Thursday, June 5, 2008
Let's get to the other side
I need to recommend a really great book...Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman. I read June 3 the other day (on the 3rd--go figure!) and it really meant a lot to me so I'm sharing. In Mark 4:35, the Lord tells his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." They then get into the boat and the Lord promptly falls asleep. You know the story... a really bad storm blows up and the disciples get scared and wake the Lord up. The Lord's response? "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" What I find so interesting about this is that the Lord had said before they left...Let us go over to the other side- not, "Let us get to the middle of the lake so we can sink." If they had just listened to what the Lord said they would have realized that He intended for them to get to the other side and they would not have had to fear the storm. Sure, it's easier to trust the Lord when everything is going wonderfully but our faith is strengthened and matured during the storms of life. And we can never forget that the Lord is with us in the boat, through the storm, as we "get over to the other side." Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!
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2 comments:
And, when we get to the "other side," let's hope there are some of those Lemon Cookies that I have yet to taste. Loving the journey with you!
Very interesting! I had never thought of the words He said before as being a promise of their arrival. Amazing, and isn't it also wonderful that He sends along encouragement just when we need it? We certainly rest in a great God!!!!
For the first time in five years, the other day a young man whose mother had brain cancer and has many impairments from it, opened up and told me a little about his life. He does basically everything, and has been told by people he should not go away to college but should stay home and take care of his mother. He said he's been doing it for five years, and he thinks she could take care of herself, but she wants him to do it. One of the things that really got to me was when he was telling me what they eat. He does all the grocery shopping, and buys one prepared chicken which feeds the two of them for five days. They have chicken five days a week every week. He buys peanuts "to fill himself up", and tries to eat cereal for breakfast (Corn Flakes) to fill himself up. I asked if he ever has snacks, and he said, "Yes, I told you I buy peanuts every week." There was not an ounce of self-pity in anything he said. It was very matter-of-fact, this is what life is. I still feel like crying. We are so incredibly blessed!!! I try to picture our son growing up in those conditions with that healthy teen appetite and very little to fill it, and all the household responsibilities, too. I've always been proud of that young man, but now I'm proud and kind of broken-hearted!!! I'm trying to figure out how to give him an anonymous food shower.
Anyway, I'm sure that he will make it to the other side. He said he asks kids, when they say, "I'm going to ________ college," if they've prayed about it, and generally they say, "No." He can't figure that out.
Enough. It's just been on my heart, along with many other people, especially you all. Love you! Out of the classroom and back on the shelf
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