Last week I was in Maryland spending time with my family and friends. I was celebrating the birth of my friend’s newest addition to their family. I was also there to support my family as my dad prepared to undergo open heart surgery. Because of this, I missed another great Joe Boyd message. Although I missed this message, I learned a great deal while away. I learned a lot from my friend’s family. I learned that I have a lot to learn about how to be more patient with my kids. I learned that God truly does answer prayers, and sometimes the prayers of strangers are all it takes to show the doubting Christian that their Heavenly Father is truly with them, no matter when or where they are.
I learned that my God cares more about me and my life, and my family, and my years of unanswered prayers than I could have ever dreamed. That what I have thought was silence was really my own impatience and lack of faith. I know we’ve made it through so many trials and struggles in the last few years than most people we know, and I know I’m loved by many, but some days I feel so alone. Some days I feel like even God has abandoned me. But this last week, I felt God’s arms embrace me and show me his grace and mercy, not only towards me but towards those I love which reminded me how much more He loves each one of us.
Joe’s message last week is so much more poignant in light of the lessons I learned through living life. Life is meant to be lived with family and friends, and as hard as it is, those family and friends deserve to see the joy and love of Christ showing through every act you do. As a parent seeks out a lost child, a woman a lost coin, I sought out a lost parent for years and years, and God gave him back to me a millions times over this week and I am so blessed and my heart is over flowing with joy. My God heard my cries as a fatherless child, as a teen praying for her dad, as a young adult wishing for a dad to be there for her, and as a woman praying that her dad survives open heart surgery so he knows her children. Through all these years, my heart cried out to my God for my father, that his life would be saved, or at least that his story would intertwine with my own. How much more does our Heavenly Father seek after us, that we would turn to him with all of ourselves and that we would want our story to be guided by His divine will?
Listen to Joe’s message last week, starting at 5 minutes is good for last week, this weeks is good to but last weeks is amazing!! I am sad I missed it, but I was a little busy loving some folks that I needed to, who taught me things I needed to so that Joe’s message would mean so much more to me today.
http://networkedblogs.com/fmEtW
