My grandson, I found myself saying,
"Another thing to worry about."
But then I caught myself and
Said instead, "Another thing to trust
Jesus for."
My changed perspective renewed my
Hope.
When another problem popped up with
My grandson, I found myself saying, "Another thing to worry about." But then I caught myself and Said instead, "Another thing to trust Jesus for." My changed perspective renewed my Hope.
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Storms are constantly
Gathering. We never know when they Will come crashing into our Lives. We must learn to maintain Peace DURING the upheavals, His peace. If we experience calm only After the storms have passed, Our peaceful moments will be Limited indeed. She was in my preschool class so
Many years ago, A dainty quiet child who held my Hand on the playgound. She's a wife and mom now, a Gifted pianist, creative in every Endeavor she pursues and Courageous, amazingly Courageous. She's facing cancer, an Aggressive form. I admire her positive attitude. When she lost her hair, she Wasn't distraught. She thanked God that the Chemo was doing its job. Janelle has chosen to "embrace a New kind of crowning glory." My sweet docile preschooler has Gown up to be a stalwart warrior as She battles the intruder attacking her. She's clinging to our faithful Father. And His hand is much more Comforting and secure than mine. "I am holding you by your right hand-I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, 'Do not be afraid. I am here to help you.'" Isaiah 41:13 When I worry, I am simply telling
My Father, "I don't trust You." It was 1968, and the college student
Was eating his breakfast when he Was called to the Dean's office for An urgent phone call. His heart was pounding as a voice On the other end of the line told Him, "We just received news that Your mother and father have been Killed by the communists." They had been missionaries in Vietnam. As I read the account of the young Man, who later became a medical Missionary himself, I could feel his Anguish. He cried out to God, "Why?" God had spared his parents' lives Before. Why not this time? It didn't make sense. But as he wept on his knees in his Dorm room, God spoke to him. "David, do you trust Me?" And once again, "David, do you trust Me?" It's true for us as well. In the agonizing circumstances of Our lives, the only response we may Hear from God is simply a question. "Do you trust Me?" (From the book, The Hand On My Scalpel, by David C. Thompson, MD) When calamity looms it helps to
Ask, "Can I do anything about it?" If not, the best thing I can do is Pray and quietly trust. "In quietness and trust is your strength." Isaiah 30:15 A missionary mom and her 2 children
Were among the survivors squeezed Together on the wooden raft. Their ship had been torpedoed by the Germans. Adrift at sea for weeks, clinging to life, The woman consoled her children with Scripture they had memorized. As I read the woman's account, I tried to Imagine her plight. At one point, Ethel felt like she was About to break. But as the flood of discouragement Rolled over her, a woman's name came To mind: Hagar. The obscure Bible woman had also been a Castaway with her son, abandoned in the Wilderness, dying of thirst. But when God provided a well, Hagar named The spot, "God seest me." * The missionary recalled the words, Spoke the words, softly at first and then She projected them loudly across the Bobbing battered raft. "Thou God, seest me. Thou God, seest me. Thou God, seest me." "Is she loony?" the other drifters wondered. No, it was her prayer of affirmation. And God gave her grace to endure until they Were rescued after 20 tortuous days. God saw Hagar in the barren wasteland. He saw Ethel in the surging ocean, and He sees me in my own loneliness and Grief. His words are never outdated, Never changing. He meets us in our most Desperate moments and we cry out, "God, You see." *Genesis 16:13 The account is from the book In Peril On The Sea. I was deeply touched as the woman
Shared her story. Her husband and children had been Killed in a car accident, and she was Left alone. "Why don't you give up on your Faith?" she was asked. "How can you still believe in God?" The bereaved mom and widow responded From her shattered, battered heart. "Who would I cling to? Where would I find comfort? What hope would I have of seeing them Again?" For believers, tragedy doesn't drive us Away from God, but toward Him. Someone dear to me has cancer.
He is undergoing treatment and Holding his own. No! I'm wrong! God is holding him and he Couldn't be in stronger more Loving hands. I need rest.
More than ever these days I Need soul rest. And Jesus wants to give it to me. He asks me to get teamed up with Him so that He can do the pulling and The leading, tasks that were never Meant for me. But in order to take on His yoke I Must first remove my own, the one That weighs me down with worry, and Doubt and self centeredness. Discarding my yoke for His is a Wonderful welcome exchange. Then, why is it so difficult? "Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." (Matthew 11:28-30) |
Dorothy Kalb Hsu Seitzinger
Writing poetry has helped me process and express my sorrows and joys, my concerns and blessings. "Life is hard, but God is good!" Archives
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