Glory! Glory!

“being confident of this, that He Who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:6

“The One Who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”  1 Thessalonians 5:24

Your glory, Your power and Your Presence, have been so evident, Lord, as You have worked in and through all recent things in our lives.  Things like….

After 4 years, 3 months and 4 days You sold the home You gave us in  Montgomery.

3 months, 3 weeks and 2 days later You enabled us to close, not only on our house in Montgomery but also the new house You have given us in Benton.  

In only a little over 4 hours today the packing team of 8-10 men from our movers packed our entire house for our move to Benton.  

In the next 2 days You will have our earthly possessions put on a moving van and by mid-January You will have it all delivered to our new home in Benton.  

You have provided a couple in Benton who will be able to do some wallpaper removal and painting at our new home in Benton, some of which will be done before our possessions arrive.  

You have given our Allison some pain relief from her car accident.  

You have given our Ericka a new place to live that is just where You want her to be right now.  

You have made my Daddy’s heart sing as he awaits the soon-to-be homecoming of his second daughter and her sweet husband.  My heart is full as I thank You and praise You for taking me back to spend precious time with my Daddy before You take him Home.  What an indescribable blessing. 

All these things and so many more have Your handprints all over them, Lord.  It is an awe-inspiring thing to watch You work Your great and mighty acts at any time, but it is especially humbling and amazing when You do it for me and my family.  All I can do is kneel before You and try to find the words to say “thank You”.  It is all so overwhelmingly glorious.  All done for this piece of dust of Yours.  Glory!  Glory!

A Second

“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  James 4:14-15

A series of events, Lord, has caused me to remember once again that life is fleeting.  A football game lost in the last one second of the game… the death of a 40-year old actor in a car accident… and the death of a friend’s close friend.  James says it so clearly.  Our lives are but a mist that is here for a while, then gone.  What a sobering and humbling Truth.  

Yet, Lord, what I glean from this reminder is the deeper understanding that all our days are numbered and ordained by You before one of them ever comes to be.  (Psalm 139:16)  Even more sobering and humbling.

So now it grows more imperative to me that I follow You with all my heart and go wherever You lead me.  I do not want to get to the end of my life and realize that my disobedience has robbed You of any glory You would have received if I had followed You obediently.  I am forgiven, I know, but my heart’s desire is to be all you would have me to be, do whatever You have for me to do and go wherever You take me.  The thought of doing anything else grieves my soul. 

Up and away with You again, Lord, so that I may be Your instrument of peace and grace as You live and work through me.  What a privilege… a sobering and humbling privilege.  Praise You.