Dear Ones, Hope you are on God’s plan for your day. Thank you for prayers as I went to the wound specialist and she used a different dressing for my wound which seems better. Al watched carefully as he will be doing that each day this week. Hopefully we can progress to every other day next week. Thank you for prayers!! I had a painful night so especially needed those prayers.  We won’t have any internet this morning from 8 to 12 as CTC is doing some work here.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Our steps are ordered by the Lord (Psalm 37:23), but sometimes it seems like we are on a detour as we impatiently wait and wait for something that is delayed or may not happen at all. But isn’t it good to know our days are in His hands, even when we don’t understand what He is doing or where He may be taking us? I’m sure Joseph, a favored son, really wondered how His steps were ordered by God when he was enslaved and then falsely accused and imprisoned, and yet it was preparing him for the throne.

Our thoughts are not always God’s thoughts nor our ways His ways (Isaiah 55:8), but His ways always trump ours and are best in the long run. Al and I have had plans for months to go to Des Moines to see a friend and then on to see Kurt’s to celebrate Grant’s graduation, but it is not going to happen. When I fell at the Lake it changed things, and for now the trip is on hold. But I am asking the Lord, “What I am to learn from all of this?” as life has changed for me (and Al) while my leg heals. What is the Lord teaching me?

The first thing that comes to mind is my word for the year, to be still. I am limited with activity now and physically must be more still. Even as I have spent some still moments in my glider chair most every morning, this will give me more time to listen to Him. It is also helping Al and I to work as a team on things I have usually done myself. I believe I have written to you of a word the Lord spoke to me that the enemy has used on me since a child: I don’t want to be a bother…and this experience really puts me in that position right now… I am more of a bother, as I can’t do everything I used to do. What stands out even more is that this experience is helping me develop patience, as it seems to be taking so long to heal and I need a walking stick when I try to bear weight on the wounded leg. A beautiful thing the Lord is teaching me, is that He uses these things to unite us with others who are also going through similar situations, and there is an understanding and sense of oneness with them. When others have seen my bandaged leg, they have shared of their own hurt places and it opens us to pray for one another. More lessons will be coming I’m sure in the days to come.

Challenge for today: When you don’t understand why bad things happen to you, don’t complain but seek to know God’s higher way.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy