Coughing - that's what I've been hearing lately.
It's so loud it gives me a headache.
It keeps me from sleeping all night.
It can be downright irritating.
I used to get mad about it.
I used to think "what's wrong with you? quit already."
I used to not understand at all.
I really hated coughing.
Now when I hear it -- I pray.
Pray for healing.
Pray for God to "have His way".
Pray for direction.
I pray for the man who is coughing.
A man who seeks the Lord.
A man who asks others to pray for him to "be obedient to God's voice."
A man who is gentle and humble and who loves his enemies.
No, coughing is not good.
But he's committed to me
And I'm commited to him (even though I may cover my ears)
I'd rather have him coughing than not at all.
Standing Firm in this thing called
Marriage ........
Wearing glasses ....
Made by God.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Scars
"Do you have any scars, Marilyn?" my husband asked me as we were lying in bed.
We had just driven home from our church's Good Friday Service, focused on the Cross of Christ. We caught the end of a message on the radio by a wise old minister, Adrian Rodgers. He reminded us that Jesus had scars and that we are not going to get out of this world without scars; and that our scars can be our greatest ministry. We can say to others "here are my wounds, red and raw and bloody, but Jesus has healed them." We can tell others to bring their wounds, their scars to Jesus.
"Yes," I answered and turned on my side, pretending to go to sleep. "And Jesus has healed them," I thought.
~~~ When I was 9 years old, my sister died. I had a huge scar, missing her and remembering I had not always been a kind sister.
~~~ The scars of being teased by peers and rejected because I wasn't good enough - and always chosen last ran deep in my school years.
~~~Selfish scars formed from my own decisions in college, living lies that controlling my own life was the better choice.
~~~Scars formed from my ignorance of what it meant to be a godly wife to my husband.
~~~Mothers are going to get scars, and I have many. But these scars are different. For even before they were ripped and raw, salve was being applied, holding them together as I watched, waited and cryed out in prayer for the lives of my children.
~~~Losing my mom, then my dad -- these scars were also different - mixed with sorrow and joy.
Yes, I've had scars. And because of His scars, mine are healed. I praise Him for my scars and for the privledge of using them to help bring healing to others.
"For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, leaving us an example that you should follow in His steps, "who committed no sin, nor deceit found in His mouth", who when He was reviled, did not revile in returned; who when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously, who Himself bore our sins on His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sin, might live for righteousness - by His stripes we are healed! [I Peter 2:21-24]
Jesus was born. He suffered for me and you . He died and was buried and is alive again. Shout it out - Jesus is Alive! Christ the Lord has risen! Give Him your scars and rise up!
We had just driven home from our church's Good Friday Service, focused on the Cross of Christ. We caught the end of a message on the radio by a wise old minister, Adrian Rodgers. He reminded us that Jesus had scars and that we are not going to get out of this world without scars; and that our scars can be our greatest ministry. We can say to others "here are my wounds, red and raw and bloody, but Jesus has healed them." We can tell others to bring their wounds, their scars to Jesus.
"Yes," I answered and turned on my side, pretending to go to sleep. "And Jesus has healed them," I thought.
~~~ When I was 9 years old, my sister died. I had a huge scar, missing her and remembering I had not always been a kind sister.
~~~ The scars of being teased by peers and rejected because I wasn't good enough - and always chosen last ran deep in my school years.
~~~Selfish scars formed from my own decisions in college, living lies that controlling my own life was the better choice.
~~~Scars formed from my ignorance of what it meant to be a godly wife to my husband.
~~~Mothers are going to get scars, and I have many. But these scars are different. For even before they were ripped and raw, salve was being applied, holding them together as I watched, waited and cryed out in prayer for the lives of my children.
~~~Losing my mom, then my dad -- these scars were also different - mixed with sorrow and joy.
Yes, I've had scars. And because of His scars, mine are healed. I praise Him for my scars and for the privledge of using them to help bring healing to others.
"For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, leaving us an example that you should follow in His steps, "who committed no sin, nor deceit found in His mouth", who when He was reviled, did not revile in returned; who when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously, who Himself bore our sins on His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sin, might live for righteousness - by His stripes we are healed! [I Peter 2:21-24]
Jesus was born. He suffered for me and you . He died and was buried and is alive again. Shout it out - Jesus is Alive! Christ the Lord has risen! Give Him your scars and rise up!
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