Hand in Hand

We recently got to have my brother and his wife and my little niece at our house for one whole week!!!! There is something pretty special about being aunt for the first time and we definitely squeezed out every moment of her being here!!
One of the things we did was to go to the dam not far from our place, splashing in the icy cold water . . . and trying not to fall.
All was well, on the rough stones that gave some grip under your feet, but step out on some of that moss covered rock and . . . watch your step!!! That stuff was nasty!! I um . . . testify to the affects of a bad slip! One minute I was up, and before I had time to blink, I was sitting in water. Let's just say I never knew bruises could turn such, "kinda pretty", shades of deep purple!
I love these pictures, and one of the reasons, besides the fact that she's the cutest niece around, is that I've been thinking of me and my Daddy, and how simple and easy my life is as I walk hand in hand with Jesus! I have a little collection of some of my favorite verses referring to God holding our hand . . .

The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord.  He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble they will not fall, For the Lord holds them by the hand.
 Ps. 37: 23&24 NLT
 

The Lord says,
I will guide you along the best pathway
for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you. Ps. 32:8 NLT




. . . I am holding you by your right hand -
I the Lord you God.
And I say to you, Do not be afraid.
I am here to help you. Isaiah 41:13 NLT

Am I walking hand in hand with Jesus through every step of life? Just like my niece, I too can't walk without holding on to Jesus! I will fall, I will go in the wrong direction, and make a mess of things.
Sometimes it's skipping with Daddy, and sometimes it's letting Daddy lead us through slippery places but whatever the place we find ourselves in the journey it is so securing to have the confidence that Jesus is directing one step at a time. I may not know what the next step is to be, or how to walk through a particular rough, slippery spot, but all I need is to feel my hand firmly in His! Loving His presence, and talking with Jesus! This is the life!!!!!!!

The "Remodeler"

     My sisters and I had to picture and plan how the living room would look with it's fresh paint job, before we started painting.  It was the choice of color to put on the wall that would lighten the room, then the offset color that was to go on the back wall behind the couch.  It needed to be just the right tint . . . not too light, . . . so as not to look bla with the light colored couch.  A nice medium brown would be perfect. 
     We scanned the color cards in the paint section.  What would be the perfect, blend??  Wow!  This was harder then we thought; so much to chose from.  Ah yes "Firewood Brown", that would do it.
     You see the deal was, this was a surprise!  Dad and Mom were gone, and by the time they came back there was gonna be a totally different look going on.
     . . . and then the mess!!!  OH WOW the mess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Everything shuffled and moved hither and yon, furniture all out of place, pushed into the middle until there were only paths through the living room.  Then the plastic lining the walls, taping the edges, ect ect.  This was no easy procedure!!!
     I seem to learn things best through pictures, and this was no exception.  I started thinking . . . again! : )  The whole idea of Jesus being a carpenter when He was on earth just seemed pretty, well . . . so Him!  A carpenter has to dream, and see potential in something, visualize the finished product, before setting to work.  I could see Him being one that would like remodeling, or taking old stuff and redoing it to bring out it's beauty that nobody else would have thought of.  At least that's the Jesus I know Him to be in my life.
     I started looking around me at the mess, my living room had become.  The chaos, the dirt, things out of place, and so not pretty.  If we had added remodeling to our project, we would have had walls knocked out, and inside studs exposed; showing what the house was made of, (which in the case of our house wouldn't have been much to be proud of).  : )
     Sometimes I have felt like that upheaveled room, exposed, confused, out of control, unknown dirt brought to the surface and the list goes on.  The thing about us, when our lives aren't pretty, is that we can't picture what our "Remodeler" is picturing.
    I imagine Him up there saying, just a little touch of hardship, a little experience of that . . . ah yes, if she responds right to that, it will bring out that side of her a little more.  He is the Creator, the "Remodeler", the Carpenter!
     So next time, I find myself in a situation I don't understand, I'm being stretched, exposed, unsettled . . . just maybe Jesus, is remodeling, and just maybe He is picturing the finished product of what He wants to work out in my life.
     And just to throw in another random thought . . . we had fun showing off our finish product to our Dad and Mom.  I think just maybe Jesus enjoys presenting us to His Father. . . showing off His progress of  perfecting us . . . from glory to glory.  : )

Let God . . .

As for God, His way is perfect! Psalm 18:30

Let God choose for you, it will be the right decision.
Let God guide you, it will be the right direction.
Let God plan for you, it will be in the right timing.
Let God measure for you, it will be the right portion.
Let God help you, it will be the right care.
Let God instruct you, it will be the right teaching.
Let God prepare you, it will be the right training.
Let God counsel you, it will be the right perspective.
Let God fight for you, it will be the right outcome.
Let God work in you, it will be the right result.

-Roy Lessin, DaySpring co-founder and writer

"Grandpa"

     I still can't believe He's gone!  The man who had become Grandpa to me; filling that gaping Grandpa spot that was vacant, now gone! 
     The hard part . . . was he ready?  I think back over the talks, the many times my sister and I prayed on the way to his house asking Jesus to flow through us, help us know just what to say and what not to say.  He had so many questions, was so fascinated by our life style, our faith.  How many times he would marvel at our unshaken belief in God, our peace, and well something he just couldn't put his finger on.
     We were at his house for a meal one night and the next evening we get the call that he was gone.  Maybe even gone that same night.  His wife was on a trip and found him gone when she got back.  Wow!  We had had such a nice evening, he had done a lot of talking, reminiscing old times, even telling us some dark secrets of his past. 
     Wow!  So we were the last people he saw before he passed on.  Would I have done or said anything different?  How would I have handled it if I would have known?  But I didn't . . . but God did! 
     I remember while sitting there that last evening, asking Jesus to use us and direct how He wanted to use us, and I have to trust He did.  I felt the reassurance that even when we didn't always say something, when we were just listening to his stories, our spirits, Jesus flowing through us, was still making an impact.
     But I wish I really knew!  I feel for his wife who also has been doing a lot of prayer for him and was concerned for his soul.  But I have to know that we filled the spot we were suppose to fill.  We pointed him to Jesus, we prayed, we lived out our faith and the rest is with God.
     We sure will miss you, "Grandpa"!!!  And I really . . . really hope, we get to see you again!!!