Tuesday 4 Planning

 Planning

Seeing Ahead

Welcome back friends to Tuesday 4!

A wise man once said that most people fall into their lives. They don't plan and carry out what they would like to do, they just fall into things through circumstances. Others plan and prepare for life. They know the kind of person they want to spend their life with, the kind of family, home or job they wish to have and make a concerted effort to follow through.

So what about you?

1. Did you plan to be where you are right now in life or did you just end up where you are?

I really don't think I had a whole lot to do with it. My life has been entirely in God's hands since the beginning of time. I may have thought I was the one making the plans, but come to find out it was God all the while.  It was nice of Him to let me think I had something to say about it...but in reality it was totally up to Him all the time.

13 

Psalm 139:13-16

"13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them."

2. What plans did you make for your future and what plans do you have for the future now or are you just marking time?

Well, again, I know this probably doesn't make sense to a lot of people today, but truly my plans were not my plans.  We kept thinking that one day we would end up living in a certain place and working at a special place that we always dreamed about. My hubby spent a lot of  his years of study and career "plans" preparing for that hoped for event. After many attempts to reach that goal only to be rejected time and time again we finally realized that was not what God's plans were for us at all. Those were our dreams, but in hindsight we can now understand why it was not the best thing for us and we are thankful that God protected us from doing what we thought was right when it really wouldn't have been right at all. 

8 

Isaiah 55:8-9

“8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts."

Our plans for the future now are to live life to the best we can each day, giving thanks to God for His provision and protection and health.  We are very thankful for the ways He has provided for us in our retirement years, as we truly did not have a plan.  We served God in the pastoral ministry for the majority of our working years, along with also working in the field of education. We did not end up with a good pension plan due to frequent moves and being in very small churches, etc., so what little we were able to attain has been taking good care of us, again thanks to God's provision and careful budgeting.  However, we do not regret living the kind of life that we lived. It was interesting and fulfilling and rewarding in ways that are way beyond our earthly expectations.   I believe the best is yet to come.

3. Do you live where you want to live or would you have done things differently when planning where to live?

We enjoy living where we live now primarily because this is where our kids are, and we have a good church and a convenient community in which to live. It is affordable and peaceful.  If we could have planned differently or had more financial ability, we might have chosen to live in the mountains or someplace "cooler" than where we are now, or at least where there is more of a change of seasons.  But we have learned that every place has its good points and drawbacks.  Yes, Florida has hurricanes. However, thankfully we live in the part of the state that rarely is hit by the full force of hurricanes. We are in the more north/central part of the state, at least an hour's drive from either coast.  It seems to be the best place to be to avoid the brunt of those storms. We are very thankful for that.  Oh, and it was 69 degrees this morning when we woke up! That's a good sign that fall is on its way! Of course, it made it up to 90 degrees by the afternoon...but still, we will be thankful for what we can get!

4. What is planned for this coming Autumn? Trips or plans with family or friends?

vacations? holiday plans?\Reading list?

I am excited that we are actually going to be taking a little trip later this month.  We have a family reunion coming up in North Carolina, at my brother's daughter's home. 

(pictures from their home when we were there before)

We have done that several times in the past, but the last one was in the fall of 2019, 

before the big ugly "C" word.  We haven't been all together again since then.  We will be traveling with our kids and then after the reunion is over we will head over to the mountains in north Georgia for a few more days, staying at an Airbnb with the kids.  We are really looking forward to that...and pray the weather will be a bit cooler...and maybe we can get some fresh apples and enjoy some fall fun around the firepit and make some s'mores.  

That's all the plans we have for now, which is really a lot for us!  

I am writing this on Labor Day evening. We had a lovely day...again some things were planned, and some things were not.  We started out the morning by laboring as we rearranged some of the living room furniture, per hubby's request. He wanted to move his recliner and side table closer to the TV because he seems to be having difficulty seeing it from a distance. So we moved everything around, switching chairs, tables, lamps, etc.  He lived with it for most of the day, and then this evening he decided that it really wasn't working out the way he hoped it would. And so we put it all back the way it was originally.  One good thing was we were able to sweep up the dirt from under the chairs and tables and clean the floor a bit better! LOL. 

