Pull, Push & Hold ~ Part 1

 

I see a mother in a hurry at the store with her three children; she has many thoughts going through her head.  She is trying to remember if she grabbed that extra gallon of milk or that art supply needed for one of the many school projects.  Her mind is also at the same time going in a totally different direction, maybe she is thinking about dinner, a loved one, her children’s school activities or maybe that one bill that just won’t seem to go away.  But as I observer her and her three children I see that in her hast she is pulling one, pushing another and holding the third.  Now this is just an example of how we may treat our children when we are in a hurry or have a million things on our mind, but we know when it comes down to it and the important decision that we have to make concerning the welfare of our children the phrase pull, push and hold take on a new meaning.

I would like to break this down into three parts and take each phrase and discuss how our heavenly Father Pulls, Pushes and Holds His children.

First of all you have to be a child of God to be pulled anywhere.   What is a child of God you may ask - well let me tell you.  First you have to be adopted, God has already chosen those who will be a part of His family, the bible tells us in Ephesians 1:4-5:

4 ~ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of    the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 ~ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

So what this means is God decided before He created this beautiful world in which we live who was going to be a part of His adopted family.  God pulls those He has chosen into His fold.  He is our good shepherd and we are like sheep; John 10:27-28

27 ~ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

28 ~ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Only those who God has chosen will hear His voice and know Him.  Not everyone in this world can hear the voice of God and not everyone in this world is chosen of God to be saved and adopted into His family.  When God calls His children we are unable to ignore that calling and once we have received God and are accepted by Him, then and only then are we adopted into His family. 

For every direction we are pulled there is a divine purpose.  God will never pull us down a path of utter destruction.  We may have hardships and heartache from time to time, which we call Trials, and we are to learn from these.  But God places Trails in our lives for His purpose and for our good – Romans 8:28 & II Timothy 1:9

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

II Timothy 1:9

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

 Sometimes God uses the Trials of others to reach out.  God will pull you into a circumstance and use you as the tool to do His work.  Let me tell you a true story ….  

There was once a woman who worked for a store at the mall as a sales clerk when a homely woman walked in to purchase some scented lotions and sprays.  The whole time the sales clerk was speaking with the customer she could feel God pulling her to speak to this woman.  So she started talking to the customer about the products, but God said no, that’s not what I mean.  The sales clerk kept telling God, but I can’t, and every time she said I can’t she felt sick to her stomach.  Finally the woman’s purchases were rung up and paid and she started to walk away.  The sales clerk at that point was so sick she needed to find a bathroom and she heard God pull her again to the woman as she was leaving the store.  The sales clerk ran to the woman in tears.  She said excuse me, I know you don’t know me and I am not sure what I am to say to you, but I just want you to know that God loves you and He cares.  The clerk then asked the woman if she went to church anywhere and the customer started to tell her that she did attend church, but she was going through an awful divorce, the woman cried and was touched.  The sales clerk hugged the woman and told her she would be praying for her.

The sales clerk never imagined that God would ever use her to reach out to someone else in this fashion.  Not only did the customer get a reminder that she was not alone in her circumstance, but the sales clerk received a blessing, knowing that she had minded God and reached out to someone in need.  The sales clerk was also reminded that she could not resist the Pulling of the Holy Spirit and that she serves a Sovereign Savior.

Know that God pulls us in many different directions for many different reasons.  He could put us on one path and then that path could change directions.  God pulls us because He wants us to do His bidding and be in the center of His will.  God has a plan for each and everyone one of us and He will pull us in the right direction so that we are on the path He has set before us. 

Answer to Prayer

How many times have we prayed asking God for something, never mind what it is.  We sometimes ask for a pretty outfit we saw at the local mall, the newest smart phone (because we have to keep up with the Jones’), or maybe it is something really expensive like a new car.  Now these requests are what I like to call desires.  What if our request was more of a need verses a want?  Sometimes we ask God to allow our grocery bill to be under a certain amount at the checkout counter because we know we won’t get paid for another week, or maybe we have a friend or a loved one that has been sick and needs a healing touch, or maybe it’s finding that new job. 

Well in my case it’s the new job, I have finally been offered a new position within the UnitedHealth Group Appeals Department, after many, many years of searching for something else.  I have had a very stressful job and many days have left so depressed all I wanted to do was lock myself away and cry.  The job I have is not hard, but it wears on you, when you listen to people yell and scream and call you all kinds of names day in and day out.  Now I know that my new position will come with its own set of problems, and I am sure at times it will be stressful. 

