So many storms...

There are so many storms going on in the world today…I think when we go through major storms in our own lives, it makes us even more sensitive when we hear of storms happening in other people’s lives. My heart has been breaking for so many lately… friends or friends of friends who have lost their spouses, friends who are walking through really hard times with children, unexpected deaths of teenagers, our Americans killed in Benghazi and Afghanistan, unrest in Syria and Lebanon, the heart breaking season ending injury to Gamecock football player Marcus Lattimore Saturday (Pete loved watching him play for his beloved Gamecocks but even more, he loved hearing about how Marcus lived life for his Savior, Jesus Christ), …and now, whatever will come from the damage done by Hurricane Sandy as it comes ashore tonight…so many storms.

Sunday morning, I woke up hearing Casting Crowns’ song, Praise You in this storm, playing on WMHK. As I listened to the words and just absorbed them for my own life, I also prayed them for those who are going through their own storms. This song has played in my mind all day yesterday and today. What a good reminder to trust and praise Him even in the storms…

“I was sure by now God, You would have reached down and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day. But once again, I say, ‘Amen’, and it’s still raining.

As the thunder rolls, I barely hear You whisper through the rain, ‘I’m with You’ and as Your mercy falls, I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away.

I’ll praise You in this storm and I will lift my hands for You are who You are no matter where I am. Every tear I’ve cried You hold in Your hand, You never left my side and though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm.

I remember when I stumbled in the wind, You heard my cry, You raised me up again, my strength is almost gone, how can I carry on if I can’t find You.

I lift my eyes unto the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth.

I’ll praise You in this storm and I will lift my hands for You are who You are no matter where I am. Every tear I’ve cried, You hold in Your hand. You never left my side and though my heart is torn, I will praise you in this storm.”

At our church later Sunday, I was talking to our dear friend, Adrian Despres, the Gamecocks’ Chaplain and an evangelist with Kingdom Builders  about Marcus. I told him I was praying for him as he ministered to Marcus and his family as well as to the team because I knew their hearts were so saddened by this loss for Marcus and for the team. Adrian said he played offense on his college football team so he was always thinking offensively about life situations.  He believes in using any situation as a reminder to "score" and do all we can to fight Satan and what he is throwing at us in this world. He said when Pete died, he used that as an encouragement to go out and share Christ even more with others because Pete's unexpected death reminded him how short life is and that there are so many who don’t know Christ like Pete did. Not long after Pete went home, they were eating out and he was able to share Christ with a guy who waited on their table…and he accepted Christ! Adrian said he would encourage Marcus and the team to use this as an example to show how Christ can work through hard times...Good words for stormy times…

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fires of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God.” Isaiah 43:2

                 “You are who You are…no matter where I am…

         though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm.”

 

New life on the 22nd!

I think Pete has been whispering in God’s ear! I am sure he convinced God to send me a gift today! A few weeks ago, one of our precious young moms in one of our young married Sunday School classes told me that their little girl was expected on Oct 22^nd. I smiled at her and said, “Oh, that would be special news to me! It would give me something to rejoice about on the 22^ndinstead of just being sad about it being the 4 month anniversary of Pete going home.” A few days ago, this mom, who loved Pete dearly, wrote me to say she had been thinking about what I said and it made her happy to think about Pete “helping” to send AudreyAnna to us all on the 22nd. Sure enough…she came bright and early this morning! She doesn’t know it yet, but she will always be “AudreyAnnaPete” to me and will bring a smile to my face!

Welcome to our world, AudreyAnnaPete!

Later today, the husband of another one of our precious young couples called to check on me and see if the guys needed to come and help me in the yard again. While we were on the phone, he said, “I want you to know that our son (who is almost 4) prays for you every single night and has since Pete died!” Now, this sweet young boy doesn’t really know me…but he knew his parents loved Pete and me and were so sad when Pete died….and his tender heart heard them pray for me and took hold of that thought and now initiates it every night! How God blesses us when we don’t even know it! And how precious of young parents to teach their children to “stand in the gap” at a young age for those who need prayer. That is the power and the gift of the church body, the “Body of Christ”!

 

An old hymn has been rattling around in my mind and heart all week. It has been a tough week of misty eyes, sweet memories, and extra sadness in missing Pete…While walking at the beach last weekend, I took this picture of the waves crashing wildly upon the shore! A part of an old hymn, “When sorrows like sea billows roll” kept running through my mind but I couldn’t remember the rest of it. A dear friend reminded me it was “It is well with my soul”. My first thought was, “Well, it is NOT well with my soul, that is for sure! I am too sad and too hurt for it to be well!” But then the more I thought about it, I realized it WAS well with my soul. I love my Lord and I trust Him completely with Pete’s life and my life. So even though I still deeply grieve here on earth with missing Pete, my soul…my love for Jesus, my thankfulness for all He has given and done for me, my peace in the midst of my sorrow… is well.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

when sorrows like sea billows roll;

whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

let this blest assurance control,

that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

and hath shed his own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well with my soul,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

 

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,

with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the

peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your

hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

 All who sail the sea of faith , find out before too long

How quickly blue skies can grow dark  and gentle winds grow strong

Suddenly fear is like white water pounding on the soul

Still we sail on knowing that our Lord is in control.
Sometimes He calms the storm with a whispered peace be still

He can settle any sea But it doesn't mean He will.
Sometimes He holds us close and lets the wind and waves go wild

Sometimes He calms the storm and other times He calms His child.
He has a reason for each trial that we pass through in life

And though we're shaken we cannot be pulled apart from Christ.
No matter how the driving rain beats down on those who hold to faith

A heart of trust will always be a quiet peaceful place. (Scott Krippayne)

 It is well, It is well with my soul!

