A Palm Sunday miracle

Our church has adult Sunday school the hour before service.

We’ve enjoyed attending since we learned about it not long after we moved here.

The usual way to begin is to open the floor for anyone to testify to the goodness of God that week.

It was a bit quiet at first, but a few people had spoken, then one gentleman told us of his gratitude for the Lord’s protection.

His arm was in a sling and he explained that he’d hurt his shoulder trying to start the pressure washer to use at the church the next day.

His words were all encouraging, speaking about how thankful he was that he wasn’t hurt worse and asking for prayer as he’d torn his rotator cuff before.

A couple others spoke and then one man stood and said,

“We haven’t done this in a long time, but I just really feel God would have us pray for our brother’s shoulder right now, that he would come to the front and all the men would pray for him.”

He’d already spoken to our pastor about this and Pastor agreed, so within a short period of time, the man whose shoulder was hurt by the pressure washer was seated and the men surrounded him so much he disappeared from sight.

We all prayed and it was lovely.

When they were finished, I heard my name being called.

The ladies were going to pray over me!

I felt surprise and blessed, but I was totally unprepared for what took place.

One person after another prayed thanking God for my joy, the way I shined Jesus’s love to everyone, and thanking God for my ministry with signing.

Tears ran down my face as my heart was so full of gratitude.

God knows one of the things which had been difficult for me about being unable to speak was feeling hindered in my ability to share Jesus and His love to others.

I had no idea God was shining through me, but it was an answer to prayer and a testament to God, for He is not limited to work no matter what we think might be hindering us.

After they finished praying for me, we all agreed another lady who recently suffered a stroke be seated.

Then we prayed for another lady whose so crippled with age and pain she’s always doubled over unable to lift her head.

Lastly, we prayed for another gentleman whose recently heard something is wrong with his kidneys.

When we finished praying we realized that it was just a few minutes before church.

Sunday school had been all prayer this morning and we all felt it was time well used.

The faces of others reflected my own emotions of gratitude and surprise at the unexpected morning with God.

The service continued and God was so present.

I actually had to work at focusing on the words of the music, because my heart was so full.

The sermon was wonderful and our time ended with communion, which was the perfect finish to our time together.

My heart continued to swell with joy, for this Sunday was a miracle for me.

I’ve not been able to speak at our church since we moved here.

In fact, my trouble with losing my voice has been getting worse, places I used to be able to speak in have been lost.

The Lord spoke very clearly to my heart during my week about totally surrendering my voice to the Lord.

I thought I had, but the truth was revealed when the Lord asked me if I was willing to lose my ability to speak completely.

“No, Lord, I’m not, but I will. My voice belongs to You.”

To bring myself accountability, I told my husband about it all.

I’ve been working at giving the Lord my voice whenever it’s troublesome, to just be thankful when I can speak and thankful when I cannot.

The surprise wasn’t small when God gave me my voice yesterday.

I was so blessed to be able to pray aloud for the other women during Sunday school, when we closed in song, I was able to join in the singing with my voice.

Surprise and wonder were expressions common while I spoke.

Several people commented on “never hearing my voice before”.

Including our WWII veteran who sits in front of us.

He’s quite elderly and wears double hearing aids.

He smiled at me and said,

“You sure do have a beautiful voice. I love hearing it. I hope you get to keep it.”

I smiled back and replied, “Whatever the Lord wills.”

He nodded and smiled, “That’s right, whatever He wills.”

And God’s will was to let me speak all day long.

We were blessed to have friends and family over and I didn’t struggling at all.

I don’t know how long the Lord is going to grant me a voice, but I’m so thankful for His miracle this Palm Sunday.

The Lord had shown me an area I wasn’t completely surrendered in.

He revealed to me His answer to my prayers to be a light of His love even without being able to speak.

God added just an extra blessing and reminded us all that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV — Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your incredible love. Thank You for answering my prayers, that I have been reflecting You even though I’ve been unable to communicate well. Lord, thank You for each of those we prayed for. Please touch them and give them exactly what is needed. Lord, let our lives be a continued testament to Your glory, Your goodness, Your ways. Lord, please help us to remember that when You walked this Earth there were those who rejected You, hated You, and even wanted to harm You, yet Your Word was truth, Your ways honorable, even Pilot couldn’t find any reason to

Not surprised

Yesterday was a lesson in trust.

We had an overly full day and I was praying throughout.

Tuesday had been a long day and I just didn’t want to step outside of God’s plan for me in anything.

I definitely felt His blessings yesterday.

Jase had to go to the dentist so I had told Sis I’d watch the grandbabies while we were in the area.

I completely enjoyed my time with them.

Then God blessed us with the keys to our new home!!

I let Handsome know I’d meet him there.

Our evening didn’t really follow our expectations.

We left the house pretty late to get back to our rental.

Handsome has to get up very early to get to work.

As we drove home we discussed our concerns about the house.

We already knew we wanted to rip out the carpet (wall-to-wall carpet is not a good idea for me).

We had plans to take out the cooktop and put in a range.

But we hadn’t realized that the space for the range was tiny.

We were going to measure it when we looked at the house, but before we got started the seller handed us a copy of the floor plan so we thought, “no need it will be on there”.

Nope.

So, we’ve been waiting to measure the space.

You can imagine our surprise when we realized it’s undersized.

We went to bed thinking we had a pretty good plan.

We chatted briefly about the plan before Handsome went to work.

I got online and started doing some research.

I was even going to contact someone in reference to our plans when I had a check in my heart.

What’s the rush?

Uhm…

Check with your husband first.

My phone bings.

It’s my husband with a text:

“I love you, Hope.”

I text back and he texted almost on top of mine.

He shared a scripture he’d read this morning and told me it had touched his heart.

The same scripture had touched my heart this morning.

So, I texted my husband that we should wait on making the changes we discussed.

We are going to get the floors done and pray about the rest.

My heart has peace.

Then the Lord brought to mind:

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV — Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

God wasn’t surprised by the size of the stovetop.

He’s not caught off guard by details.

This is His house and I know He’s going to guide and direct us through the “life things”.

Our opportunity to wait upon the Lord and be guided by His Word is so much more important than how we cook our meals or where we place our furniture.

It’s in these little things God builds our faith.

It is in these small “surprises” God works on our relationship with Him.

I’m looking forward to seeing what He has us do.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for speaking to both my husband and myself as we transition to this new place. Thank You for the surprise yesterday and how You are using it in our lives. Thank You that we can rest in You and not lean on our own understanding. I praise Your holy name, Jesus. Amen.

Unexpected answer

It was many weeks ago, when I found out my allergist office was being closed.

I was saddened, mostly by what seemed a loss of relationship.

For me to continue with my doctor, I’d need to drive over an hour away.

I only get shots once a month, unless I’m doing a series, so it wasn’t unreasonable to think of driving that far once a month.

Somehow, I wasn’t excited about the idea.

Yet, I couldn’t get peace about switching to a new doctor in my area.

So, I waited and prayed.

God answered.

I received a lovely card and paperwork in the mail from my allergist.

She is opening her own office, right here.

I don’t have to drive over an hour away.

Besides signing my name to some paperwork and remembering where the new office is, I don’t even have much to do.

I’m very thankful.

God is always faithful.

He always guides and directs.

And I don’t have to say, “Goodbye” to any of the staff save my shot nurse, she’s retiring.

I’m so thankful I didn’t rush out and find a new allergist.

I’m so grateful God provided for this.

2 Samuel 22:31 KJV — As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for this unexpected answer. Lord, thank You for reminding me to wait upon You and not try to “fix” things myself. Lord, thank You for using this circumstance to teach me just how valuable even the brief relationships at the doctor’s office are. Lord, I lift up those who serve others in the medical field. Please continue to guide them, to give them love, discernment, and understanding. Lord, please gift them with the ability to treat the person not just the health issue. Thank You for Your amazing love and wisdom. Thank You that You are the reason we have knowledge and understanding. Thank You that You are the One who heals us. I love You. Amen

Last Saturday

Sometimes, something expected turns into a surprising blessing.

Saturday we’d already planned on going to a nursery and buying an apple tree to replace one of the cedars, per our agreement with our landlord.

I’d done my research online.

Found a nursery which carried apple trees and had them in stock.

As the nursery has a restriction on numbers, no more than two people to a group, it was just my husband and I who went.

The nursery was beautiful.

Its green houses, shop, and grounds were a pleasure to explore.

While inside one of the greenhouses, my husband saw the primroses.

He’d already told me to plan on buying some.

They are pretty, not expensive, and the ones I planted last year have hardly stopped blooming all year long.

It was fun picking out plants.

We eventually found the trees and picked out a Gala.

As these were bare-root, my hubby went in search of someone to help us with the tree, he gave me permission to wander.

I enjoyed it.

But I didn’t know I was about to be blessed.

To fully explain it I have to tell a bit of personal history.

Both while we were living in the UK and whenever we visited, our whole family found such joy in a particular bush, sometimes they were so large I wondered if they were a dwarf tree.

These bushes bore the prettiest white flowers that gave off a gentle but lovely scent.

I could never find anyone who knew the name of them.

It seemed so strange to me, because they were common.

When we purchased the house in the Valley, the previous owners were walking me around the yard and almost as if it were an after thought randomly pointed to a large bundle of upright twigs.

“If you can keep the deer off that it’s beautiful.”

Bell’s dog made sure the deer didn’t come near it and to our surprise and delight it bloomed.

It was exactly the same bush we all enjoyed in the UK.

The bush is called a Mock Orange.

As I turned a corner behind the green houses there was a pot which caught my eye.

It was labeled Mock Orange.

So, our trip to the nursery turned out even better than we expected.

Primroses, a Gala apple tree, and a Mock Orange all now live in the back yard.

It’s not a big thing, but it means a lot to me.

I know God cares about the big things and the tiny little ones.

Matthew 10:30 KJV — But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for all Your wonderous works. I’m often astonished at the way You do things. Lord, thank You for the daily miracles which I often take for granted. Thank You for the creation all around me that constantly points me back to You. Lord Jesus, how blessed we are. Jesus, there is nothing which compares to the joy of knowing You and following after You. Thank You! I love You, Lord. Amen.

