Waiting for Sleep

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning." - Psalm 130:5-6

"As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness." - Psalm 17:15

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-21

"The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory." - Isaiah 60:19

Dear God,

Waiting for rest. Rest that never seems to come. Rest that seems impossible to get when your country is in an active battle between good and evil. Rest that seems impossible to get when republicans are attacking the least of these at every turn. God, give me rest. 

Thank You.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

Rest and Hope

"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken." - Psalm 62:5-6

Of Benjamin he said, "The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders." - Deuteronomy 33:12

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." - Hebrews 13:8

"Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you." - Psalm 33:22

Dear God, 

I need rest. I need relief from the worry and fear about the future. Will I still have access to healthcare I need like what I enjoy now? Hope can turn the impossible into the possible simply by trusting You. My life is constantly changing but You remain the same. 

Thank You.

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen

Second Month Days 5 Through 8

There will always be something that you will worry about: a big test, a new job, a big move, friends, family, health, money, weather, etc. But worrying can make you even more afraid and anxious. You can choose to worry or choose to trust God. In exchange for your worry, God will give you peace. So what are you worried about today?

Are you tired and weary? Go to Jesus. He will give you rest. Lift your hands in prayer to God and rest in His presence and His peace.

Pay attention to God and His direction for you. It won't be easy because there will be distractions: kids, pets, television, friends, telephone, Internet, etc. The devil will work to distract you from your focus on God. Does it seem like nothing is going right for you? God will use it for good. God is in control.

Are you in the middle of a storm in your life? Refocus. Look beyond the storm. Look to Jesus. And reach out in trust as you say, "Help me, Jesus!" Let Him pull you through the storm.

Dear God, help me! Help me feel Your calm peace. Even now as I have so many worries: doctors, finances, Tom, other friends, church-help me Jesus. I don't know all You have planned for me right now. Help me to feel rest and peace as I trust You more and more each day to work everything for my good. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

A Simple Prayer

Dear God,

Bless my friend Tom as he prepares for an upcoming missions conference. Help him stay sane and get some rest. Help him get some breaks in the chaos even if just a few minutes at a time. Help me to continue to trust that he will still be there and won't forget me.

Please God, my family is in a financial crunch. Help us make ends meet, afford medicine, utilities, doctors, lab tests, food, therapy, and transportation. Give us peace and rest as we still battle for answers to why I keep getting sick. We may be having to have a bone marrow biopsy this year. Help me stay calm in Your strength as we gear up for this possibility.

There are others who are worse off even than my family even though I may not anyone personally. Help me to remember that when I feel disgruntled and want to complain.

Thank You God for Jesus. Thank You for loving the unlovable enough to show grace when we really did nothing to deserve that.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Oh Dear, Here We Go Again

So I think we can definitely confirm one thing: when I am sick, I am cranky. Tom would probably agree with me on this, but I can be downright meaner than a skunk. But sure enough, I'm down for the count. I tried to get back into things too soon after being down this weekend.

Smily Susan=happy, bubbly, joyful, cheery, loving, encouraging. Sick Susan=cranky, mean, biting, discouraging.

I can only hope that Tom and I can still be friends. I really miss him though! But I need prayers.

Tomorrow afternoon I see the ENT. In two weeks, I see the oncologist. And this time we may be ordering the bone marrow biopsy.

Pray for my health and for the family finances. Pray for my friendships (Tom especially) and my friends. Pray for peace and rest and comfort. But I ask you not to pray specifically for healing because God might not want to heal me physically. And I have to accept that. But if God does heal me, we'll all have something to be praising Him for indeed!

Days 15-20 Peace That Passes Understanding

I am so behind on my daily reading posts! It was a BUSY week for me!

Overall, the running theme in these six days was peace that passes understanding.

Day 15

God is still present even in our troubles. He will keep us safe and give us peace that passes understanding.

Day 16

Joshua 1:9 - "Be strong and courageous." Stop rehearsing the problems of the day. Matthew 11:28-30 - Go to Jesus and He will give you rest.

Day 17

Philippians 4:6-7 - "Do not worry about anything." God will give us peace that passes understanding. He will take care of all of our needs, big or small.

Day 18

Don't try to take shortcuts to where God is leading you. God will use the difficulties you face to bless you with courage and strength.

Day 19

Seek God.

Philippians 4:7 - "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (ESV)

Day 20

God is in control.

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (ESV) Some versions read "plans to prosper you and not to harm you."

Isaiah 55:9-11 - God's ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts. His words will not return to Him empty and will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it.

God, forgive me for my disbelief and my doubt. Forgive me for sometimes letting the circumstances of the day cause me to lose sight of You. Help me to seek You always and to not lose sight of You. And thank You for friends, like Tom, who genuinely care about me and care for me and genuinely want the best for me. Thank You for friends, like Tom, who care enough to redirect me and point me back toward You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

God, please help Tom get through the next few weeks of BUSY-ness. And please, if it's Your will, allow us to have a special time to be able to sit down and talk in person again soon. Thank You for putting him in my life as a friend, and thank You for his willingness to learn what it takes to be friends with an autistic person. Thank You for growing both of us in You and in friendship. Help him to know that he holds a special place and to be more confident that he is doing a great job. Thank You for allowing people, even if only a few right now, to serve as a reflection of Your grace and Your love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.