"Two hours, tops!"

That was a standing joke between Pete and me! Whenever there was a job that needed to be done around the house, Pete would always say it would only take “Two hours, tops!” Usually two days or two weeks later, we were still working on it! We would often say, “Everything we do turns into a ‘project’!”

Well, this week has been full of ‘projects’! And God has been teaching me some lessons through it all! Last Monday night, I had a major water problem and ended up needing to have the septic tank pumped and the line cleaned out! Yuk! Yet through it all, God was in control…even when I didn’t realize it! Our youngest daughter “just happened” to be spending the night with me Monday night and so she was here to keep me from just bursting into tears! We worked together to move heavy furniture and use Pete’s shop vac to vacuum up water until 1 AM! (Lesson 1 – Trust Me to provide for your needs…even if it is just encouraging words and a strong, younger back!)

 Then the next morning, He sent just the right people to my aid! I called a dear friend from church who helped connect me with others who could help. We only had one problem…we knew where the septic tank pipe came out of the ground but didn’t know exactly where the tank was in our woods. It had been so long since we had it cleaned out, I couldn’t remember. They probed and looked and looked for at least 30 minutes. I was trying to make some calls to see if anyone remembered exactly where the tank could be…but couldn’t reach anyone. Then I realized that I had not even prayed one time and asked the Lord to help! I stopped right then and apologized to Him for forgetting to go to Him first and asked him to please help those men find that tank. I want you to know when I walked outside, one of them looked up and said, “We just found it!” I felt like God said, “It is so good you have all this help, but don’t forget to come to me first, then we will work on using all the help!” (Lesson 2 – Remember, Brenda…always, always, always go to Me first!)

Once the septic tank problem was solved, I still needed to deal with the wet carpet and once again, God sent two special men from church to come over and help with that situation. The incredible thing is that one of these men had come up to me at church last Sunday morning and said the two of them had been talking and wanted to see if there was anything they needed to do to help me. I thanked him but told him that I didn’t know of anything right then!! Well, when these two men walked into my door Tuesday night to help with my wet carpet, I said, “Can you believe how the Lord had prepared your heart to know that I was going to need some help before any of us knew it!” Several different men came during the week to help me manage the carpet situation and were such a blessing! (Lesson 3 – I know what is going to happen and am preparing hearts to help you before you even know it!)

Then, this weekend, I had another house situation that required friends willing to share their knowledge, time and energy in order to do some repair work. It was completed well, lots of other work was done, and we enjoyed great fellowship while being together. (Lesson 4 – You are not alone…I’ve got your back and have some pretty incredible people who are helping Me take care of you!)

Did I miss Pete during all of this? Oh, my, YES!! Without a doubt! I missed his wisdom, his help, his handling of situations, his work ethic, his enjoyment of the fellowship of working alongside others to complete a job. I do not like having to manage all of this on my own…but I continue to be amazed at what God is teaching me about how through it all, He is there.

         Thank you, Lord, for lessons learned…whether it takes two hours, tops, or longer!

Hope!

“We are all broadcasting something with our lives…what are you broadcasting?”

These words came from a sermon series on Hope by Louie Giglio that one of our precious nephews shared with me not long after Pete went home. I listened to it then and I knew it had a powerful message but my heart was still so hurt, I could not absorb it all. I decided to listen to it again yesterday and oh, my…did God ever speak to me with these words! I am going to share some of his thoughts with you today.

Louie focused his sermon on John 16:33
“I have told you all of this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, (hold on, don’t give up) because I have overcome the world!”

“Trouble comes, life hurts, stuff happens but God is bigger and God has a plan and God is always at work. We are not exempt from difficulties as followers of Jesus, we are going to have just the same hardships as the rest of the world has but we have confidence in the Jesus who said, ‘In it all, through it all, no matter what happens, at all times, I am an overcoming Savior and there is hope in that!’”

In Sunday School, we are doing a church wide study on the preciousness of the Bible and how we should apply it in our lives. Yesterday, in one of the young married Sunday School classes Pete and I have been honored to invest in these last few years, I shared this thought with them…We had been talking earlier about the Gamecocks great victory over Georgia the night before… “A football team gets up at 6 AM during the hot summer months and goes to lift weights, run sprints and practice together and does the work in the off season when no one is seeing them and it is not fun or glorious. But when October comes and they are out on the field and are able to play well the whole game and win the games they want to win, they are so thankful for the work they did in the offseason. I can honestly tell you that since Pete died, I am pulling my strength from all the years of spending time with the Lord on a daily basis, reading His word, praying, listening, getting to know Him, building a relationship with Him! When the storm hit - that is what was still there! God is giving me hope through my deep relationship with Him. Don’t neglect that daily time now – you will need those reservoirs  when troubles come….”

Louie said, “Suffering and hardship are an amplifier to whatever is in our hearts.” He challenges us to keep our foremost mission in life one that puts bringing glory to Jesus as the main thing…no matter what happens to us in life! Whew! What a challenge…yet I do believe, it is one we are called to do as His children. So even in the pain, even in the sorrow, even in the midst of major life adjustments, even in the good times, even in the exciting times, I need to be thinking of what I am broadcasting with my life! O Lord, may I be an amplifier for You through this hard journey... 

"We are all broadcasting something with our lives...what are you broadcasting?"

 

Louie Giglio's series on Hope