The "What If's"

Greeting Everybody,
This morning I want to talk about "The What If's".
It seems that I have developed a big ole case of them.
And they have been robbing me of sleep and of joy.

Clip Art courtesy of 

                        http://www.wpclipart.com/people/faces/girl_faces/more_girl_faces/sad_girl.png.html



The past several nights, I have been awakened in the middle of the night with feelings of dread.


My dreams have been sad.


I am not liking this.


I strongly suspect that the triggering event for this case of "The What If's" is daddy's recent injury and the surgery that is scheduled for tomorrow.


Now let me get a few things on the table regarding this issue:.
1.  I am not exactly worried that daddy will die during the surgery. That's not it.


          -Daddy is a baptized believer who loves the Lord and Served HIM well.


          -His reward will be heaven.


          -And if he dies during surgery, then yes there will be sadness, but there will 
           also be rejoicing.


          -If FAITH is as it SHOULD be in our lives, there is ALWAYS an element of 
           rejoicing when a Saint Goes Home.


No the issue is not IF he dies...


2.  The issue is that whether he lives OR dies...my parents are almost beyond being 
     able to tend to themselves any longer.


           -And though I know that they need to be in Assisted Living, and they have 
            indeed already selected the place that they ultimately want to go to...they do 
            not think its time yet.


           -How do I look my dad in the eyes and say:

           "Daddy give me your keys" 

            OR   

                  

            "Today you and Momma have to leave your home        

            and go live somewhere else".

           -The moment I do that I take on the weight of their lives.


           -Their independence it strongly linked to MY independence.


           -If they can't live by themselves any more, then I need to step up and become 
            their caretaker.




3.  But there is more.
     I think the BIGGEST issue here is this:  


            -I have never done this before.


            -I don't know HOW to do this.


            -In order to protect them, I have to take away their independence and 
             autonomy 


            -They will feel threatened and embarrassed about being told that they are 
             incapable of living on their own any longer.


And though intellectually I KNOW it is the right thing to do, I don't want to be the BAD GUY in their eyes!!!


What if I am not ready for that?


Bottom Line:  I have never in my life exacted MY WILL over my Parents Will...and the notion of doing so just rips my heart out.


Yes..."The What If's" that I am experiencing are really and significantly troubling me.


And unfortunately I have allowed "the evil one" to conjure the worst case scenarios in my mind.


I need to claim some scriptures this morning because they are the best "What If" busters I know of:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28


"Honor your father and mother"--which is the first commandment with a promise--that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." Ephesians 6:3


"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." 
James 4:17


Thanks for listening folks.  
I know that some of you have been in the same situation too.
It's just hard isn't it!


Yet I know that The Lord will see our family through this time. '
And I am praying that HE prepares my parents' hearts & minds, gives me the right words, and has me speak those words at JUST the Right Time.


Heavenly Father, I SUBMIT to your will in this matter
...please lead me to do what is right in YOUR EYES.


In Him,
Grace

Resting In HIS Palm

Greetings Everybody,


This morning I want to talk about Bone-Deep Security and to do so, I am going to apply the "It's Ok Baby, Grandmaw's Got You Now" Analogy.


When I Hold My Grandson, It Never Occurs To Him That I Might Drop Him...And It SHOULDN'T.


He can be QUITE upset and wailing to beat the band...but when I pick him up and cuddle him and place my lips next to his little ear and whisper "It's Ok Baby, Grandmaw's Got You Now"...his life gets better.  He knows that help is on the way.  He knows that somebody who is in control has come to his aid.


As grown ups, we know that this doesn't mean that he will never get uncomfortable again...there will be dirty diapers to be changed...after every bottle there will be pressure in his tummy until he burps...there will be sniffles, and coughs, and cuts and scrapes...and all the trials that come with human life. 


But when he has needs...His Family Tends to them... all of us do that...and WILL do that FOR LIFE!


It's that way us and God... and it's that way with us and The Church as well.


Just as HE tends to US, We Are to Tend after Each Other.


We are HIS CHILDREN...FOR LIFE!


Matthew 19:14 "Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of 
heaven belongs to such as these."


We were designed to ride in the palm of His Hand.
And God Almighty does not drop HIS CHILDREN. 


He will supply all of our NEEDS...not all of our WANTS, but all of our NEEDS.


Phillipians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."


He created us, loves us and knows the most amazing details about us.


Matthew 10:30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."


He does let us experience troubles...and He is there to help...but He does NOT take away our ability to feel discomfort or to feel pain.  


Sometimes there is great SEARING Pain. 


But HE does not leave us.


It is WE who leave HIM.


We leave Him when we doubt him.
We leave Him when we fail to Submit to His Will.
We leave Him when we fail to Seek His Will.


We leave Him when we get so full of our own autonomy and Free Will that we fail to remember that He supplied our blessings and that we did NOTHING of our own accord.


We fight against Him, and Wiggle, and Squirm our way out of His Protection and in the process get ourselves in all sorts of troubles...and THEN we claim that God let us down.


Hogwash!


Life got awful for us, because instead of resting in His Palm, we fought God and scurried out of His Loving Protection.  


And in THAT process we get emotionally & spiritually and sometimes physically damaged.


Let's just take THIS little Bullet out of the Chamber too...Yeah, Bad Stuff DOES Happen to Good People.


In fact...MOST of the really GOOD people that I have known, had have quite a few difficulties.


Amazing HUH?
How do you think that they got to be so good?


Difficulties make us stronger.
The Most SHALLOW and SELF-CENTERED People I Know have had the Fewest Life Difficulties.
And just like wee children, they never crawl out of the egocentric phase of life...and they think that the world is all about THEM.


Troubles are often called Burdens.
Burdens have Weight associated with them.
Weight lifters know that increasing the load of weight you work with makes you stronger.


So Yeah...Bad Things Happen to Good People...and somehow when you have gone through hard times...you are strong enough to help somebody else who might be going through the same thing.


THIS is the POWER of The CHURCH FAMILY!!!


We are ALL at various times either being nurtured by others or being the nurturer OF Others...by the Grace of God.


Today I invite you to Ride In His Palm with me.


Take my hand and let's just sit in the palm of His hand together for a little while today...and as scripture says...


Psalms 46:10  "He says, “Be still, and know that I am God..."


Today I challenge you to please just sit and contemplate your own life and it's blessings.


Think about how you have arrived at this point in your life.


Ask Yourself this question : "Who Do I Submit To?"


And if the first answer that pops into your head is not Jesus Christ or God Almighty... then I suspect there are some significant troubles in your life.


I suspect that you see alot of discord and alot of inhumanity and alot of greed and that there is a lack of peace within your spirit.


Today, I ask you to set down your pride, your zeal, your causes...and Submit Yourself To The Lord.


Enter HIS PALM...


And prepare for the Ride of Your Life.


In Him,
AMEN