Now God answers prayer in His own time, not ours.  I have been with UnitedHealth Group for 10 years and have been applying for different position within the company for probably the last 7.  I would constantly get responses to my applications that the position had already been filled or no longer offering the position at this time, and sometimes I would get a response that I was not qualified.  A few times I got an interview, that would lead nowhere.  I also gave my resume to other companies, but also never heard anything.  It felt as if God was telling me NO.  I see now it’s not that God was telling me NO, but wait, I have something better for you.  I believe God has answered this prayer for me, because I wasn’t sure how much longer I would be able to keep my sanity with the customer service department and God pulled me out in the nick of time.  Because I have been with the customer service division for so long I have been able to learn so much about the ends and outs of the company and the many departments within UHC and have learned from them as well.  So during my interview the hiring manager was surprised when I told her I already had entry level knowledge of one of the systems that they use on a daily basis, I would not have been able to say that a few years ago.  God placed someone in my life who thought it would be beneficial for me and my current job to be able to access appeals and give our members info on the spot so they wouldn’t have to wait for a letter from the appeals department.  You know what they say, hind sight is 20/20, God was preparing me all along, it never ceases to amaze me how God is in control of every aspect of my life and it is He who is gently guiding me along this journey. 

We always need to remember that God has a divine plan for all of our lives and He has mapped it all out before we were even born. 

Ephesians 1: 4 ~ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

We complain from time to time and we fail to see God’s hand in our lives, when what we should be doing is praising God for his Sovereign Grace. 

Psalms 143:1 ~ Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, [and] in thy righteousness.

The River

I can’t believe it has been three months since I took the time to sit and think about what I was going to blog about.  We have had such a busy summer, we have been camping, hiking, kayaking, VBS, revival and just being plain lazy. We have enjoyed our time together as a family and are thankful we have all made it safely thru the summer.  I was talking to a friend last night who was involved in a really bad car accident a few years ago and while he was telling me about the accident and all that he had been thru, I kept thinking oh my goodness you poor thing.  He then told me even though it sounds really bad it could have been worse and I thank God that I am alive and able to walk around today.  That got me thinking about my little accident that I had over the summer while kayaking with Jason and Jeremy on the New River.

 

It started out as a normal trip on the New River, the mountains have had a lot of rain this year, and the river was up.  We got about half way through our trip when we came upon a low water bridge.  Normally we have to lie down in our boats and just float right underneath the bridge, but not this time.  It had rained so much there was very little of the bridge above water; most of the bridge was either under water or just level with the water.  Jason went first, thinking he could just skim right over the top, and he got stuck.  I was in the middle and Jeremy was bringing up the rear.  When I saw Jason was stuck on the bridge, I started to back paddle to allow myself to come in at a different angle so I would not plow into my husband.  While I was back paddling I got caught in the current and it pushed me into the bridge and some debris.  Jason at this point was walking on the bridge and came over to help me push the kayak away from the bridge, but then my boat got tipped and started taking on water and then I flipped.  Now I have flipped my boat before, this was not the first time I have been dumped in the river, but never before have I been caught underneath my boat before.  I was scared and kicking and clawing for my life, the next thing I knew I was under the bridge.  I grabbed for the bridge and was trying to pull myself up for air, but I was panicking and I kept hitting my head on the underside of the bridge.  I kept thinking I am going to drown, but God.  As I have said in the past I love this phrase, but GOD.  At what I thought was the end, I felt a sense of peace as I remember all of my white water rapid training from the past.  If you have ever been white water rafting the one important thing they tell you is this … If you fall out of your boat, don’t try to swim back to the boat or stand up, and just allow your body to be carried with the current.  At that moment I relaxed and allowed the current to carry me out from under the bridge.  As I surfaced Jason jumped in and grabbed me, I have never been so thankful to take a breath of air, to feel the air fill my lungs and be able to breathe was such a blessing. 

 

Now just like my friend Andrew, it sounds bad, but it could have been worse.  God could have allowed me to drown and take me home, He could have said Constance I don’t need you down there anymore, your journey is over you have run your race and it’s time to come home.  But GOD has other plans for me.  I don’t know what those plans are, but I have not finished my journey.  There is still a great work that God needs to have accomplished.  As the bible says in Hebrew 9:27 ~ And as it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.  I am so thankful that God had not set my appointed time to be July 16,  2013, not that I am not looking forward to spending eternity with my Savior, but I am human and this old flesh is selfish and I would like to be around a little longer for my husband and children.  As I said before, God spared me for a reason and I don’t know what that reason is and I may never know.  There still might be that one that God will reach through me.  I may never talk with this person or it could be someone that I am close to.  Whatever the reason, I pray that I will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and when He speaks I pray that I will listen and be obedient.   I am so thankful to be one of His children and that He spared me and has allowed me to continue on my journey.

