Weekly Thing (ish)
Hello-
I hope that this finds you well and that this past week (two weeks??) has been full of God’s blessings and opportunities for growth.
My own week seemed to blur by even though I struggled with a day-by-day feeling that I had too much time on my hands and little activity. I’m not quite sure how that happened but somehow it has. In reflection, however, I’ve been able to notice some key areas that God is stretching me… particularly in the realm of trusting Him. And though I am reflecting I am by no means beyond this wrestling, seeing where the truth prevails and where my own stubborn heart refuses to have faith and attempting to latch onto those truths of God’s provision. But today I’ve found encouragement when I wasn’t even looking or asking for it.
Two friends of mine are in similar situations financially where things are very tight. As I learned from them what was going on, I know that if I were in those situations I would be riddled with all kinds of anxiety. While I’m certain that they each have gone through this stage, they are currently in a place of trusting God’s hand in all of it. I’m not even near in the situation they are in - in fact, pretty far from it - I find myself tense about things that are largely out of my control. Hearing their stories and where they are at I cannot help but compare my own level of trust with theirs and seeing their calm despite shaky ground.
Likewise, a family member of mine was encouraging to me on Wednesday, and now even more encouraging in a very unexpected way. My step-grandfather, who I’ve always enjoyed even though we didn’t get a chance to get very close, died on Friday morning. I had a conversation with him Wednesday, and through it we talked about a surgery he needed to get scheduled; he’s been through several, and on more than one occasion we all thought that Dan was going to die. When we spoke about all his surgeries, his level of trust that God’s timing was perfect was profound to me. Dan figured that the Lord must have kept him alive to accomplish something he hadn’t done just yet, and his overall tone was that he was ready whenever God was. Now that he’s passed on those words are even more poignant and teach me a lot about patience. God’s timetable is so much grander than ours.
Interestingly enough what God had to teach me this week wasn’t first out of Scripture but out of people who carry the Holy Spirit as believers. They might as well be coming at me from Hebrews 11, a record of men and women who trusted that God would provide based on His promises, not on what they could see happening around them. How awesome is it that the Lord uses people in this way!
Who in your life can remind you of God’s promises for where you are right now? Can you think of people who are an encouragement to you-even when they aren’t specifically trying to encourage you as you go through something? Praise God for these people in our lives, whom God uses to bring His Word closer to our lives and hearts! One of the many reasons that having a Christian community surrounding us is so important… I pray that as you go into this next week, you are able to see other believers around you who - by example of their own circumstances - encourage you and point you towards our Father’s truths.
Hebrews 3:13
...encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
In love and in Him, your sister,
Yvonne
I hope that this finds you well and that this past week (two weeks??) has been full of God’s blessings and opportunities for growth.
My own week seemed to blur by even though I struggled with a day-by-day feeling that I had too much time on my hands and little activity. I’m not quite sure how that happened but somehow it has. In reflection, however, I’ve been able to notice some key areas that God is stretching me… particularly in the realm of trusting Him. And though I am reflecting I am by no means beyond this wrestling, seeing where the truth prevails and where my own stubborn heart refuses to have faith and attempting to latch onto those truths of God’s provision. But today I’ve found encouragement when I wasn’t even looking or asking for it.
Two friends of mine are in similar situations financially where things are very tight. As I learned from them what was going on, I know that if I were in those situations I would be riddled with all kinds of anxiety. While I’m certain that they each have gone through this stage, they are currently in a place of trusting God’s hand in all of it. I’m not even near in the situation they are in - in fact, pretty far from it - I find myself tense about things that are largely out of my control. Hearing their stories and where they are at I cannot help but compare my own level of trust with theirs and seeing their calm despite shaky ground.
Likewise, a family member of mine was encouraging to me on Wednesday, and now even more encouraging in a very unexpected way. My step-grandfather, who I’ve always enjoyed even though we didn’t get a chance to get very close, died on Friday morning. I had a conversation with him Wednesday, and through it we talked about a surgery he needed to get scheduled; he’s been through several, and on more than one occasion we all thought that Dan was going to die. When we spoke about all his surgeries, his level of trust that God’s timing was perfect was profound to me. Dan figured that the Lord must have kept him alive to accomplish something he hadn’t done just yet, and his overall tone was that he was ready whenever God was. Now that he’s passed on those words are even more poignant and teach me a lot about patience. God’s timetable is so much grander than ours.
Interestingly enough what God had to teach me this week wasn’t first out of Scripture but out of people who carry the Holy Spirit as believers. They might as well be coming at me from Hebrews 11, a record of men and women who trusted that God would provide based on His promises, not on what they could see happening around them. How awesome is it that the Lord uses people in this way!
Who in your life can remind you of God’s promises for where you are right now? Can you think of people who are an encouragement to you-even when they aren’t specifically trying to encourage you as you go through something? Praise God for these people in our lives, whom God uses to bring His Word closer to our lives and hearts! One of the many reasons that having a Christian community surrounding us is so important… I pray that as you go into this next week, you are able to see other believers around you who - by example of their own circumstances - encourage you and point you towards our Father’s truths.
Hebrews 3:13
...encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
In love and in Him, your sister,
Yvonne