Oh the Goodness of God...and please pray for us!

    I am sitting here on the Oregon Coast listening to the waves crash against the shore...and it is nothing short of a balm to my weary heart right now. We have quite a load of medicial stuff going on right now but I learned something more important today that feels far more important.
    This morning Doug watched the kids so that I could go for a walk by myself on the beach. Heavy hearted I headed out really needing to seek God on how to navigate what is next on our plate. My feet felt heavy as I drudged towards the shoreline. My prayers began honestly as a bit of a whine, "Lord why me? Why us? Isn't it all too much? I'm just so tired..." Heavy clouds hung in the sky but just as I looked up and started to pray a faint rainow appeared. I began to see the majestic power of thew waves crashing before me....to remember just how big and loving and powerful God promises that He is.

   As I walked along I noticed some little children playing right by the edge of the waves, laughing and throwing sand...the adults however, tended to walk up higher like I was, staying far from the places where their feet might get wet. I felt like I heard the Lord whisper "move closer", so I steered my steps towards the edge of the waves. As I walked along, I was so struck by the beauty, the lacy weave of the bubbles as the thin water slipped up the sand. Still, I stayed on the dry edge, quickly retreating when the water sped in.
   I found as I walked along that I longed to walk in those delicate bubbles, to trace their weave with my feet. So I tapped my boot clad feet into their little world, only a few inches deep, delighting in the rush of the lacy pattern playing over my shoes. As my heart began to feel lighter I thought, "Why did I hesitate? Why was I worried about keeping my rubber boots dry? How incredibly silly and how thankful am I for this dance in the baby waves now?" For everytime a wave rushed in my worries left as I got lost in the exhileration of the beauty around me.

     Tiptoeing light heartedly now in my little world of ripples and frill, a giant wave rushed right up to my knees, soaked my pants and filled my warm boots with icy March seawater. My first thought? "Crud, now I need to turn back!" The next? The Lord asking, "But why my child?" So, conflicted in my sloshing boots I kept walking forward. As I walked the Lord spoke again, "Little one, why do you fight so hard to stay where it is safe? Why do you fear the uncomfortable so? Do you not see?"
    I stared hard out at the crashing waves trying to understand. Again a wave rushed in dancing around me and once again I was lost in the beautiful delight...then without realizing it tears drenched my cheeks and I could see...
    The beauty far outshines the fear every time. He has NEVER failed me. In every trial, I have walked away in awe of how close I felt to Him and with what intimate love He carried me....His beauty has shone brighter than every hard thing, every fear, every discomfort has washed away in comparison to who God is and how deeply He loves me.

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the LORD your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior

Isaiah 43:1-3

 

Every time that I have stood with fear and trembling at the edge of something about to happen, the depth of His love wins out.

Deep calls to deep

in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

have swept over me.

 

By day the LORD directs his love,

at night his song is with me—

a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalm 42:7-8

   As I stood on the beach this morning, I found myself searching for the next wave, not to run away from it but to let it wash around me. I danced with delight in that water letting it soak me through praying, "Lord, I want all of you, crash around me, wash over me let me be uncomfortable so Your beauty can shine" I am sure some people walked away from the beach talking about the nutcase woman dancing in the cold March waves...yes, there are still things we need to walk through soon but I know what unfailing love carries me through.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:16-19

A few prayer requests:
* Miss Ravenna was diagnosed with a genetic blood clotting disease on Friday. We need to do more testing to understand the severity. She has a really bad cough/cold right now and is having massive bloody noses multiple times a day. Please pray for peace for her (and us) as we tread into these new waters and for healing so that we can figure out how to treat this new need. Also these nosebleeds need to be under control so that she can go back to school.
(one thing I am becoming more aware of as I learn more, please if you are of Asian desent...give blood!)

* Georgia had her Neurology appointment on Friday. She will have more upcoming testing to ficure out if she is having seizures. She will need a sedated MRI and a 48 hour in patient surveilance EEG in the next week or so. Please again pray for peace as we go through these procedures.

Thanks my sweet friends!