Come Home

When someone is missing from your life, whether they ran away, are in prison, have been abducted or have chosen to take a time apart from you, sometimes the thoughts can be unbearable. 


You may think about the good times or the times that they were a child and all was well. You may think about the dangers out in the world and pray that they are safe.


You may think about your relationship and all those things you think you “coulda, woulda and shoulda” done along life’s way. 


You may just want to have them back to have a big hug.


Then you might want to shake them and ask how they could hurt you and perhaps themselves this way?


If they are away through no fault of their own, you accept the sympathy of people. If they chose to leave, perhaps in a moment of immaturity, it might be embarrassing. 


Right now, I’m thinking of a family who is facing a funeral of a wonderful young son, who pretty much was the “all American boy” taken from the world, we feel, much too soon. I think how this young man’s family had every hope of seeing their son live a long life, He was not foolishly trying to go out on his own too soon. He was doing the everyday things of life that his family did when tragedy occurred. I feel such compassion for the family who will now have to find a “new normal” for their life. I have no words for their pain, only prayers for the comfort of the Lord.


I pray our boy comes home. I pray that he is not in an accident or not with people who aren’t thinking of his best interest. I pray that he doesn’t zone out in a way that things in his life can’t be redeemed. Yes, the Lord is on the move, even when it seems crazy in our lives. HE KNOWS WHERE OUR PRODIGAL IS.


The Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures for all generations. 


So, Isaiah, this one’s for you.  Come home. Come back and let your light shine. Come back and quote that beautiful passage of Shakespeare that you knew and spoke so beautifully. Come back and remember the 23^rd Psalm and Lord’s prayer we used to say together. Come back and eat Chipotle with your sister. Come back and endure hardship with those who love you. Man up! Come back and learn what it means to be a man upon this earth. Come back before Mathis forgets you.  Just come back. You are loved.

 Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.” Matthew 19:26 The Message

THE LORD IS GOOD, EVEN WHEN IT HURTS

The Lord is so good to me, personally now and always. He always sends an encourager, even if it is just someone I know in a crowd. When I was in the midst of a painful interaction today, I saw sweet Sarah Sheppard and knew the Lord had her at that spot.

Then I accidently sent an update email to a friend and it went to another person who I probably wouldn’t have bothered. The love and wisdom she poured forth to me SO helped me through the day. Thanks Cole Churchill Harris. Shellye,(Machelle Lund-v) Charlotte, Jeannie, Pam, Shonda, Leslie, Jane and all my prayer warriors, too many to name, thanks and I love y’all.

The Lord has always had someone there to hold my arms up as with Moses throughout all the years of pain.
From an old blog: Words and Scriptures to hold on to today! 

I have been thinking about this scripture for days and wanted to share a bit about what it means to me and my hopes for the Somebody's Mother Online Prayer Support Group.

Before Somebody’s Mother prayer group for over 20 years Anita Smith, Ginny Long, Nancy Cox and the women from the Winning Women Bible study group held my hands up as they prayed with me and for my family. Many have been the trials and hard times along the way but I always knew they were praying and it was what kept me going. As we pray for one another each day, know we are helping a sister or brother win battles that they could not win alone. The battle is the Lord's my friend, and they will be won by him in His time. Never give up!

Joshua obeyed Moses and went to fight the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held his hands up, the Israelites would win the fight, but when Moses put his hands down, the Amalekites would win. Later, when Moses' arms became tired, the men put a large rock under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up Moses' hands—Aaron on one side and Hur on the other. They kept his hands steady until the sun went down. So Joshua defeated the Amalekites in this battle. Exodus 17:10-13 New Century Version (NCV) 

I'm inserting a paraphrase here: So, Somebody's Mother Online Prayer Support Group defeated the enemy in this battle on earth called life.
Deuteronomy 1:29-31
Then I said to you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.
The Lord your God Who goes before you, He will fight for you just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes,
And in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God bore you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.
And you shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. (of the Spirit, I'm inserting here)
Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall before you by the sword (of the Spirit and Word of faith through prayer). Leviticus 26:7-8,
These are words and Scriptures to hold on to today!
The Lord is good, even when it hurts, even when we weep. He is keeping those prayers and tears in His bowls in heaven.

PS My sixteen-year-old grandson, Isaiah Hix has been missing for two weeks now. He is about 5'9" with red hair and about 120 pounds.

LET THE ACHE BE OVER!

When I say I’m behind on everything, I realized how true it is today. I went to my blog, A SISTER AMONG YOU, and saw that I posted my Christmas note everywhere but there. I hadn’t posted there in over a month! It definitely calls for a reread of my post, Who's Keeping Your Vineyard?


"…They made me the keeper of the vineyards; but my own vineyard have I not kept." Solomon 1:6


https://thornrose7.blogspot.com/2015/12/whos-keeping-your-vineyard.html


With just a little tweaking, the blog could be for today. So here it is, as Mama might say, “A day late and a dollar short.” You probably have to be from the South to get that one.

LET THE ACHE BE OVER!

Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. Proverbs 12:25 NIV

I’m a great lover of radio or podcasts of sermons. The scripture version above ties in with a radio program on WAPN* recently by Pastor Jim Raley.  He said, “The "weight" is over. Don't carry the weight any more. Hebrews root word meaning is "ache," the ache is over. We break off the weight of worry. The weight is over!”

When I was first listening, I heard the word, wait, as there seems to always be things I’m praying about, that I’m waiting on. But then when he explained the root of the word from Hebrews meaning, ache, I listened harder.

How many people have an ache that they’d like to be over? Maybe a heart-ache? I’ve had those with burdens for my children, grandchildren and even a new great grandchild over the years, often.

Perhaps you’re dealing with a physical ache that restrains you from going and doing the things that you long to do. Maybe you’re still mobile, yet you go out, do your work or errands, with pain in your joints or body, while trying not to let it show to those you love.

What good news! The ache is over! Maybe it doesn’t feel like it’s over yet, maybe you have to take a Tylenol to walk out the door, but you can believe that your healing is coming, your prayers for you family are in the midst of being answered.

Another version of this verse is: Anxious fear brings depression, but a life-giving word of encouragement

can do wonders to restore joy to the heart. Proverbs 12:25 The Passion Translation (TPT)

The Passion Translation Footnotes here are very good:

This insightful proverb can also be translated “Stop worrying! Think instead of what brings you gladness.” Our focus must never be on what we can’t change but on the everlasting joy we have in Christ. Sometimes we have to find the life-giving word of encouragement rising up in our own hearts. This is the secret of finding perpetual encouragement by the Word that lives in us. (TPT)

The weight of grief may bind many today as they face their first holiday without their loved one by their side. For these people, I pray an extra blanket of comfort from the Lord to help them get through the day. Sometimes, words are shallow but prayers can be powerful. Look for that spark of joy that will come in the midst of the grief. When it comes remember you are being prayed for.

Is someone around you feeling down today. Give them a life-giving WORD of encouragement.  It will do wonders to restore joy to their heart, soul and day. Maybe even their life. Think about that! Your small contribution may help someone press on, in ways you may never imagine or see this side of heaven.

But the angel said to them, "Put away all fear; for I am bringing you good news of great joy--joy for all the People.” Luke 2:10 Weymouth New Testament

Donna Collins Tinsley 2019

*http://wapn.net/