About a year ago, a dear, dear friend sat in our home and reminded us of verse 4 in the hymn, Amazing Grace. It reads:
The Lord has promised good to me
His Word, my hope, secures.
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.
Ever since then, those words have been sung over and over again in my heart and reminded me of God’s promise that “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” (Psalm 23:6) Even though it hasn’t always been fun or felt like it was good for us, it was ultimately for our good and His glory. Charles Spurgeon said, “Some people have learned to trust the smiles of God’s face, but they must also learn to trust the blows of His fists.” By God’s grace, I have used this quote to spur me on to keep trusting in the Lord and His promises. “Blows” hurt – no matter who you are, whether they are physical or emotional, they still hurt but trusting that God is working those blows for your good, help to endure them. God’s faithfulness has constantly been proven in our life over and over again. God has never failed us, even in the low times we have had in the past 5 years---and may I say that He NEVER will…Praise the Lord!!!
Well last night we received a “smile”. Shane is now an employee of Apple, Inc. He will be working as a “specialist” at our local Apple Store (for those that know, he will be wearing the turquoise shirt). We are very excited, needless to say, Shane is ECSTATIC! In a way, this is our morning. For so long we have been in the night, for the past few weeks, we have seen some dawn and now we are truly in the morning. Once again, God promised us in Psalms that “joy will come in the morning” (Psalm 30:5) and it has. I can’t even begin to tell you enough how thankful and grateful I am to you that have prayed over and over for us, even those that have recently met us…thank you for bearing this burden with us. I am confident that God put each of you in our life to spur us on, to encourage us to press on! To God be the glory we have pressed on! I would covet your continued prayers as Shane learns a new environment and we work with the Birmingham transportation system! Needless to say…I think Shane will have A LOT of podcastable (is that a word?) opportunities in the coming weeks.
Thank you Lord for your constant provision in our life. Thank you for brothers and sisters in Christ who have served me and ministered to my soul. Thank you for my pastors, who have come alongside Shane and I and challenged us and encouraged us to press on. Thank you for their constant teaching that God is sovereign and working all things for our good and Your glory. Thank you for my parents who brought me up in the fear of the Lord, who were a walking example of trust in their BIG God. Thank you for teaching me just how BIG you are at a young age. Thank you for grandparents that have prayed and taught me the power of prayer. Lord, help us be light to a dark world in the coming days and weeks and months to the people that we encounter through the Apple store. Our prayer is that we will be a sweet aroma to You.
The Lord has promised good to me
His Word, my hope, secures.
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.
Ever since then, those words have been sung over and over again in my heart and reminded me of God’s promise that “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” (Psalm 23:6) Even though it hasn’t always been fun or felt like it was good for us, it was ultimately for our good and His glory. Charles Spurgeon said, “Some people have learned to trust the smiles of God’s face, but they must also learn to trust the blows of His fists.” By God’s grace, I have used this quote to spur me on to keep trusting in the Lord and His promises. “Blows” hurt – no matter who you are, whether they are physical or emotional, they still hurt but trusting that God is working those blows for your good, help to endure them. God’s faithfulness has constantly been proven in our life over and over again. God has never failed us, even in the low times we have had in the past 5 years---and may I say that He NEVER will…Praise the Lord!!!
Well last night we received a “smile”. Shane is now an employee of Apple, Inc. He will be working as a “specialist” at our local Apple Store (for those that know, he will be wearing the turquoise shirt). We are very excited, needless to say, Shane is ECSTATIC! In a way, this is our morning. For so long we have been in the night, for the past few weeks, we have seen some dawn and now we are truly in the morning. Once again, God promised us in Psalms that “joy will come in the morning” (Psalm 30:5) and it has. I can’t even begin to tell you enough how thankful and grateful I am to you that have prayed over and over for us, even those that have recently met us…thank you for bearing this burden with us. I am confident that God put each of you in our life to spur us on, to encourage us to press on! To God be the glory we have pressed on! I would covet your continued prayers as Shane learns a new environment and we work with the Birmingham transportation system! Needless to say…I think Shane will have A LOT of podcastable (is that a word?) opportunities in the coming weeks.
Thank you Lord for your constant provision in our life. Thank you for brothers and sisters in Christ who have served me and ministered to my soul. Thank you for my pastors, who have come alongside Shane and I and challenged us and encouraged us to press on. Thank you for their constant teaching that God is sovereign and working all things for our good and Your glory. Thank you for my parents who brought me up in the fear of the Lord, who were a walking example of trust in their BIG God. Thank you for teaching me just how BIG you are at a young age. Thank you for grandparents that have prayed and taught me the power of prayer. Lord, help us be light to a dark world in the coming days and weeks and months to the people that we encounter through the Apple store. Our prayer is that we will be a sweet aroma to You.
