Saturday, March 27, 2010

Miracles

Often when I am hurting the most, missing Melissa or stressed by life events, God sends a miracle or two!  They are the subtle, little things so easily overlooked or dismissed, but after a while you begin to spot them: a phone call at just the right time, or news of something wonderful, or a word of admiration or appreciation that makes you feed special!  I received approval for a sabbatical this week, a precious opportunity to tackle hoped-for projects.  But miracles can be as little as a butterfly circling your head in the middle of March, in the middle if Maine, in the middle of a sentence about Melissa- which also happened this week!  Signs. Precious signs that God is with us, listening, loving, and taking care of even the small details of our lives when we trust Him.  So this week, I will continue to watch for His blessings, focusing my eyes of faith to spot His fingerprints, and be thankful, because all good things that come into my life are gifts from Heaven!  Including you!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Deep Joy

I was talking with my husband this week about one of Melissa's friends who has newly discovered Jesus.  She had always believed in God, but now she expresses a new, deep joy in having Jesus as her best friend. I thought about the difference. What Melissa's friend is experiencing, and Melissa experienced, and I've experienced is more than just believing in Jesus.  It's following Him.  It's making Him number one in your life.  Why go to such extremes?  Because only by following Jesus do you experience the thrill of a lifetime!  Only by taking His hand and allowing Him to lead, do you understand the excitement in having your words, your actions and your everyday existence fit into the eternal plans of the Creator of the Universe.  Following Jesus is living The Great Adventure- not always easy, but always rewarding!   As we draw closer to God, we feel a deep joy that defies circumstance, a deep love so immense, we cannot even comprehend it!  When I was discussing this difference with my husband, he compared it to people he knew in High School who got excited about drugs:  "Hey this is GREAT!  You've got to try this!!!"  It was a perfect analogy, because being with Jesus really does make you high!  Melissa says to God, "You spoil me so much!" (p.14, Melissa's Prayer Journal), even in the midst of horrific chemotherapy treatment!  She told her church, "Once asked, He (God) granted me this amazing peace to deal with my situation." The Power of Prayer.  Melissa wanted all of her friends to grow closer to God, to feel this amazing peace. She gave The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren to one of her friends two days before she died. She wanted everyone to feel the deep joy she had holding on to the hand of Jesus. As she ended one of her prayers to the Lord (p.8, Melissa's Prayer Journal), "Amazing, you are amazing. Nothing less and everything more. I love you. Melissa".

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Blinded

"We are called to walk blindly, living only in Your light, Guided by Your hand alone, Without our human sight"...  is the first stanza of Melissa's poem titled, "Blinded".  It's one of my favorites, of the 44 poems that she wrote, none of which were meant to be read by others necessarily. Melissa wrote her intense feelings in verse form for her own healing.  When cancer frightened her, she prayed.  Often she prayed by writing to God, not only in her Prayer Journal , but also in her cancer journal.  
- I thought of this poem today because I had a really tough week struggling to trust God.  I let the pressures of the circumstances stress me to the point of an incapacitating headache.  Even though I prayed, I had a tough time trusting.  Yet, I survived the week and I just have to leave the outcome in God's hands. All that worry and anxiety was pointless!  Melissa ends her poem: "But if we lose sight of You, It's like losing a map, there is no way out, We're nothing but trapped;   So I'll stick by You,  I'll hold Your hand tight, Trusting You to guide me, With Your glorious light."...  My goal this week is to hold on tighter to the Hand of our God, just like Melissa did!!-  Blessings to you all!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Easy Conversation

I listened to Melissa's second church witness this week, "The Power of Prayer."  I have it on video, and gave a copy to a local church, who are using Melissa's Prayer Journal in several of their groups. As I watched Melissa deliver her speech again, I thought about how much I need to follow her advice. She talks about including God in our daily comings and goings. She describes an easy conversation that never ends, like an invisible playmate for a child, Someone always there who likes you!  The difference is that God is not just in our imaginations--He really IS there, and not only likes us, but loves us more deeply than we can imagine. And when we join in the conversation, we begin to see and feel His response and His love.  God blesses me when I least expect it in the most surprising ways, which I can more readily see when I do think to pray!  For example, as I searched just now for Melissa's witness on the web, I found a great book review of  Melissa's Prayer Journal--- What a GIFT!!  Book Review.   .....So, this week, I'll try to follow Melissa's example and pray when I'm driving to work, or doing the dishes, or brushing my teeth. I'll try to keep that dialog going, so my invisible Friend and Lord can keep my emotional tank filled with His love! Amen. Melissa's The Power Of Prayer