   

And then the best part of the day was the kids came over for supper, bringing most of the stuff to make spaghetti and garlic bread and dessert (a pumpkin roll!! Yum). I made a salad.  We had a lovely evening...a fun way to end a laborious  labor day. LOL.

I hope your day was filled with some joy and relaxation, if at all possible!!

Thank you for joining in to make Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 a success.

Stand Still And See What God Has Planned - Updated for today

This is such a powerful message...while we wait for Easter morning... I know many of you have already seen this post before in previous years, but I decided I couldn't write anything better than this for today, so here it is again.  I hope you will read along with me and think about how it must have felt over 2000 years ago, as the Disciples were feeling hopeless and lost, reeling over the death of their Master and friend the day before...and even though they thought they knew that He was the Messiah, they were now probably questioning themselves and wondering what was next...Sometimes we are in that same place...wondering, "What's next, Lord?"...Well, let's read on and remember that God always has a plan...

Original Post written 3/26/16:

Exodus 14:13 "And Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.'".... and in verse 14, "The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."

This morning I was reading in my devotions the above verses, and was struck by the powerful message it contained for our present circumstances. Actually, it never ceases to amaze me how God directs my reading to exactly whatever message He has prepared to encourage me for that particular moment.  But that is just how God works...I could read the same passage everyday and it would be fresh and new and pertinent, because that is how God ministers to our hearts. 

Right now all of Christendom is waiting...waiting for Easter sunrise...

Waiting for the angel to proclaim the astounding message, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!" (Luke 24:5-6)  On this, the day after the crucifixion, Jesus' disciples were hiding and afraid. They did not understand what was happening, even though Christ had tried over and over again to tell them what was going to take place, but their hearts were broken, their eyes were still blinded by doubt and confusion, and they just couldn't see how anything good could come out of His death.  They did not realize that God had a plan!  And oh, what a plan it was! 

In the book of Exodus, God had a marvelous plan to help the children of Israel escape the cruel Egyptians.  The passage above is talking about when God parted the Red Sea and the Israelites crossed over on dry land.  Then, as the Egyptians were pursuing them, the sea closed in on top of them and they were all destroyed, and the children of Israel were safe on the other side...and free from their hundreds of years of slavery.

Exodus 14:30 says, "So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians.." 

Fast forward about 1450 years, and to the book of Matthew 1:21, which is talking about the birth of Christ,

"and she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.".... God's plan for the salvation not only of the children of Israel, but all of humanity...for all who would believe.

What about our situation today?  God has a plan...yes, for our eternal salvation, and also for our lives here on earth...there is nothing that happens in our lives without a purpose and a plan.  We may not always understand at the moment...

we may not even like what we have to go through and may feel that it isn't fair...but if we can just wait until Easter morning...if we can just trust God enough to walk dry shod across the Red Sea...if we can stand still and watch...we will see the salvation of the Lord...we will sing with Moses and the children of Israel:

"I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!  The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him..."

Exodus 15:1-2

Okay, Lord,...I will trust You and wait for You...I know You have a plan...

Reflections of His Love

Last evening I took my usual walk to the neighborhood "pond", and as I approached the edge of the little cove, I was stunned by the beauty of the reflections on the water that was as smooth and clear as glass....pictures don't do it justice...but the reflections were so clear that it almost took my breath away...

 Just let your eyes focus on the reflections in the water...

  I know I've shared many pictures from this same place, but it seems as though I am always surprised to see just how perfectly the water reflects the trees and grasses and foliage around the shoreline and even in the middle of the pond...

 Even this is a reflection of God's creative beauty at work...

I mean...the reflection was so clear...I could even see my own face in the water... and I was reminded of this verse:

"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.  Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known..."  

I Corinthians 13:12

And of course this all made me stop and think and pray...because I have a lot of questions about  God's plans for us now and in the future...many things...and this message also came to me:

"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."

Jeremiah 33:3

And as I turned away from the beauty of the pond to head back home,  I looked down on the ground and saw this snakeskin that had been recently shed by one of the local black snakes...and I know some of you are squeamish about snakes in general, but I saw this shed skin as a very positive message from God at that moment...giving me encouragement and hope regarding our future:

"Behold, the former things have come to pass,

and new things I declare;

Before they spring forth I tell you of them."

