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Prayer for the Church, by Jeremy Riddle is a song that was introduced to me this Wednesday from a friend who gave me the Jeremy Riddle's CD titled, "The Now and Not Yet." (Unfortunately, I am unable to find the song on youtube.com so I could attach it.) I've been playing it repeatedly as a prayer for the "church" at large - the Body of Christ - believers in Jesus world wide. Would you join me in this prayer?
Where she is weak.
Strengthen arms now, steady feet.
That she would care for, she would seek.
Welcoming Your lost and wounded sheep.
Coming home to you.
Where she is stained.
Bring Your healing., bring Your rain.
Wash away now her disgrace.
Til she shines in white, she radiates.
She now mirrors You.
No more compromises, no more moral crises.
Tonight may she move and act as You.
No more small divisions.
No more lack of wisdom.
Tonight may she move and act as You.
Where she is right give her courage for the fight.
Full of salt now, full of light.
Standing firm where truth and love collide.
She remains in You.
Now she's shining.
Her light is blinding as she sings Your name.
Now she's beauty.
Up from the ashes, Your love is on her face.
Where she is strong, keep her moving, pressing on.
Bringing justice, righting wrongs.
Demonstrating now Your Kingdom come.
She's in step with You.
Lord Jesus, make us more like You. May we act more like You. May we love more like You. May we shine more like You in this darkened world. Help us stand firm in You. Help us remain in You. Keep us pressing on and into You. Give us strength and courage for the fight. Help us to be in step with You, Father. May our love for You never cease and our adoration increase as we cry out to You in our need to be transformed into the likeness of Your son, Jesus.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Movin' Forward and Still Waiting
On March 16th, I met with the oncologist for the first time. At that appointment he ordered two genetic tests with the intent that these results will help guide the decisions about the next phase of my cancer treatment. I was told it would take 14-21 days for the results to be in.
This week (a month since the first visit), the oncologist gave me the results from the BRAC1 & 2 test. Both of them were negative! I am not a gene carrier for breast cancer or ovarian cancer. Those results indicate I have a lower risk for breast cancer to reoccur. Just as important, it reduces the risk for my daughter, Erin & granddaughter, Sydney from battling this disease in the future. I am thankful to God for this wonderful news!
At this same appointment the oncologist apologetically reported that there is yet another delay with the Oncotype DX test results. I need to wait another 10-14 days longer. Sigh. The results of this test will determine whether or not I need chemotherapy and more surgery.
Thankfully, I ended this week with my second opinion appointment scheduled at Mayo Clinic on Wednesday, April 29th.
I'm at a place now, where I desire to move forward and get the next phase of my treatment behind me - whatever that regimen is going to be. I want to know what's next.
I've had to make a choice daily - do I focus on the delays and the failure of man or do I rest in Jesus. Honestly, it's been difficult for me. Some days I get stuck, focused on what didn't work out, reliving the disappointments. I must move on, move forward. I do not understand why God permitted the delays. He knows and understands every disappointment, every loss, every challenge. Before long He will reveal the next steps I need to take on this journey.
Lord, Jesus, I lay my disappointments down before Your throne. Thank You for the wonderful results from the first test. Forgive me for my impatience and desire to control the timetable of this journey. Thank You Father that You have every day of my life recorded in Your book. Help me to wait with a spirit of praise and continue to build my physical stamina for the next phase of treatment. Keep my head lifted up and gazing at You, standing still in Your presence with a heart of gratitude rejoicing in Your love and faithfulness. I know You desire for me to walk by faith not sight, trusting You more completely and resting more fully in Your presence. Thank You for reassuring me that before long, You will direct me in what ways to move forward for my long term benefit. For now, help me to wait a little longer - obediently.
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! - Isaiah 30:18
This week (a month since the first visit), the oncologist gave me the results from the BRAC1 & 2 test. Both of them were negative! I am not a gene carrier for breast cancer or ovarian cancer. Those results indicate I have a lower risk for breast cancer to reoccur. Just as important, it reduces the risk for my daughter, Erin & granddaughter, Sydney from battling this disease in the future. I am thankful to God for this wonderful news!
At this same appointment the oncologist apologetically reported that there is yet another delay with the Oncotype DX test results. I need to wait another 10-14 days longer. Sigh. The results of this test will determine whether or not I need chemotherapy and more surgery.
Thankfully, I ended this week with my second opinion appointment scheduled at Mayo Clinic on Wednesday, April 29th.
I'm at a place now, where I desire to move forward and get the next phase of my treatment behind me - whatever that regimen is going to be. I want to know what's next.
I've had to make a choice daily - do I focus on the delays and the failure of man or do I rest in Jesus. Honestly, it's been difficult for me. Some days I get stuck, focused on what didn't work out, reliving the disappointments. I must move on, move forward. I do not understand why God permitted the delays. He knows and understands every disappointment, every loss, every challenge. Before long He will reveal the next steps I need to take on this journey.
Lord, Jesus, I lay my disappointments down before Your throne. Thank You for the wonderful results from the first test. Forgive me for my impatience and desire to control the timetable of this journey. Thank You Father that You have every day of my life recorded in Your book. Help me to wait with a spirit of praise and continue to build my physical stamina for the next phase of treatment. Keep my head lifted up and gazing at You, standing still in Your presence with a heart of gratitude rejoicing in Your love and faithfulness. I know You desire for me to walk by faith not sight, trusting You more completely and resting more fully in Your presence. Thank You for reassuring me that before long, You will direct me in what ways to move forward for my long term benefit. For now, help me to wait a little longer - obediently.
