Saturday, August 26, 2017

Crutches and Life ......

This past Wednesday I began a six week stint of no weight bearing on my left leg (knee). I actually started having problems with it a year and a half ago. Over time it has gotten steadily worse to walk without pain and/or to not have pain all the time even when I’m not on it. I finally was giving in to the idea of a torn menicus but an MRI revealed that I have something that can best be described as Bone Marrow Edema meaning fluid in the bone marrow. Not a quick fix. Ortho Dr. suggested staying off of it for 6 weeks to see if that would allow it to heal. He told me it came from a trauma to the knee. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what it was and/or when I did it. Hard to believe it took a year and a half for it to get to a place that I couldn’t handle it any more.
 
Isn’t that like us in real life, we handle things until we just can’t handle them any more. I really don’t know what would have happened if I had gone in sooner to address the issue but the truth is like most of us my line was “I don’t have time for this.” And honestly it ends up costing us more time than if addressed sooner.

I think that is true in our walk with God. I think there are seasons when we know something isn’t right. But we keep it to ourselves and don’t say it out loud to anyone because we don’t want anyone to see us as weak or unspiritual. We keep trying to handle it ourselves, independent of help. But, before you know it, we are in over our heads in a situation regarding marriage, families, finances, ministries, careers, etc. To be honest with you, most people never make it to a counselor, financial advisor, their boss, pastor, etc., until they are in so far over their head they have to ask for help.
 
God’s word is clear as it tells us where to place our concerns when overwhelmed:

1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV)
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.


Psalm 55:22 (ESV)
Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.


Psalm 34:17-18 (ESV)
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.


Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)
...fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.


Isaiah 46:4 (ESV)
.....even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.


Psalm 9:10 (ESV)
And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.


Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Costa Rica Update.....

Just a quick note to let you know that we have 4 more missionary women sponsored as of the last blog! Praise Him! We only have 6 more to go. Keep praying and giving as you are led. Thank you to all of you that are on this journey with us to Costa Rica!!
 
Have a great weekend and week ahead..

His,
Vickie

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Let Go of the Rope.......and Costa Rica Update!

There was a mountain climber who desperately wanted to conquer the Aconcagua and began climbing it after years of preparation. But he wanted the glory to himself, so he went up alone. He started climbing and it became later and later. He didn’t prepare for camping, so he decided to keep going. Soon it grew very dark . . .

Night fell with heaviness at a very high altitude. Visibility was zero. Everything was black. There was no moon, and the stars were covered by clouds. As he was climbing a ridge at about 100 meters from the top, he slipped and fell. Falling rapidly, he could only see blotches of darkness that passed. He felt a terrible sensation of being sucked in by gravity.

He kept falling . . . and in those anguishing moments, good and bad memories passed through his mind. He thought certainly he would die. But then he felt a jolt that almost tore him in half. YES!! Like any good mountain climber, he had staked himself with a long rope tied to his waist.
In those moments of stillness, suspended in the air, he had no other choice but to shout, “HELP ME, GOD! HELP ME!”

God replied, “Do you REALLY think that I can save you?”
  
"OF COURSE, MY GOD!”

“Then let go of the rope that is holding you up,” God said.

There was another moment of silence and stillness. The man gripped the rope even tighter. 
The rescue team says that the next day they found a frozen mountain climber . . .
hanging strongly to a rope . . .TWO FEET OFF THE GROUND!
    
                                                                                                               (author unknown)

I like this story. It reminds me of ourselves. We want to let go and trust God with that marriage, kids, finances, ministry, job, family, friend, etc., etc. The list could go on and on. We cry out to God in our circumstances. We want to cut the rope and trust God, but we are too much like the climber. We keep trusting our own strength, intellect, understanding, wisdom, abilities, and once again, the list goes on.
 
God knew the ground was only two feet away when He asked the climber to cut the rope. God sees the fullness of our circumstances, literally! He sees, He Knows, He Acts. But we have a part… obedience! So even in our darkest hour may we learn to obey Him, even when what He requires of us makes no sense! Cut the rope!

Costa Rica Update.....

I am excited to share with you that we have 40 missionary women sponsored as of today! Only 10 more to sponsor! Thank you so much! Keep praying and giving!!

We are just about 9 weeks out from leaving the country. That seems like a long time but not really!! Continue to pray for us as we prepare worship, messages, testimonies, activities, gifts, etc. Mostly I would ask that you pray that we as a team would be bold about spending time in His Word and prayer in preparation before leaving the country. It is our genuine desire to bring to the missionary women nothing of ourselves, but all of HIM!

Please know also that as your eyes are reading this blog you have been prayed for. Yes, I may not know you all personally, but I do know many of you. You are all being lifted up in prayer by the God who KNOWS!

Hope you have a wonderful week as you seek first His kingdom and righteousness!

Let Go of the Rope!

His,
Vickie