I saw God this week. I saw love this week. I saw God's love and care this week. I saw God's protection this week.
How did you see God's love for you this week? What reminded you of His love and care? How did He show you protection?
Did you deserve any of the love and care and protection? I have my answer and you probably have a different answer.
A sickness came to our home at the end of last week and for most of this week. By the end of last Sabbath I knew that someone had shared with me something that I would rather they hadn't shared. Usually something shared is something you like and desire. This time I did not desire it nor did I like it. By Sunday I knew that I was sick, very sick. Back to bed was the schedule for the day but it wasn't a fun place to be either. It was not what is called a sleeping-in-Sunday at all. We have all had those most miserable sick days and don't eagerly look forward to them--actually hope that we never have one again. But thanks to sin, they do come, again, and again, and again. Lucky for us, we do get better. God is good.
While I was staying home and away, still, I was cared for and checked up on and cautioned to "be sick" inorder to "get well." I was loved and cared for and I saw God's care and love in the care and love that I received. Not just once but many times I was checked up on to make sure that I didn't need anything and that I was "being obedient." I was being obedient because I was too sick to do anything but "be sick". I am pretty sure that I received the concern that I did not deserve. God has love and concern for each person but often we do not deserve it.
Not only did someone share their nasty bug with me, someone else shared their blessings with us too. Yes, their blessings! Since I was home, fresh Iowa sweet corn came to us and it was so good. I was so glad that I had started to feel enough better that I could enjoy it. And then later, 2 wonderful heads of broccoli were shared! They were beautiful and just what we needed! Someone else shared the gift of time and mowed our lawn since we both were sick and had been told to "be sick". Another volunteered to shop for us. The gifts shared and my appreciation and thankfulness of the sharing, started me to thinking of all the things/gifts that God shares with me everyday--whether I deserve them or not. I thank Him for the underserved sharing of His gifts with me, you, everyone, everyday.
This week we got to watch an ongoing project that will help out our communication. We will be able to enjoy high speed internet sometime in the future. The underground lines are being put in place. It is quite a huge project to cover every corner of our county. It has been surveyed, permissions granted, preliminary work done, and then road by road and street by street, cables and conduits are being put underground. It takes lots of men, lots of equipment, some huge machines and lots of technology to make it all happen and happen in some difficult places. But they have the problems solved and the process is moving forward, mile by mile and road by road and house by house. And it seems as though this is all happening without being able to know whether it is getting done right. I don't think they can test what they have done until it is all done!! If there has been a mistake along the way, somewhere in the many many miles of cable, how will they figure out where the mistake is? I don't begin to understand it all and I suppose that their understanding of the technology has them very sure of the outcome, though when I type without looking, I am not sure at all of my ability to get the message straight. (You do not want to know how many mistakes I have made writing this--and I am looking at what I type!) This huge project--all to improve communication.
God did not need a project like this to communicate with us! His way is double and triple, even so much faster than anything that humans can develop. He promises to hear us instantaneously and act upon what he hears from us. Now I sometimes don't like the action taken for my request but I do know that He loves and cares and protects. So I accept His action--though sometimes I could be a bit more gracious about the action given.
One more thought to remember--this week I was reminded of the shortness of life. Eastern Iowa was shocked this week with a horrible happening in a campground. Three family members were killed in their tent while they were sleeping. They had no warning, no time to prepare for the end of their lives. It makes me think hard about how my life could end quickly and perhaps the time to prepare has already gone by as it did for them. I do not want to have regrets on the resurrection day. I want to live ready every moment of every hour of every day and every month and year. Most of all I want Jesus to come back and come back soon and end evil for all time.