Isaiah 42:9

and also from Isaiah 43:18-19

"Do not remember the former things,

Nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing,

Now it shall spring forth;

Shall you not know it?

I will even make a road in the wilderness 

and rivers in the desert."

And these words encouraged my heart and helped me to put "old" things into perspective and look forward to the "new" thing that God is planning to do.  He is going to help me shed this old, dry skin of the past and the things that hold me back from moving forward and give me a fresh new start.

I love this promise to the children of Israel in Isaiah 44:3-4, and I'd like to claim it for my own as well:

"For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,

and floods on the dry ground;

I will pour My Spirit on your descendants,

and My blessing on your offspring;

They will spring up among the grass

like willows by the watercourses."

Yes, Lord...pour it on...pour out Your Spirit upon us, and bless us for Your Kingdom's sake, Amen.

Friday Foto Friends---Yikes! I Almost Forgot!!

I've been busy...I forgot today was Friday Foto Friends Day again...help!! So I will just have to post whatever pictures I can find here:

#1:  Today is my wonderful hubby's 70th birthday!!  We will be celebrating with family and friends tomorrow, so I will have more pictures of that, but for today here is a picture of him doing what he enjoys doing every day, several times a day:

His daily walk down our road and back...Which I attribute to helping him to stay healthy and in great shape for his 70 years of life!!

And yesterday we visited his sweet mama at "The Lodge" where she resides...

doesn't she look wonderful for almost 95 years old????

So my hubby gets his youthfulness and good health from his mama.

Also, this past week, his childhood friend from first grade all the way through high school came to visit him...rode his motorcycle some 60 miles to do so!!  What a great "gift" to spend some time with this special friend:

Now on to some other photos from the week:

#2:  My sweet friend Karen, a.k.a. "The Flower Lady", brought me this beautiful gloxinia for Valentine's Day!  I've never had such a lovely flower, and I pray that I can keep it alive!!   I give Karen credit for what beautiful flowers I do have in my yard, because when we moved here, there were none.  She and her sweet husband Rick operate a business "Nature's Creations", and have a booth at the flea market each week.  She says I'm one of her best customers... I know over the past six years that we've lived in this house I've bought camellias, azaleas, lilies, roses, lorapetalum, oak trees, elm trees, and various others too numerous to remember. Some have lived and thrived, and some haven't due to my own lack of green thumb.  But I thank the Lord for Karen and Rick...they've also gifted me with various plants throughout the years...they are kind and generous and so helpful!  They even helped provide plants for The Secret Garden!  I am waiting now for the azaleas to really open up and bloom any day now! I'll keep you posted!!

Camellia blossom:

 Azaleas are getting started:

Another picture I took this past week...My growing collection of antique door knobs...

The china ones are part of a collection I received from my Dad's workshop, and the glass ones I've recently found at the local flea market...

I'm thinking of how I will use these in  future "plans"

 And I'm still enjoying the interesting little "inspirational" tea tags on my Lipton Tea Bags:

"Make Today's Idea Tomorrow's Reali-tea!"

I like that idea!

God gives us lots of ideas...yes...I know some may not be from God...and we should ignore those...

but learn to discern what is coming from God...and listen carefully as He guides us into the plans and ideas He has for us.  Good plans!!

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

"11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

I'll finish with these pictures of this Sand Hill Crane, presumably sitting on her nest in the middle of the pond  near us.  I believe she must be carefully contemplating the plans for her life as she awaits the arrival of her little one(s) sometime soon.   can't believe her nest is out in the open like this, but I see her sitting there day after day, so I'm thinking it has to be for that purpose. Time will tell. I'll be watching for further development and keep you posted.

So now, Let's skip on over to Deb's place at Breathing in Grace and see if everyone else remembered to post pictures today for Friday Foto Friends!  I'm glad I remembered in time!!!

Discoveries and Stuff

One of the "joys" of retirement is having the time to work on "projects" that you've put off until...well, retirement!  I know we all have those little "lists" in the recesses of our minds of the things that we hope to accomplish when we finally have the "time" to do so.  

