Everything is All Right

Have you prayed so long for something, finally received it in a way you didn't expect, and after a time, the answered prayer is a disappointment? 

Your dream job finally appears after much prayer and effort on your part. Things are going well; you're learning new things, and you have a great rapport with your coworkers. You start to breathe. You've made it past the first year, but now there are rumors of layoffs. Typically you'd ignore these but see your coworkers falling left and right. Then one day, it's your turn.

Or you've just moved and met the friend you hoped for. You've spent significant time in prayer about this friendship. Things go smoothly until you hit a road bump - this relationship looks pretty one-sided. You're unable to salvage the relationship, so now you're friendless (again).

Not So

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!" That's what the song says, but I also find it wonderful because of the events we celebrate at this time of the year. Also, it's my birthday! Anyhow, Christians know the Christmas story ad nauseam and the joy around it can sometimes be lost.

There's a part of the Christmas story that I've been thinking about for a while, and it's the first birth - the birth of John the Baptist. John was born three months before Jesus, his more famous cousin, to Elizabeth and Zechariah.

John's birth is also miraculous, and his name even more so.

Miracles and Grace

Source

Today started at off as a blah day - normal morning routine, getting the Little One off to school and then attempting to settle in and get some work done. My thoughts were all over the place - "I hate when our communication is off; this teacher is really getting on my nerves; cleaning this house depresses me; I wish I had a new job."

Usually when I'm like this, I try to figure out what I could do to make myself feel better. I did my daily Bible reading, but I still felt blah. Exercise usually makes me feel better so I did the elliptical for an hour while reading a very inspirational book. This removed the blahs by just a tad, but overall the blah feeling prevailed.

I had the blahs real bad.

Last summer during our family reunion my son did a dive in to a shallow pool and hit his head. He hit his head so hard that he scraped off an inch of hair at the bottom of the pool. I was asleep when this happened but when my husband told me I jumped out of bed and ran to my son. All I could think about was Joni Eareckson Tada who had a similar incident and was paralyzed for life. (I only knew about Joni, because an Aunt in Canada would send a gift subscription of a magazine called Young Ambassador to us in NY. This was Christian magazine for young adults It's where I learned about PKs (Preacher's Kids) and Christianity from another culture's point of view. I looked forward to that magazine and read it eagerly every month.) Anyhow, I asked him if he was OK and did he realize how fortunate he was. I prayed like I have never prayed that night. The next day I was depressed by all the what-ifs and pretty much spent the day in silence. I was also a tad embarrassed by what I considered a foolish decision.

We returned from the family reunion, he started a new job and all seemed fine.

In February, he wanted to have an MRI, because sometimes he would get headaches. The doctor knew of no discernible reason why he should get an MRI, but finally told him he would send him for an x-ray first. On the day of the x-ray the technician does the x-ray and calls the doctor's office in a state of shock - there's a fracture in his neck. In the mean time he comes home and says very calmly, "there's a fracture in my neck." After getting over the shock of this statement, I reiterate that he is blessed because I don't know too many people walking around with a fractured neck. I also did panic. Opening up to my Women's Bible Study really gave me a feeling of peace. I can honestly say I was no longer worried once I knew others were in prayer with me. At that point, we chose to praise God that he was not injured further.

Today he went for the follow up results of his MRI and he was given a clean bill of health; everything is fine and the fracture is no longer there.

I had the blahs.

Source

Once he told me this I started jumping up and down praising God. On the phone speaking with me he said, "Mummy, God is good." My heart rejoiced even more.

I had the blahs, but not anymore.

God is good; He chose to extend His grace and mercy in this situation for this outcome. I don't know why this situation would have a different outcome for another, but I'm grateful this was the outcome He had for us. I will praise Him, because there's nothing I could have done to make this happen. The more I serve God, the more I know He's worthy of my praise. I had the blahs, but his grace and mercy puts everything in to perspective.

And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Are you a recipient of God's grace?

Miracle

I was praying for a miracle and I got one.
       The waters did not part.
             The dead was not brought back to life.
                    Angels did not descend from above.

But

God answered a request. He always does. This time it was not in a way I expected, but it was an answer because what I thought was insurmountable is now possible.
                     The situation made me pray.
              The situation made me plead.
       The situation made me quote scripture and hold God to his promises.
The situation made me groan.

Without the situation
I wouldn't have known the richness of prayer.
The vulnerability of pouring my heart out.
The hope that came because of prayer.
I had somehow forgotten the tangible goodness of a Holy God.

Though the situation looked bleak, I thank God for the situation and for once more allowing me to know He is real.

Source

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Psalm 107:8

Have you witnessed any miracles lately? Do you see miracles in the ordinary? Has God come through for you recently in a way you didn't expect?

How Is It That Ye Do Not Understand?

This is what Jesus said to his disciples after miraculously feeding the four thousand.
In the prior chapters of Mark, He had fed the five thousand, healed countless people, and calmed a storm.
The disciples had been in his presence when He performed all of these miracles and yet they still did not understand who He was and how he spoke.

We are like that, aren't we? Jesus is in the midst performing miracles, rescuing us, bringing us comfort, intervening when we would otherwise make a mess and yet we don't get it.

How is it that ye do not understand?