Strength and Beauty

Some will trust in horses, some will trust in chariots… (Psalm 20:7)

Some will trust in six months savings, some will trust in no remaining balance credit cards…

Some will trust in having checking accounts with lots of extra cash available, some will trust in regular pay checks…

Some will trust in tenure and fat retirement funds, some will trust in our invincible economy (ha!)…

Some will trust in houses full of stuff and cars paid off, some will trust in doo dads and gadgets…

Some will trust in having more than enough for groceries, gas, shoes for their kids, some will trust in a steady job…

But I will trust in the name of our God.
But I will trust in God’s anchor on my soul.
But I will trust in God’s economy of provision, his delight in giving extravagantly and generously towards me.

I will find my security in the experiential knowledge that I am loved, deeply adored.
I will find my sense of everything being okay in my expanding view of God’s character from the window of my heart.
I will find my peace in the bountiful supply of the Holy Spirit who is alive and well within me and around me.

I declare today that money and financial security do not dictate my mood or my sense of peace in this world.
I stake this ground that I will choose to not be afraid any longer when I open up my online bank account.
I wave my banner with joy that I am only asked to take one day at a time, trusting God for all I need that day and watching with awe his gracious provision of my daily, little piddly needs.

He made me.
He knows me.
He loves me.

For he is in control and therefore I will trust in his great name.

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We adore you, King baby Jesus!

(in this order according to Graham Cooke)

To make God radiant.

To teach people how to hear God’s voice for themselves.

To train people in the things of the Spirit.

To increase the level of encouragement in the church.

We were sitting around the kitchen nook, taking in the last of the late summer afternoon light and eating a warm meal. I found myself sharing with my family about how proud I am of two dear friends. Both of these women have taken up pursuing degrees in nursing, one has finished and one is about to finish. It occurred to me, as I spoke, that both of these women would never even gotten into nursing school if it hadn’t been for some of my own cheer leading. Not to puff myself up, but to acknowledge that I have encouraged these women to dream for something more, to have greater confidence in themselves and to push through hurdles that appear to block them (like Math tests). One has graduated and has been working as a nurse for a few years in what I consider a war zone, 5 South Searle. She has excelled much beyond what I thought she was capable of and is an active agent of change in the corporation at large, advocating for nurses, bringing energy, creativity and spunk. The other has one semester left before she graduates and she was over recently needing some help brainstorming for a research paper she is working on. We sat on the front porch and talked about end of life care of patients and we both wept as we spoke of our passion of standing with people in the last days of their lives and caring for their families, coaching them in how to say goodbye and let go. I realized that she is going to have a powerful place in ICU’s, ER’s, places of trauma and high stress, flooding fear. She will stand up for people and not be afraid to confront physicians. She will give her heart to people and let them in. There will be many a man and woman who will experience profound care from this woman. And I got to be a part of their journey. How wonderful is that!?!

As I was sharing I all of a sudden see Ivan extending his strong arm across the table with a smile of delight on his face and he starts to bless me, right then and there. At first I thought he was just doing one of those one sentence, quick and easy sort of blessings. Nope. He gave me an Ivan blessing. I closed my eyes and took it in and received it.

I am a launching pad for people. I have felt this for some time. I have always seen myself as a somewhat pushy, but loving Mama bird who is regularly nudging the little baby birds out of the nest. Letting them fall, giving them room, swooping them up when they can’t catch the wind under their wings, soaring with them over the fields. And eventually letting them grow up into big, healthy birds. Silly sort of image but it works. It was refreshing to have God remind me that he still has a plan to do that with my life. And maybe he is even doing it now and I am unaware.

As with every blessing you have placed on your head, one must say, “I receive it. Thank you.”