Waiting and Trusting

I left on Valentines Day for Albuquerque, New Mexico to surprise my mother and father. My dad came through the surgery fine and yesterday he was transferred to a skilled nursing facility to get rehab on his knee. My mother is not doing very well. She has been in the hospital for over 2 months with infection after infection from her surgery. Now her lungs are filling and Emphysema is taking its toll. She is being transferred to a skilled nursing facility in Aztec (4 hours away from Albuquerque) which is the only place that will take her with her continuous antibiotic drip. It has been a long emotional journey for our family. Please pray for comfort and healing for my mom. I want to thank all my brothers and sisters in Christ that live in New Mexico who are praying for my mom and dad. It was a pleasure getting to meet some of you and speak with you. I pray this journal will be an encouragement to you.

I was reading Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 which says, "Consider what God has done. Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other."

L.B. Cowman has this to say about this verse. "God often seems to place His children in places of deep difficulty, leading them into a corner from which there is no escape. He creates situations that human judgment, even if consulted, would never allow. Yet the cloudiness of the circumstance itself is used by Him to guide us to the other side. Perhaps this is where you find yourself now.
Your situation is filled with uncertainty and is very serious, but it is perfectly right. The reason behind it will more than justify Him who brought you here, for it is a platform from which God will display His almighty grace and power.
He not only will deliver you but in doing so will impart a lesson that you will never forget. And in days to come, you will return to the truth of it through singing. YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO EVER THANK GOD ENOUGH FOR DOING EXACTLY WHAT HE HAS DONE."

I was struck and challenged by the thought that my situation is perfectly right and I will be unable to thank God enough for doing exactly what He has done. I wonder if faith is allowing this truth to permeate our souls before we reach the safety of the shores on the other side? Jesus slept in the boat as the storm raged around him. The disciples were filled with fear and panic, not unlike most of us when we face our own storms.

What boat do you find yourself in now? Maybe you are sailing on calm seas. There might only be a slight breeze rustling through the trees on the shoreline. Or maybe you are noticing the whitecaps starting to form and you are becoming anxious about the possibility of a storm. There may be some of you that are holding on for dear life as the waves wash over the sides and threaten to capsize you. Remind yourself that Jesus is in the boat with you. He is not worried or concerned about the weather on the lake. Ride it out by clinging to Him. Before your feet hit the floor running in the morning acknowledge His presence. Put every care that fills your heart into His. He came to bear your burdens. As you put your hand in His let His peace permeate your soul. Wait until you feel it before you face your day. Keep your eyes focused on God throughout your day, not your storm. What we choose to look at during the day will determine the amount of peace we will possess. Trust His presence in the boat not the the size of the storm. Remind yourself that the crooked path you are on is perfectly right! It is in this path that God will display His almighty grace and power.