Prayer Garden II

Well it is official, she has died.  Who, you ask, my sweet Weeping Cherry tree.  I had such high hopes for her; she was going to be the center piece of my Prayer Garden.  Oh well, I guess it is back to Lowes to replace her with another.  I have not given up the idea of a prayer garden, just having to put it on hold for the time being. 

We went to the mountains this weekend and I had to make a gas run for the lawnmower.  While I was there I saw a man selling beautiful plants out of the back of his truck and I thought to myself, they will be so expensive.  I went over to the man and asked him how much his plants were and he told me $5.00 and I said $5.00 and he said yes, these are just left overs and I was not able to sell them.  I went back to the truck, pumped my gas and asked Aaron if he would like to go and pick out a nice plant for Nana.  So we pumped our gas and pulled the truck over take a look.  We picked out two one for me and one for Nana to plant at the mountain house.  Aaron was so excited, when we got back to the house he was telling Nana we got her a flower and when she asked where I got it from I told her at the gas station and then she asked if he had any more and how much they were.  I said you’re not going to believe this, but only $5.00.  She then tells me to get back in the truck, she wants more.  So we get back in the truck and head back to the gas station and she picked up four more plants and I got three more.  Now I have already told you that my poor Weeping Cherry has passed on, but I do plan on replacing her with another.  But I also could not pass up the opportunity to add to my prayer garden.  I don’t know where I could get such beautiful plants at such an inexpensive price.  So here is a picture of the plants that I picked up in the mountains and hopefully will be able to add to my garden. 

I am still trying to think of a name for my little “Prayer Garden”, but I believe I have a verse … Isaiah 51:3 ~ For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

I am taking name suggestions; please place any suggestions in the comments box.   

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer Garden I

I believe everyone needs their own special place where they can go to spend time with God, for example a prayer closet or garden.  Sometime in March I approached Jason about starting a prayer garden and I told him I wanted a place that I could go and work in the yard and spend time with God.  I have been playing with the idea for a few months, I love to work in the yard, but it takes time and money and I don’t have a lot of either.  He really didn’t have much to say and so in April I purchased a pink Weeping Cherry tree as the focal point for my prayer garden.  I went to Lowes and walked among all the pretty flowers and made my way back to the trees.  I looked at everything from a Bradford Pear to fruit bearing trees, and then I saw them, the tree I was looking for the Weeping Cherry.  The trees were beautiful, small, but beautiful.  The tiny white and pink flowers looked so delicate on the long wispy limbs.  I had one of the Lowes guys take several down so I could inspect and study each one and choose the perfect tree.  After going over several trees I picked one with the straightest trunk and one with no visible distressed marks or blemishes.  I had my tree and I could not wait to get her home (yes it’s a she, why wouldn’t she be, she’s pink) and plant her in the ground.  As soon as I got home I planted my little tree in the general area that I would like my little prayer garden.  I have been trying to figure out a name for my little garden, maybe some of my friends/family can shoot some ideas my way.  I have so many ideas about how I want my garden to look and flow, but it is going to take time and money, so for right now I have my little tree and it is the start of my “Prayer Garden”.

A Mother's Love

A woman can never understand the extent of the term "A Mother's Love" until she has experienced motherhood and all it entails.  A mother loves at all times regardless of what her child has said or done and a mother's love is like no other.  I have chosen three women to blog about for my special Mother's Day tribute.  I would like to dedicate this post to every mother past, present and future. 

The first mother I would like to tell you about was barren and she longed for a child and she prayed and begged God for a son of her very own and she promised God that if He ever gave her the desire of her heart she would give that little boy back to Him.  So if you have not already guessed our first mother is Hannah, in I Samuel 1:10 ~ And she (Hannah) was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.  And the LORD remembered Hannah, vs. 20 ~ Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.  Now Hannah loved her child very much, but she loved God more and she wanted to honor her word to the Lord and wanted to honor God most of all, so she gave her only child back to God, vs. 27 & 28 ~ For this child I prayed, and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of Him.  Therefore also I have lent Him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD.  And he worshipped the LORD there.  Now Hannah sent to her son to live in the temple and she only saw him about once or twice a year, I can't imagine how hard that might have been, I go crazy if I have to go any length of time without seeing my two little angels.

