This
morning I read Psalm 107 for no particular reason. I just flipped the
bible open and committed to read where it opened. I'm sometimes random
like that. As I read the following I was blessed and had to share this.
Psalm 107
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands,
from east and west,
from north and south.
4 Some wandered in the wilderness,
lost and homeless.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
they nearly died.
6 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he rescued them from their distress.
7 He led them straight to safety,
to a city where they could live.
8 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
9 For he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
It amazes me how much God loves us, even to the extent of allowing us to suffer so that we may realize our need for Him. Ultimately, God wants the very best for all of us for the Bible tells us that He is not wishing that any of us perish, but that we have eternal life with Him. We also see in Psalm 107 that He is willing to help us in our times of distress while on earth when we call upon Him.
It's hard to sometimes understand why God allows hardship into our
lives, but often it is because of our stubbornness, and sometimes to
bring us to a deeper understanding of His grace, love, and mercy for us.
To the lost person sometimes they must hit the bottom before they even
acknowledge that God is there for them. Then hopefully they will cry out
to Him. To God's children however He allows hardship to deepen our
realization of our need for Him. In both cases His motivation is done
out of His love for us all.
Recently, I've endured brain surgery and it was a huge trial on me and my family. However, through the whole experience I've seen the love of Christ through so many family members and friends. My wife Ann was at my side the whole time. My children each played a role in helping us out. Both my family in Tennessee, and my wife's family kept in close contact. My employer and co-workers also kept up with my progress. All of these people through prayers, phone calls, monetary gifts, and other displays of kindness have been a blessing to me and my family. Our neighbor even brought us a chicken casserole and brownies yesterday.
During the early morning hours in the hospital when I was alone I had plenty of time to think, pray, and reflect. This was a blessing as well for many times I felt the presence of the Lord in the room with me. I've used this recovery time at home also to meditate upon the Lord.
After Living Stones Ministries ended in December 2010 I wondered many things and had many
questions that needed an answer. The big one was is there anymore purpose
for me being left on the earth or was it nearing my time to go home? His
bringing me through this surgery I feel was an answer to this question. Most people experience headaches and dizziness as symptoms of a cyst blocking the spinal fluid flow in the brain. I had none of these symptoms, so in essence, I was a ticking time bomb with my life in the balance.
God allowed me to pass out however and give me and Ann a good enough scare for me to get checked out. Then the cyst was discovered, the preparations were made, and the surgery went well. God could have just as easily allowed me to come home, but like I said, I feel through this experience He answered many questions I had. The big one being, Is there more life to live? His answer apparently was Yes, so now I'm looking forward to seeing how God wishes to use me and Ann next.
Thanks to God and everyone else for showing us so much love during this time of trial.
- Randy
