How this faith thing works for me

I have an internal clock that wakes me up somewhere between 5:45 and 6 am every morning. And I usually answer the call. But today I didn’t want to get up. I didn’t want to face the day.

I was tired and weary. Not sleepy. Not unrested. Just worn out and worn down.

We made a quick trip to Iowa Sunday and back on Monday.

We got to hug Russ’s parents and eat a couple of meals with them. I got to sit by this woman who took me in as her daughter 30 plus years ago, when I was far less than what she would have hoped for her son.

I held her hand and felt her shoulder against mine and there was the same comfort as when I leaned on her shoulder as a college student and slept my way up to a family funeral before Russ and I were married.

The world for me has changed a lot since then.

Somewhere along the jagged path, I remembered Jesus.

I remembered how I had given my life to Him and, even though I had thought to take it back and do what I wanted, He never let go.

And I came to my senses. And I returned to my first Love.

So when I see a newspaper headline on the table of their apartment that shows a guy who makes candy out of marijuana and Russ’s dad asks if I want to take the paper with me; I say no. And I wonder if he read that and was concerned, because I sure am.

I am concerned about how things like this have become applauded by talk show audiences with whoops of approval. And I am concerned about what kind of world our two little grandsons will grow up living in.

And so I wanted to stay in bed this morning.

But I didn’t.

I followed the same path to the coffee pot and the Word of God I have followed every morning since I remembered that I follow Jesus.

And I poured out my heart in prayer to Him about all the darkness that seems to be …. SEEMS to be….overcoming the Light….and in my journal, I wrote a prayer….

“I’m tired. Sad. Weary. Needing some good news, LORD. Have a lengthy list of things to do – no motivation to do them. Hungry for You and for Your Word. Longing to share it out there. Longing to be a vessel of hope but feeling so hopeless myself. Father, have mercy on us. Is there a remnant? Raise them up, LORD – show us what to do. Father, I pray for our children to be counted among the faithful in the last day.”

Remnant….like I use the word “remnant” on a regular basis…..

And then I opened His Word to read. I followed the Bible plan I am using for this year. Because of travel, I am a day behind…or so it would seem….because in the midst of  the 3 chapters of Ezekiel that are assigned for my reading…I find all kinds of doom and destruction being prophesied against the disobedience and corruption of Israel and then….

I read….

in Ezekiel 6:8

‘Yet….Yet….YET…..I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations when you are scattered through the countries…

and those who escape….the remnant …. will remember the LORD…’

And that’s how this faith thing works for me.

Honest communication with God. Honestly telling Him where I am and what I need.

Seeking Him in His Word.

Taking Him at His Word.

He is the LORD. There is no other. He is GOD. He IS sovereign. He reigns. HE REIGNS. Rest assured today. HE WINS <3