Dear  Ones

Hope you wake to a lovely day. Today I plan to go downstairs with choc covered raspberries as I have been out of town the last 2 Tuesdays so they will be doubly appreicated today. its so wonderful to feel well again and Al is going to stay in the apt one more day so he is sure not to pass anything on to others. Thank you so much for your prayers for us and cards etc! 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

   God is always desiring to teach us through the everyday happenings in our life, for we have so many lessons to learn. Some are learned the hard way and some relatively easy, depending on our receptivity.

   Recently both Al and I have been sick as we were hit probably by a virus of some sort. I went from feeling just fine when I went to a luncheon at Ann’s, and by evening feeling extremely tired. I started running a fever which lasted for a few days and my energy was suddenly zapped. I spent most of my time in bed and along the way asked the Lord what He had to teach me through this and I will share a few things with you.

   The most immediate revelation was the need to show empathy towards those with chronic conditions who rarely know what it is like to feel good. Because of their discomfort and pain, everything tests their energy level. I know the first couple days I was sick, I thought of only what I really had to do, like to cook heathy meals, and anything else would be extra. I managed the meals between my many naps but not much else. In our spiritual lives, we are to remember what is most important in our lives and give our energy to those things; we are not meant to sacrifice what is best for that which is good. Our priorities need to be straight!

    I was made aware of how wise it is to have extra on hand for those unexpected times of need. I had chicken soup in the freezer for just such a time as sickness and it tasted wonderful and nourishing to us. We are also to prepare spiritually by storing up God’s word in our hearts. There are times we need to call out a verse to settle our fears, or calm our hearts, or give assurance to someone else; and it is right there because we have put it to memory. 

   Another thing is to realize we can’t do it all. There are times that Lord just wants us to rest and get refreshed and that is what we need to do. After a few days of being mostly in bed I stripped our bed and washed everything and after putting it all back together, I just laid down and went to sleep and it felt heavenly for I was out of steam! God knows, even in those times we are not aware, that we need rest!

   We can’t ignore hard things and refuse to deal with them, just like the garbage that was piling up in our apartment.  Since we were isolating ourselves, we were waiting for a time when others weren’t around to go to the dumpster.  In our lives if we keep letting things go, they will pile up on us, and one day we will feel overwhelmed. God knows when the time is right to deal with things and it works best to be on His time schedule.

   A big lesson for me to learn is just to receive and not put up a fuss about it. Before Al got sick, for two days in a row he insisted on giving me the Raindrop treatment of massaging oils into my feet and back. It felt so healing. These past days we both  have been receiving cards and flowers and gifts and even Birthday cake outside our door. God is saying, “I see you and I have sent others to let you know I care!”

   May each of us learn from the experiences God takes us through for truly He has them individually made for us.

Challenge for today: Be open and ask God to teach you in the circumstances you are now in.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy