As thy days...

      I lay in the darkness. My heart is wrapped in a warm glow of thankfulness, joyfulness, relief. But something nags at my reverie. What if it hadn’t turned out wonderfully? Would I still be here rejoicing in the Lord’s goodness?

      Tuesday. Treadmill day. Stress-test day. For me too. Hydro-massages have definitely been my preferred arena, but treadmill day finds me in the clinic. Running the machine or setting patients up for their test are both interesting, and both have their own challenges. This time, set-up.

      No way to rearrange staff or shadow someone again. The previous night saw less sleep, but it saw prayer. A heart thirsting for trust. For me, that’s when the stress-test began.

      “Grace be unto you, and peace from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come… and from the seven spirits which are before His throne” Revelation 1:4. See Isaiah 11:2.

      The One who has seen treadmill day way before I got here says “Grace and peace.” The One who knows my limited experience and knowledge says, “Favor you don’t deserve and calmness to the sea of your soul… right now.” The One who has the spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, the fear of the Lord; the One who is one with the Spirit of God says, “It’s true, you’re not a perfect offering. You don’t deserve my gift, but I give it for my love. Believe Me. You can know My peace when looking on that which is to come.”

      Worship. The words hit home: 

...Strength I find to meet my trails here

Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment, 

I’ve no cause for worry or for fear

He whose heart is kind beyond all measure, 

Gives unto each day what He deems best

As thy days… So. Shall. Thy. Strength. Be.

      God proved His faithfulness. Again. His mercy. Again. His love… again. But would I lay at night praising the Lord if things had not run smoothly at the clinic? Would I say, “The Lord hath done great things for me”, if all I could see was blackness? 

      Gentle whisper: As thy days… So. Shall. Thy. Strength. Be. If your day sees blackness, you can be assured, I will give you strength for blackness. If light, strength for light. 

As thy days… So. Shall. Thy. Strength. Be. 

Thank You, Lord. Thank You.

A Blessing Secured

      “The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.” Revelation 1:1-2

      It’s like a waterfall. It plunges down on the rocks, smoothing, shaping, fashioning. But that water is not meant to stay there. It is only as the water is passed from rock to rock on it’s speedy descent to the valley floor that granite can continue to be molded. 

      Pure, clean, beautiful, life-giving, renewing water can stagnate. Turning rocks that have been changing shape into slimy, disgusting stones. Withholding our cup, however full, from another will only insure our future thirst. 

      God gave, so His angel could give, so John could pass it on. 

      “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you…” 1 John 1:1-3

      Give and it shall be given unto you. Light is not sent to be consumed, but reflected, ultimately back to God in glorification of Him. We who have been so blessed, so privileged, so cared for, we have responsibility. That responsibility is to give our gifts away. 

      A blessing shared is a blessing secured. Give.