Dear Ones,
Hope you have a wonderful day. I plan to go grocery shopping but need to skip my exercise class as you will read why…
Devotions from Judy’s heart
We all go through trials and when we experience them we may find it more difficult to bless the Lord. But there is always something to be thankful for if we really look for it, no matter what situation may come. David was thanking the Lord in Psalm 34 when he was before Abimelech and acted crazy so that his enemy drove him away. He ends up blessing the Lord from a grateful heart. Some time ago, I memorized the whole beautiful Psalm 34 as David talks about being saved out of all his troubles. In the first verse he said, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Not just when things are going great but in fearful times, in troublesome times. He goes on to say in verse 17, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

I just went through an unexpected trouble on Memorial Day. Al and I were looking forward to going to the cabin for the first time this year and the weatherman promised a sunny warm day. We left early and quickly found chairs on the deck as we sat with our Bibles and devotional readings.  Soon our grandson Joe came and he and I had an invitation to go across the lake and challenged to a hot scrabble game with my sister.  Next on the agenda was to be a wiener roast with Ann’s whole family but while going down the many steep steps to the cabin to get our food ready, I fell. I was carrying some plastic bags and when they started blowing away I reached out for them and fell flat on the large marble stones. Soon the blood was soaking through my jeans and dripping down through my shoes. Help came right away as family gathered and my cousin who was a doctor came and applied bandages and gauze to hold me until we got back to Brainerd. I got  cleaned up and fixed up in the ER, and soon will be going to a wound specialist for a while in the healing process.

You might ask, what is there to praise the Lord about in such an experience? But there is much. I felt the prayers of family as we drove the hour to ER and even though it had been very busy before we got there, I got right in. I was blessed by a good Dr and nurses that were excellent and explained everything. I was especially grateful for the medication needed when they were trying to put parts of my skin together again. Without that you might have heard me all the way to your house. It was also discovered I had a minor infection which will be treated at the same time as my leg. I am also especially grateful that the x-rays showed I did not break my leg.

It was strengthening to me to know my family was praying for me and also others who found out about my mishap. We all face difficulties in our lives and you may be in one now. But we are not alone for the Lord is with us in all we go through. Let us praise Him at all times! 
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you see the good even in hard things that come your way.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy