Sunday quotes and a blessing.

 

My soul is a broken field plowed by pain. ~ Sara Teasdale

 

Her past was a tragedy to lament, but her future was an epic to anticipate.

( Mark Buchanan)

He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won't disregard the small and insignificant, but he'll steadily and firmly set things right.  Isaiah 42:3 The Message

 

Three quotes, with the third ending in hope. More than hope even is faith, that regardless of the hurt, the Lord is on the move to set things right in your life. May you be blessed this Sunday and every day this week. Blessed for your service, blessed for your kindness and blessed for the love you pay forward to others in Jesus’ name.

PRAYING FOR UNSPOKEN REQUESTS, TODAY

Quote of the day from Ann Voscamp: “No matter what they’re saying, everyone’s asking ‘Can you love me?’”

We pray on Friday, for the unspoken prayer requests among us. The deep longings, the things we only speak to God, because we know, He alone, understands and can help us.

From the book, Prayers for Prodigals by James Banks, are some beautiful quotes: “God shapes the world by prayer. Prayers are deathless. The lips that uttered them may be closed in death, the heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God, and God’s heart is set on them. Prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them; outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world.” E.M. Bounds

“Your prayers, dear child of God…shall be answered---some of them perhaps, during your lifetime on earth, all of them, certainly, during your lifetime in heaven.” Samuel Prime

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37wV6D49iEY&list=RDyYHT-TF4KO4&index=15

 “‘In that day,’ declares the LORD Almighty,

    ‘I will break the yoke off their necks

and will tear off their bonds;

    no longer will foreigners enslave them.

 Instead, they will serve the LORD their God…

“‘So do not be afraid, … my servant;

    do not be dismayed, Israel,’

declares the LORD.

‘I will surely save you out of a distant place,

    your descendants from the land of their exile.

Your children (Jacob) will again have peace and security,

    and no one will make them (him) afraid.

I am with you and will save you,’

    declares the LORD.”

Look up! I’ll save you out of faraway places,

    I’ll bring your children back from exile. (The Message)

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

LORD, DO WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR LOVED ONES

LORD, DO WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR LOVED ONES



Do you ever feel a loss at how to pray for your family? Some years back, my friend’s son was dying of an alcohol-related disease. At first, we were praying, “Lord, heal him.”



I remember one morning, feeling that perhaps he wasn’t going to make it and later that day his mother said to me, “Donna, I just started praying, Lord, do what’s best for him.” He passed over to the other side that day, the day his mom prayed the prayer of true relinquishment. She knew she didn’t want him to suffer anymore and that he would be present with the Lord when he crossed over. Now, please know that every time a mom releases their child, doesn’t mean that the Lord is going to take them home. Don’t let fear take root in your heart.



But it does mean that we as moms know that we can’t plan, fix or help our children when they make certain choices in life. When I get to the place that I’ve prayed every prayer, put every child, grandchild and great-grandchild (Yes, I have one of those, now) on the altar before the Lord, all I can do is say, “Please do what is best for my children and grandchildren.”



That is probably the closest to “Let go and let God” prayer I can pray. It may be my own, “Serenity Prayer.” It may be my “Keep me when I don’t want to be kept,” prayer. It may keep me sane another day, it may be part of my ‘SHOW ME HOW TO LIVE” prayer.




Let’s get serious. These are desperate times for people. There are many of you, that have plates so full, I plead for mercy from the Lord at all times for you. There are so many who have lost children and grandchildren to deaths of natural causes, diseases, and addictions. Many have lost spouses and feel that loneliness. Many know the trauma of losing people who are still alive, but dead
to them because their lifestyles have become too chaotic. The very person you are trying to help may separate themselves from you. What we release to the Lord, he may send back in a better way, but sometimes, even then, it may be a process of work at that relationship. Life isn’t easy, people! But with the Lord as our help, we can live fully and love well. In fact, that’s the only thing I hope people say of me when I’m gone, that “she loved well.”



Sandy Swenson who wrote TENDING DANDELIONS has put so many poignant quotes in her book that they would be worth the price of buying it. Here’s one:



“Imagine trying to live without air. Now imagine something worse.” (Amy Reed)



Today when I read the page by Sandy, THE LAND OF TEARS, I wished it was posted somewhere so you all could read it. I relate to her heart so often. I keep several recovery books right there with my Bible to put good things in my head to start the day. But some days they give me the release to cry, before I press on to the reality of life.





Here are some verses from Isaiah 42, THE MESSAGE to hang on to; find a Word from the Lord and you’ll make it through the day.



“I am God. I have called you to live right and well.
    I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe.
I have set you among my people to bind them to me,
    and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations,
To make a start at bringing people into the open, into light:
    opening blind eyes,
    releasing prisoners from dungeons,
    emptying the dark prisons.
I am God. That’s my name.


But I’ll take the hand of those who don’t know the way,
    who can’t see where they’re going.
I’ll be a personal guide to them,
    directing them through unknown country.
I’ll be right there to show them what roads to take,
    make sure they don’t fall into the ditch.
These are the things I’ll be doing for them—
    sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute.”



And my favorite:

“He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt
    and he won’t disregard the small and insignificant,
    but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right.”



Let’s go out there and love well, people!

Is your family sometimes described as a dysfunctional, motley crew?

Think about this:

I decided for the New Year I would reread my New Testament, The Message version. Yesterday I noticed for the first time, that in the linage of Jesus they always named the father but only named a few mothers. It was interesting that the only mothers mentioned other than Mary, were women of questionable reputation.


Tamar had to use deceit to get her rightful heir, Rahab was a lady of the night, Ruth an outcast who was so faithful to her mother-in-law that she obtained blessings, and Bathsheba was noted as Uriah's wife (since she was married to him, when King David called for her.) And little, pure Mary had rumors about her as she and Joseph were not married at the time she conceived our King. What sacrifices have been made for us to have salvation!
So, don't feel bad if your family line is somewhat a dysfunctional, motley crew. You are in good company.