HOPE Lost & Found

Boys Arguing, Fighting, Scowling
And it’s SUNDAY! We’re on our way to church!!

Praying
Asking them, “What do you need to do to make things right?
Answer: “I don’t want to.”
Hard heart

More praying – a little more intense
Parking. He sees friends.
Yippee.
Now he can smile.
All’s well.

No.
That’s not an attitude change
it’s a circumstance change.

Still unresolved, unconfessed sin.
“I don’t care.”
“I don’t want to.”
Still a hard heart.

More Praying – God I need WISDOM!!
Do I push to resolve the issue?
Do we sit in the car and miss worship and the message?
I can’t change the heart anyway!

God reminded me – Praise makes the enemy SHUT UP!
OK. In we go –  l a t e  – with arms crossed and a scowl on one face
I’m struggling with FEELING the worship in the middle of battle

We sing “I love You Lord. I worship You”
And I raise my hands in the discipline of worship
“You are our God. You alone are good.”
And I continue to pray more urgently
Claiming God’s character, claiming His strength as we sing

You ARE God
You ARE Good
You ARE LORD
I am wavering in my faith
I ask You to break the will and soften the heart
I need You!

“HOPE WHICH WAS LOST
NOW STANDS RENEWED”

and the tears fall at that sweet whisper to my soul, as I surrender.
God, my hope seems lost, but You will renew!
And I keep praying through communion,
through the rest of worship,
as the message begins.

Halfway through the message he leans over and says, “I’m sorry.”
As I look at my notes, I realize God softened the heart
Right before the point He needed him to hear!

And I’m overwhelmed beyond words!
“HOPE which was LOST
was absolutely FOUND”!!

 

The Sisters

I have had the privilege of seeing the influence of godly parenting
and the strength of roots that have grown deep in the soil of God’s Word.

I never met MomMom and PopPop Pernie. But I have met their 4 daughters, one of whom is Tim’s mom. Recently the girls lost their oldest sister. It has truly been a privilege to watch the sisters during this time and see the influence MomMom and PopPop Pernie’s godly legacy had on their girls.

The sisters have mourned, but not without hope.

They grieve the loss of physical contact

They grieve the loss of phone calls

They grieve the loss of sharing life here on earth together

One grieved the loss of being present with the family at the funeral because life circumstances prevented that

And yet

they rejoice at no more suffering

they rejoice at the opportunity to trust God and His Word

they rejoice in experiencing the truth and stability that God and His Word bring to them

they rejoice at the opportunity to tell others about Aunt Del’s vibrant relationship with her Savior

they rejoice at a reunion with a beloved husband

they rejoice at a reunion with beloved parents

they rejoice at the hope of eternity and a future reunion of their own

They testify to God’s grace and strength even in the valley of the shadow of death.

They have given me hope in my journey of parenting –
that children trained in the way they should go
will not depart from it when they grow older.

They have lived out 1 Thessalonians 4:13 and Matthew 7:24-25
and it has been my privilege to watch them.

Thank you Mom, Aunt Dee, and Aunt Enis.

And thank you, Aunt Del, for your beautiful life and legacy. I’m glad I will see you again.