Surprise!

Yesterday was a bit crazy.

But it was a really good day!

Before I got school going my daughter called.

She was requesting our Anne to come help for the day as pregnancy had kept her up most of the night.

Our granddaughter is a busy one-year-old, so we completely understood the desire for extra help.

All of us piled into the car a short time later.

Originally, I was just going to drop Anne off.

When I went in to give my love to Sis, I realized things had changed.

She was having contractions.

We stayed to see if they’d leave.

They didn’t.

Thankfully, our son-in-law was only a little over an hour away, so he headed home.

We are staying at their house so it’s more comfortable for our granddaughter.

Our school day had major changes, but valuable lessons in it all.

It was obvious that our sweet little girl was trying to figure out why her parents had not returned.

But good news was on the way!

There’s nothing like that moment when you see a text from your son-in-law after hours of waiting.

Our precious grandson was born yesterday evening and we are so thankful!

What a wonderful surprise!

He wasn’t due until the 26th of this month, but God’s timing is perfect.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 40:5 KJV — Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for our grandson. Please continue to heal and strengthen our daughter. Please keep Your hand upon this precious baby. Lord, from the moment we heard another baby was on the way I have lifted them up to You. Please bring this child up in Your ways and give his parents the understanding of how to raise him to love and honor You. Lord, place Your hand upon him and guide his steps that he might be a godly man, a mighty man of valor. Lord Jesus, thank You so much for this precious new gift! We are humbled by Your blessings. Thank You. May Your name be glorified throughout the whole Earth. Amen.

Sunday’s surprise

It was early, but not too early.

I had been awake for awhile when my phone began ringing.

To my surprise and delight it was Bell.

Where they currently are they have to find a cafe to use WIFI so I’d not expected to hear from them.

Yet there they sat, in a cafe, video chatting.

Then I received several beautiful pictures.

A number of which brought tears to my eyes because I recognized the areas.

It was such a pleasure to hear from our daughter and to see where they were.

Later the same morning I thought it would be nice to video chat our other daughter.

Since I had heard she was alone due to my husband being called into work.

To my surprise and joy she answered and behind her stood my husband.

He had already returned from work and they were both able to chat.

As the morning wore on I got ready for church and made sure Jase was ready.

We all piled into the car and arrived at church.

We walked in and took up a short row.

The pastor began announcements and I was surprised.

My chest had tightened and was giving me all the wrong signals.

I got up and went to the Ladies’ Room in hopes of getting some relief.

After taking my rescue inhaler twice I impatiently waited for relief.

It didn’t come.

The sound of women’s heal clicks alerted me to the presence of some one else, which frankly caused me some stress.

I’ve learned the average person has no idea what an asthma attack looks like nor what to do.

Instead they get worried or embarrassed.

To my relief it was our oldest daughter checking on me.

It didn’t take long to decide she should drive me back to the house.

Jase came too, as he was concerned.

Sis dropped us off to return to church with Tim and their sweet baby.

As we went inside I patted Jase.

“Don’t worry, we will have church at home with Jesus.”

He got a snack and I found a sermon on YouTube and we listened to Alister Begg.

It was titled Anxiety.

I thought it was extremely fitting.

When the sermon closed my heart was surprised again at the warmth of comfort and the growth of peace.

My day had been full of surprise, some good and others less than appealing.

Yet through each I could clearly see the Lord’s care and guidance.

None of these things surprised Him.

And although I have no idea what is next, I can walk forward free from anxiety.

Sunday’s surprises taught me that.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your constant and continued love for me and all of mankind. I am astonished by how You work everything together for the good of those who love You and are called according to Your purpose. Thank You for the reminder to shun stress and live without anxiety. How great are Your ways. How much higher and better than anything I am able to truly comprehend.

Surprise!

Bunnies!

My wonderful father-in-law called me last week.

“Hopie, I’m bringing you two baby bunnies.”

He was a bit nervous, knowing my hubby was still away on a business trip and I don’t know the first thing about rabbits.

“No problem!  I’ll get a hold of my friend. See you soon!”

My dear friend dropped everything and brought over a cage and a water bottle she wasn’t using for her rabbits.

My mom graciously let us have some hay.

My hubby told me over the phone where and how to set up a heat lamp.

(It is snowing so I figured they needed some extra warmth.)

With that we found ourselves the owners of two tiny bunnies.

I was surprised.

God knew exactly what, how, and when.

God provided all the needs.

God even cares about something as simple as helping me care for the unexpected.

So I’m trying to build a memory here.

Because I’m not good at handling life’s surprises with calm decisions and wise reactions.

I wish I was!

However, God has again provided.

He is my strength, my stability, and my substance.

“Lord, thank You for helping me handle this surprise so completely. Please guard my heart from pride or selfish ambition which would hinder me from seeing You in every surprise. Please help me to look at life through faith and not fear. Thank You for Your faithfulness. I know I can trust You no matter what surprises await me.”