and forgiveness.  If being a Christ follower didn't look any different than anyone else I met what good was it for me to be one?  Don't get me wrong.  It is hard but boy it is worth it!  All I have accomplished is all because of the fact I spend my time with Jesus.  He is my protector and my provider.  It really is that simple.

I love how those around Peter and John knew these men were uneducated and untrained in the faith yet they "marveled" at them.  It was very evident these men had been with Jesus.  I love that statement for it gives me such hope and joy.  Just being with Jesus gives me strength and power that can only come from Him alone.  Being with Jesus gives me courage to face the enemy for he also knows I have been with Jesus.  Just speaking Jesus' name forces the enemy to flee from me.  Now, that's power!  Being with Jesus opens doors, opportunities and minds to what I have to offer and say.

Being a disciple of Jesus will never be a simple nor easy journey but the rewards are so mind-blowing and life-changing that its all worth it.  Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you.  He stands with you always. So, the next time someone mentions that there is just something unique or different about you, be quick to say, "It's because I've been with Jesus."

Stop Asking Why

"Rabbi," His disciples asked Him, "why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?" "It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins," Jesus answered. "This happened so the power of God could be seen in him." John 9:2–3, NLT

I remember years ago when I asked God "Why?" on a daily basis.  I can only imagine His face as I began yet another conversation with Him about why my world had turned upside down and why everything I knew was lost.  The fact is He did listen and He did care.  The Bible tells me that God hears me when I call and that He has compassion on me.  At the same time I will never understand the ways of the Lord.  I will never know WHY God has allowed certain things to take place in my life.  But one thing I know is that John 9:2-3 is true for I have and continue to live it daily.

Jesus' disciples asked WHY, too, which is normal and completely okay.  Let's make that clear before moving forward.  They wanted to know why a certain man had been born blind.  It made sense to them that it must have been a punishment from God but we read that his disability had nothing to do with sin.  Jesus explained how his situation or circumstances had taken place so that "the power of God could be seen in him".  In other words, God allowed his blindness so the man, the disciples, and then countless others might experience and later hear of His healing power.  I mean, we are reading about it right now!

In our family I am quick to share stories of terrible tragedy so that I can quickly get to the part where God used it all for our good and for His glory.  Brian's heart failure has led to our family's total dependence on God, an outreach ministry for caregivers, a published book, and many lives changed in the name of Jesus.  My daughter's accident several years ago led to a miraculous healing and my husband learning what it was like to be a caregiver.  My mother's knee replacements and breast cancer lead to me becoming a caregiver to my parent and a new level of compassion.  The loss of a job I had for 17 years led to trusting God with my finances and provision instead of myself.

I know you have a list, too.  If not, I challenge you to begin one immediately.  Think about the good that God CAN DO with our hurts, disappointments, and troubles if we only give them to Him.  Instead of asking WHY begin to ask HOW.  I wonder HOW God's power can be seen through you today?