"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phillipians 4: 4-7).
The deaths in CT made many of my recent complaints and burdens seem minimal. This past week I had learned of several couples experiencing failed adoptions after seemingly "perfect" matches. They experienced the birth, held and fed the baby and maybe even named the child but went home with an empty carseat. It is no secret this is a fear of many adoptive parents. I became very focused on these failed adoptions and started to feel some anxiety as well. I was quickly reminded today of my many blessings and where my focus should be right now in the hour I sat in the pew at church. Right now, at this very moment, I need to "rejoice".
These verses were not new to me today in church but as always stirs a lot of emotion in my heart. It is difficult not to have anxiety in our lives, especially with all the recent tragedies in the news. I agree with our pastor today that we will probably all have some anxiety at some time or another no matter what. So what are we to do? The Bible tells us to: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12). It is so hard to rejoice in suffering and to remain faithful during dark times in your life. Today was a great reminder to me and I hope to many others that this is what God asks us to do.
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On a completely different note here is a picture of a group of wonderful ladies who I spent my Friday evening with. This was after we finished caroling in the halls of a local nursing home. What a great experience!
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