A word to the wise:

• Retirement doesn't really give you any more time than what you had before.  
• There are still only 24 hours to every day, seven days in a week, etc., etc., 
• If you don't organize and prioritize your time wisely, you will still be wondering when you will ever get those "projects" done.

So, here I am, about 3 months into my retirement, and my list is still there...and it seems to be growing instead of shrinking.  Of course, I've had a few interruptions here and there. My retirement began a few days before Thanksgiving...and then there was Christmas...and of course January is always busy recovering from the holidays and getting used to the fact that it is a New Year...and then there was company coming again in February, and so on and so on. All good stuff. Happy stuff! I wouldn't change a moment of it! But NOW...it is time to get to that "list"!  

One of the first things on my list is to reorganize our closets and dresser drawers. Trust me, it is a project that is long overdue.  So yesterday I was determined to get started on my side of the closet and dresser.  

Of course, dresser drawers can lead to many discoveries. I should never have started with my small top drawer. That is the one where I store my first big journal,(click on the link for more about that), odds and ends of pictures, scraps of stuff that need to go into a scrapbook or other permanent places to preserve them, old jewelry, and, well, just stuff! 

Among these "treasures" I discovered an envelope with my Dad's handwriting on it:

Apparently he had been going through some boxes of old pictures and discovered some copies of our wedding pictures, among other older photos of me as a child, and decided to give them to me on our 35th wedding anniversary.  (Hmmm, that would have been almost 12 years ago now, so this envelope has been stuffed in my drawer for 12 years...yes...this job is long overdue!)

Of course, the envelope alone is a treasure to me, because my sweet Daddy has been gone to heaven now for almost five years, and to have something that he put together and presented to me in his latter years is pretty special.

Anyway, back to my story...you can see how easily I get side-tracked with memories and "stuff".  

In amongst the wedding pictures was this photograph that I truly don't recall ever seeing before:

This was me at age six, striking quite a pose! I had to study this picture for a few minutes to be certain that it really was me! But it has my name written on the back in my mother's handwriting, so that cinches it! 

Upon looking at this picture my first impression was that I was quite a sassy little ham. Anyone who knows me well would probably corroborate that impression...and most likely state that nothing much has changed in the numerous years since!

I'm not sure why this little photo has captivated my imagination so much, but I have not been able to get it out of my mind. Hence, here I am even writing about it today! I look at that sassy little girl and see such determination and purpose in her stance. I am standing in front of a "closed door"...Oh my goodness! That is another revelation that has just now this moment occurred to me!  Standing in front of a CLOSED DOOR? Perhaps looking toward an "OPEN WINDOW"...the future?  MY future?  

Wow!  Little did I know at that precise moment in time just what my future would hold. My life was still a mystery awaiting discovery. But guess what? GOD knew! God knew me!  God knew who I was then, and who I would become. How do I know this?  Listen:

"For You (GOD) formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother's womb.

I will praise You,

for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

and that my soul know very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,

when I was made in secret, 

and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in YOUR book they all were written,

the days fashioned for me,

when as yet there were none of them."

Psalm 139:13-16

God knew who and what I would become...and even though my accomplishments are not that great in the world's view, I trust that they are exactly what God had planned. I know that my life is not over yet, and God may still have some new discoveries and plans to fulfill in and through me.  It will be a continual adventure until the day He calls me home. 

Until then, this is my prayer:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

and see if there is any wicked way in me,

and LEAD ME in the way everlasting."

Amen.

Psalm 139:23-24

How about you?

I Saw the Light!

I know some of you are probably wondering what this picture is all about.  It is rather unusual, isn't it?  Well, that is the new view from my front porch.  One evening as I was relaxing and rocking in my new rocking chair,

my eyes were suddenly blinded by this bright light shining through the trees.

 I thought to myself, "Hmmm, that's never happened before in this spot. Something is different!"  After a few minutes of exploration in the wooded area directly in front of the porch, I discovered that an old tree had blown down, which knocked over another smaller tree, causing its leafy abundance to be pinned to the ground and creating an empty spot in the foliage where it once stood. Even though we removed the dead tree from the top of the young tree, it was too late to save it.

Quite frankly, I am not too happy about this new vista from my porch, as it truly does leave an opening for the evening sun to shine rather too brightly and directly into my line of sight.  This is somewhat annoying to me...it has disturbed my peaceful, secluded and shady haven where I try to unwind and relax at the end of a stressful day.  I mean, I've worked so hard to create this space so I can sit here and watch the birds, listen to the sounds of nature surrounding me...and now this extremely bright shaft of evening sunlight is piercing through the cool shadows of dusk and infiltrating my serenity with an unsettling aura of blazing glaring light.  

What to do, what to do?  I cannot replace the tree that quickly....and I certainly don't want to hang some kind of shade to obscure the light, as that would block out other lovely trees as well, and I might miss a bird flitting to and fro as it gathers its last seeds of the evening before retiring for the night. 

I know some of you are probably saying, "She thinks she has problems? Hasn't she noticed that the world is in chaos and people are being flooded out of their homes and would love to see the light of day...others are dying, starving, hurting...and she's worried about the sunlight bothering her as she rocks on her porch?"  Yes, I have noticed...part of the reason I love to sit on the porch in the evening is to avoid watching the evening news. But that's another whole subject. (Added note: I not only NOTICE the news of the world and country, but I often use this time on the porch to pray for those affected. I am not ignoring their plight...but prayer is the only real weapon I have that can do anything about it right now.)

There must be some kind of lesson here for me...and as I've been writing this, I've been asking the Lord just what this is all about.  The message I'm hearing in my heart is this:

"I don't want you to get too comfortable or shut away from the rest of the world entirely.  I still have work for you to do.  There are people who need the light that you possess."

II Corinthians 4:6-7 says,

"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."

See, I've been wanting more and more to get ready to "retire" and to sit back and enjoy life for awhile.  There is nothing wrong with that...I've certainly earned it.  (even if there is no money to back it up).  But I think what I am hearing is that my so-called retirement, when it ever comes, will not be one of just fun and games and doing what I want to do. I'm not supposed to get too comfortable in my rocking chair on the front porch and watch the world go by.  God has opened a new window of light to get my focused attention on Him and His plan.  I don't know exactly what that plan is today, but I have a feeling that it will be revealed in due time.  Meanwhile, I'll just get some sunglasses to wear while I rock on the porch and follow the rest of the "Porch Rules"...

Please pray or sing the words to this old familiar hymn with me:

"Open my eyes, that I may see

Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;

Place in my hands the wonderful key

That shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for Thee,

Ready, my God, Thy will to see;

Open my eyes, illumine me,

Spirit divine!

Open my ears, that I may hear

Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;

And while the wave-notes fall on my ear,

Everything false will disappear.

Silently now I wait for Thee,

Ready my God, Thy will to see;

Open my ears, illumine me,

Spirit divine!

Open my mouth, and let me bear

Gladly the warm truth everywhere;

Open my heart, and let me prepare

Love with Thy children thus to share.

Silently now I wait for Thee,

Ready my God, Thy will to see;

Open my heart, illumine me, 

Spirit divine!

Written by Charles H. Scott, 1923

Yes, Lord, "Silently now I wait for Thee...Ready my God, Thy will to see; Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit Divine!"  AMEN.

Keep Looking Up!

Interesting...Just as I was starting to write this post, I was attempting to come up with a good title, while in the background I could hear my 91 year old mother in law talking with my husband about our church service today. He asked her what she got out of the service, and she said, "We need to keep looking up!"  I almost choked, because she had NO idea what I was in the process of writing at that exact moment!

Please note the picture at the top of this page. Most likely you will notice the Osprey perched on the top of the dead tree branches immediately, and then if you look down you will see the dogwood flowers a little blurry in the forefront.  Let me tell you about this picture, and then see if you get the connection!

With the onset of daylight savings time last weekend and warmer spring days, I have determined to get out and walk more often, taking pictures of anything that "moves" me at the moment.  Yesterday morning I headed out early, camera in hand, looking for signs of spring.  The dogwood, azaleas, wildflowers, and berries are starting to bloom, the birds are actively building their nests and busily feeding their young.  As I was focusing on the dogwood trees in and around the edge of the woods, I glanced up at the perfect blue sky, and there, looking down at me, was this magnificent huge osprey!

