Rainy Day

Today was a "free day"....good thing because it poured most of the day on Maui....gray clouds, wind, and steady rain. Sometimes I am surprised at how my emotions can mirror the weather report...I woke today with a heaviness in my heart that I couldn't shake, my own storm was brewing.

While daily driving Katie to school, we pray on the way...maybe for an upcoming test, my health, friends in pain, our economy.....and we usually end with, "Lord, please allow us to bring you glory in all that we say and do". Before leaving the house or after, I spend time with the Lord and read my devotionals. Today's was rich as usual, and spoke of the intimacy we should strive for in our daily relationship with the Lord. "The Christian who is truly intimate with Jesus will never draw attention to himself but will only show the evidence of a life where Jesus is completely in control. This is the outcome of allowing Jesus to satisfy every area of life to its depth. The picture resulting from such a life is that of the strong, calm balance that our Lord gives to those who are intimate with Him".

Oh....how I long for that calm balance! Even when armed with His word, my emotions matched the steady rain beating down on my windows. Tears streamed down my face as I was struck with a wave of longing for my husband Skip so jarring that it caused me physical pain. To have him beside me would surely bring me that calm balance I was seeking! However, our Lord's plans called Skip home, plans that include me to remain here.. As I walk into His adventure, I am learning that the intimacy comes from living for Him and allowing myself to see past my pain into His eyes that reflect the calm I seek and the balance I desire.

I have been asked to speak at my church and share some of my testimony, not to share my strength....but His in me. My cough concerns me when I am asked to speak....your prayers are appreciated as I don't want to distract anyone from His glory. The passage that will be the message to go with my testimony is:

1 Peter 1:3-9 : 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Father, as today's gloomy forecast was truly a mirroring of my own heart, I am looking forward to the following lyrics to a song to be my true reflection......

"But now I'm sunny with a High of 75, since You took my heavy heart and made it light..and its funny how you find you enjoy your life when you're happy to be alive".

Gotta Run!