Counting My Blessings

God gave me the privilege of helping with Special Olympics today. It was such a blessing! There was one girl that walked with the aid of a walker with a seat, kind of like for heart patients. She had just gotten her face painted. As she was walking by the podium where I was giving out their ribbons, she asked if I could guess what animal she was. I said a tiger. She responded, "Yep, I am a ferocious animal can you tell?" We both laughed. It was so sweet. She was having the time of her life.

There was a girl that normally would walk with a cane. But, when it came time to run her race, she dropped that cane and ran with all of her might. She finished first. She had a smile on her face that beamed from ear to ear. When she came to the podium, she had commented that she decided that she didn't need her cane for the race because God would help her with each step. She also commented that she was very proud of herself. And, you know what? She should be!

There were countless other precious people and their families and a host of volunteers there to make the day special for everyone. There were policemen, firemen, various other city employees, high school kids, and soldiers lining up to be a "buddy" to each one of the athletes as we were unloading the busses. These volunteers would take their "buddies" everywhere they needed or wanted to go. The were compassionate and caring. There were T-shirts that people were wearing that boasted that EVERY life is special. And you know what? That is exactly right. Every life is special.

In my building at work, there are many offices and many rooms. Mine is a two-person office. I have the privilege of sharing it with a man who has a special-needs child. You see, after 6 miscarriages, he and his wife were finally able to conceive and deliver a child. This particular child has Down's Syndrome. He is confined to a wheel chair, and has recently started recovering from two different surgeries where they had to go in and break and reset both hips.

You see, my co-worker is living in a world that has been so foreign to me. I am ashamed to say that I have never really thought about what it would be like for a child, or the parents, to face some of the difficulties that they do. Just through observing him and observing the way he interacts with his child will melt your heart. He has learned a level of compassion that I never knew existed. He interacts with his child much in the same way as I picture Jesus did with everyone He encountered so many years ago when He walked this earth... and continues to do today. Such a blessing.

I am ashamed at how much I take for granted the way that God has so richly blessed me and my family. Lord please forgive me. I thank You for all that You have done for me and my family.

Today was a huge reality check for me.

Lord, You made these bodies of ours. You are the Creator. You know why You allow different challenges to occur in these bodies. You also know whom You can trust with these special needs. Lord I pray that You would touch each body that was there competing today. I pray that You pour Your blessings out on them and their families. They play with all of their might. They also love with all of their might. Please bless them and protect them. Thank You for letting me see briefly through Your eyes today.

In Jesus' precious name I pray,
Amen.

Our Keeper, Protector and Guard

As I have mentioned before, we are working through the Beth Moore study "Stepping Up". Tonight's discussion centered around Psalm 121 from the HCSB version:

1 I raise my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber.

4 Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep.

5 The LORD protects you; the LORD is a shelter right by your side.

6 The sun will not strike you by day, or the moon by night.

7 The LORD will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life.

8 The LORD will protect your coming and going both now and forever.


There were so many things that spoke to me, but here are a few.


I didn't know that there was a difference between slumber and sleep, did you? We discovered tonight that when you slumber, you nod off. I never knew that. So, in verse 4 when it says that He doesn't slumber or sleep... that means he doesn't nod off... or outright fall asleep. He is watching, waiting and protecting all of the time.

Some of the truths written by Beth I thought were very profound and it just plain did my heart good to read and to hear brought out again.

"We will never go anywhere God has abandoned precisely because He will never abandon us." Praise God!

"God is caretaker of you and of me. He tends to us. Watches over us. He has never entrusted that job to anyone else. At no time does God abdicate your guardianship to an angel alone, regardless of how mighty." Hallelujah!

(me talking) One of my most favorite Psalms is number 91. It talks about how He will cover us with His feathers and under His wings we will find refuge. Do you know what is under His wings? His heart. Therefore, we find refuge and shelter in His "arms" next to His heart! That almost makes me want to get up and shout! Amen?

(one last thing from Beth) "The Lord lets no harm befall us in the world where the truest threats lie...... But when our eyes are truly opened and we see all the ways hell rose against us, the devil wanted us, and God hid us in the shodow of His wings, we will drop on our knees and worship the Maker of heaven and earth" Amen. and Amen.

Random Thoughts

You know when you feel that God is leading you to do something? Most of the time it is TOTALLY out of your comfort zone!!! Well, I am in one of those seasons.

Today has been a day of much reflection. In my heart I feel like He is up to something BIG in my life. He is the God of Comfort. He is the God of Healing. But, He is also the God of New Beginnings. Praise Him! Praise Him!

On Sunday, the Preacher preached a sermon about the Holy Spirit and the name of Jesus. He said that when we do things or ask things in the name of Jesus, we invoke the power of Jesus in those situations. He said that we need to manage our finances "in the name of Jesus. We need to relate to others "in the name of Jesus". We need to do everything "in the name of Jesus". This is not a new concept. But, it was very profound to me that day... and still is.

I can tell that I am getting tired, because I seem to be rambling. So I will end this post just by saying that I am pondering what God may be up to.... Thank you Jesus for working in my life!