The second mother is nameless, but she loved her child as much as any mother could.  She was willing for her child to be raised by another woman to save his life.  In I Kings 3:16 - 28 we read about the wisdom of Solomon.  There were two women that lived in the same house and each delivered a child.  After three days one child died and the other lived.  The woman with the dead child swapped the babies while the other woman slept.  When the sleeping mother awoke to her surprise the child beside her was not her precious bundle of joy and the child lying beside her was dead.  So the two women took the issue before the King.  King Solomon heard the testimony of each woman and he requested a sword, vs. 25 & 26 ~ And the king said, divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.  Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my Lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it.  But the other said, let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.  We as mothers will do anything to keep our children from harm if we can.  When Ashleigh broke her arm at the age of two, I was devastated, not because she broke her arm, but because I was not able to prevent it from happening or to take away her pain.  If I could have taken her place I would have.  We try to shield our children as much as we can because we love them so much.

The last mother I would like to talk about is Mary, the mother of our LORD and Saviour.  I don't think I could give up Aaron for this sinful world, but it was all part of God's sovereign plan and I know God gave Mary the grace she needed to get thru this awful time in her life.  Mary, being the loving mother that she was, also attended His crucifixion, John 19:25 ~ Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.  I can't imagine what she was going thru, but I am sure if she could have taken His pain or even His place she would have.  We as mothers make sacrifices for our children and families, Mary gave up the most, as a mother, when her own Son was beaten and crucified on the cross.  I don't think I could stand by and witness such cruelty or injustice to either one of my children - Mama Bear would have to make an appearance. 

In closing I am thankful that I serve a sovereign God who chose to send His Son to die for me.  I am thankful that God has allowed me to experience motherhood and most of all "A Mother's Love", like so many before me.  God placed these three woman on my heart to blog about, there were many in the bible to choose from, but He gave me these three ... Hannah gave her child to God, The Harlot was willing to give her child to another and Mary who gave her child to the world.

"A Mother's Love"

By:  Helen Steiner Rice

A Mother's Love is something that no one can explain; it is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain.  It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may for nothing can destroy it or take that love away.

It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking, and it never fails or falters even though the heart is breaking.

It believes beyond believing when the world around condemns, and it glows with all the beauty of the rarest brightest gem.

It is far beyond defining, it defies all explanation, and it still remains a secret like the mysteries of creation.

A many splendored miracle man cannot understand and another wondrous evidence of God's tender guiding hand. 

The Great Physician

It’s one o’clock in the morning and I hear the pitter-pater of little feet across the floor and then I hear Mommy!!!  I get up and climb the stairs hoping that all they need is some water or to be re-tucked into bed.  But as I get to the top of the stairs I hear “I don’t feel good”.  My heart sinks and I think this could be a long night.  I hate it when one of my kids are sick I feel so helpless and I wish I could take away the tummy ache, the sore throat or whatever little ache or pain they are experiencing.  So I do all the normal mommy things, I check for a temperature and if they feel warm I get out the thermometer and if there is a temperature, then I give them a dose of Tylenol and tell them to lay on the couch.  I go into their room and get a pillow and a blanket and we camp out together on the couch.  I hope by morning they are feeling better.  Morning comes and they are not better, still running a fever and aches and pains are all still present, so I let them stay home from school.  By the end of the day they appear to be much better and I worry about what will happen during the night.  So bed time comes and I check them again, give a dose of Tylenol just for safe measures and go to bed, the next morning, they are still not feeling any better so I call the doctor and make an appointment.  How many of us go thru that same ritual, how many of us call on God, our great physician when our children are sick and need a healing touch from Him?  I know I do!

We know how important our children are to us and their return to a healthy norm, how more important is the sickness of sin.  I know God can heal all manners of physical sickness, we run to God whenever our children are sick or we have a friend or family member who is sick or has been diagnosed with a terminal illness.  But how often are we praying for those that are lost, our loved ones, an acquaintance or even that person we have never met in passing or the ones we shall never meet.  God is our great physician and not only can he heal our physical illness but more important he heals our spiritual illness.  Yes I said it spiritual illness, those that are unsaved, those God has not called to be a part of His chosen few are spiritual sick. 

In Mark 2:17 ~ When Jesus heard (it), he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick.  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Jesus said the healthy or saved do not require a doctor, only those that are sick.  They need a touch from the Great Physician, those that are lost and going to hell.  We as Christians should act as God’s nurses; we need to do all the things that nurses do before the Doctor sees the patient.  We start by praying for them, we then tell them about the Doctor and what the Doctor can do for them and we then allow the Doctor to do His part. 

We sometimes forget about this spiritual sickness, but it was foremost in our Savior’s mind.  Just like Jesus, we should be most concerned with the sickness of sin and introducing the lost to the Great Physician.  So let us be God’s nurses while there is still time and tell the sick about the One who can heal them.