Come Walk With Me

December 1,2011

Today has been a lazy day for me so I've spent most of it reading a book on healing by Dr. Hunter and a friend's new book, "The Broken Clock" by Doris Tanner Thompson.

Doris' book reminded me of the scolding God gave me recently concerning my children.

One of the lessons I learned following Dana's death is that trauma and stress, especially when it is over an extended period of time, can cause all kind of changes in our bodies that brings on different diseases and illnesses. We had five years of continual stress plus at least that many more with off and on situations. That made our family vulnerable to all kinds of illnesses such as cancers, heart problems, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, blood disorders, gallstones, tumors, migraines and many more. You get the idea.

My kids are all almost in their fifties, yet I find myself praying for them continually. I'll put them on the altar of God, but the next thing I know I have picked them up again. I understand that there is a tendency for parents who lose a child to hold the others more tightly. Nevertheless, I know I can do nothing to help them so why I pick them back up is a mystery to me.

Recently I was praying about them and the Lord called me "mule-headed." He said they were His children and I was interfering with the work He was doing in their lives. He wants them to come to Him with their problems. He wants me to leave them on the altar.

He reminded me He whispers in pleasure, He speaks in [something] and He shouts in pain. He said He would do whatever was necessary to complete the work He has started in them.

My Bible reading this morning was Psalm 80. It made me think how our country is like Israel. In verses 3, 7, & 19 the writer, probably a descendant of Asaph, asks God to restore their nation.
This is a heart-felt cry from Israel for God to not give up on them. They call themselves a vine He planted, but now has turned His back on. They are perishing and longing for Him to restore them to His good graces and "cause Thy face to shine upon us and we will be saved."

This is one of the Psalms I love to pray. Join me in praying for our country and for Israel.

Jean