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! - Isaiah 30:18
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Exercising Faith by Clinging to the Word
Excerpt from Streams from the Desert, George Mueller
Psalm 119:42 - ...I trust in your word.
Just in proportion in which we believe that God will do just what He has said, is our faith strong or weak? Faith has nothing to do with feelings, or with impressions, with improbabilities, or with outward appearances. If we desire to couple them with faith, then we are no longer resting on the Word of God because faith needs nothing of the kind. Faith rests on the Word of God. When we take Him at His Word the heart is at peace.
God delights to exercise faith, first for blessing in our own souls, then for blessing in the church at large, and also for those without. But this exercise we shrink from instead of welcoming. When trials come, we should say: "My heavenly Father puts this cup of trial into my hands, that I may have something sweet after wards."
Trials are the food of faith. Oh, let us leave ourselves in the hands of our heavenly Father! It is the joy of His heart to do good to all His children.
But trials and difficulties are not the only means by which faith is exercised and thereby increased. There is the reading of the Scriptures, that we may acquaint ourselves with God as He has revealed Himself in His Word.
Are you able to say, from the acquaintance you have made with God, that He is a lovely Being? If not, let me affectionately entreat you to ask God to bring you to this, that you may admire His gentleness and kindness, that you may be able to say how good He is, and what a delight it is to the heart of God to do good to His children.
Now the nearer we come to this in our inmost souls, the more ready we are to leave ourselves in His hands, satisfied with all His dealings with us. And when trials come, we shall say: "I will wait and see what good God will do to me by it, assured He will do it." So that we will bear an honorable testimony before the world and we will strengthen the hands of others.
A passage of Scripture I read this morning that ties to the above excerpt:
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca, (which means weeping)
they will make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
O Lord Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.
-Psalm 84:5-6 & 11-12
Psalm 119:42 - ...I trust in your word.
Just in proportion in which we believe that God will do just what He has said, is our faith strong or weak? Faith has nothing to do with feelings, or with impressions, with improbabilities, or with outward appearances. If we desire to couple them with faith, then we are no longer resting on the Word of God because faith needs nothing of the kind. Faith rests on the Word of God. When we take Him at His Word the heart is at peace.
God delights to exercise faith, first for blessing in our own souls, then for blessing in the church at large, and also for those without. But this exercise we shrink from instead of welcoming. When trials come, we should say: "My heavenly Father puts this cup of trial into my hands, that I may have something sweet after wards."
Trials are the food of faith. Oh, let us leave ourselves in the hands of our heavenly Father! It is the joy of His heart to do good to all His children.
But trials and difficulties are not the only means by which faith is exercised and thereby increased. There is the reading of the Scriptures, that we may acquaint ourselves with God as He has revealed Himself in His Word.
Are you able to say, from the acquaintance you have made with God, that He is a lovely Being? If not, let me affectionately entreat you to ask God to bring you to this, that you may admire His gentleness and kindness, that you may be able to say how good He is, and what a delight it is to the heart of God to do good to His children.
Now the nearer we come to this in our inmost souls, the more ready we are to leave ourselves in His hands, satisfied with all His dealings with us. And when trials come, we shall say: "I will wait and see what good God will do to me by it, assured He will do it." So that we will bear an honorable testimony before the world and we will strengthen the hands of others.
A passage of Scripture I read this morning that ties to the above excerpt:
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca, (which means weeping)
they will make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
O Lord Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.
-Psalm 84:5-6 & 11-12
Monday, April 13, 2009
Moving into the Unknown
Excerpt from The Dance of Life, Weaving Sorrows and Blessings into One Joyful Step by Henri Nouwen
It takes courage to move away from the safe place into the unknown, even when we know that the safe place offers false safety. We realize quite well that giving up the familiar and reaching out with open arms towards Him who transcends all our mental grasping and clinging makes us very vulnerable. Somewhere we sense that, although holding on to our illusions might lead to a truncated life, the surrender in love leads to the cross....
It is a sign of spiritual maturity when we can give up our illusory self-control and stretch out our hands to God. But it would be just another illusion to believe that reaching out to God will free us from pain and suffering. Often, indeed, it will take us where we would rather not go. But we know that without going there we will not find our life. "Anyone who loses his life...will find it." (Matthew 16:25) Jesus says, reminding us that love is purified in pain.
...our entering into God's intimacy is an entering into the intimacy where all human suffering is embraced in divine compassion.
...It is there, where love and pain are found together.
It takes courage to move away from the safe place into the unknown, even when we know that the safe place offers false safety. We realize quite well that giving up the familiar and reaching out with open arms towards Him who transcends all our mental grasping and clinging makes us very vulnerable. Somewhere we sense that, although holding on to our illusions might lead to a truncated life, the surrender in love leads to the cross....
It is a sign of spiritual maturity when we can give up our illusory self-control and stretch out our hands to God. But it would be just another illusion to believe that reaching out to God will free us from pain and suffering. Often, indeed, it will take us where we would rather not go. But we know that without going there we will not find our life. "Anyone who loses his life...will find it." (Matthew 16:25) Jesus says, reminding us that love is purified in pain.
...our entering into God's intimacy is an entering into the intimacy where all human suffering is embraced in divine compassion.
...It is there, where love and pain are found together.
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