Of course, I immediately shifted my focus (there's that "One Word" again!) to view the osprey for as long as he would allow... which was, as you can see by the pictures, obviously quite a while...and would have been longer but it was time for me to get going.

And as I stood there snapping these photos I couldn't help but think, "I almost missed this marvelous experience because I wasn't looking up!"

I wonder...how often in life have we missed out on some marvelous experience because we weren't "looking up"?  It appears to be in our human nature to focus on the here and now, the stuff of life that is surrounding us, oftentimes pulling us downward and blinding us to the bigger picture...the grandeur of the greater plan...the great panorama of the magnificent tapestry of God's design He intended for our lives.

 We tend to get "tunnel vision"...only seeing a very narrow view of life from our limited earth-bound perspective...and missing the higher viewpoint of God's perfect plan.

God said to Jeremiah the prophet in Jeremiah 29:11 ~

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

 We need to be more like the Psalmist who wrote:

 "I will lift up my eyes to the hills--from whence comes my help?  My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.  He will not allow your foot to be moved;  He Who keeps you will not slumber. "  Psalm 121:1-3

What's funny is, when my husband asked his mother what she got out of the church service this morning, and her quick response was "Keep Looking Up"...that actually had nothing to do with the service today at all...at least not in word or song or theme...and yet, that is what she heard and felt.  My thought is, yes, that IS the message of God's Word to us always, everyday!

KEEP LOOKING UP!  

Keep looking up to Jesus...Fix your eyes on Him!  Why? Well, because...

"The LORD is your keeper;

The LORD is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day, 

nor the moon by night.  

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; 

He shall preserve your soul.

The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in

from this time forth,

and even forevermore!"

Psalm 121:5-8

So, where are YOU going to look today?

Here is a link to another post I think you will like from Psalm 121:1-8  , entitled, "God is a Lot Like Mt. Washington".

God Has a Plan!

Exodus 14:13 "And Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.'".... and in verse 14, "The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."

This morning I was reading in my devotions the above verses, and was struck by the powerful message it contained for our present circumstances. Actually, it never ceases to amaze me how God directs my reading to exactly whatever message He has prepared to encourage me for that particular moment.  But that is just how God works...I could read the same passage everyday and it would be fresh and new and pertinent, because that is how God ministers to our hearts. 

Right now all of Christendom is waiting...waiting for Easter sunrise...waiting for the angel to proclaim the astounding message, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!" (Luke 24:5-6)  On this, the day after the crucifixion, Jesus' disciples were hiding and afraid. They did not understand what was happening, even though Christ had tried over and over again to tell them what was going to take place, but their hearts were broken, their eyes were still blinded by doubt and confusion, and they just couldn't see how anything good could come out of His death.  They did not realize that God had a plan!  And oh, what a plan it was! 

Tonight I am where the disciples were over 2000 years ago...we have had some shocking news regarding our son's possible future...a diagnosis that strikes fear into our hearts and causes us to ask, "Why Lord? What good could possibly come from this assault on our son's body?  Hasn't he already had enough health issues? How many more miracles is he allowed to have in his life?"  I don't know what kind of plan God has...and as a mother, to be honest, I really don't want to see our son have to go through all of this.  It just doesn't seem fair.  But don't stop reading here...

In the book of Exodus, God had a marvelous plan to help the children of Israel escape the cruel Egyptians.  The passage above is talking about when God parted the Red Sea and the Israelites crossed over on dry land.  Then, as the Egyptians were pursuing them, the sea closed in on top of them and they were all destroyed, and the children of Israel were safe on the other side...and free from their hundreds of years of slavery.

Exodus 14:30 says, "So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians.." 

Fast forward about 1450 years, and to the book of Matthew 1:21, which is talking about the birth of Christ,

"and she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.".... God's plan for the salvation not only of the children of Israel, but all of humanity...for all who would believe.

What about our situation?  God has a plan...yes, for our eternal salvation, and also for our lives here on earth...there is nothing that happens in our lives without a purpose and a plan.  We may not always understand at the moment...we may not even like what we have to go through and may feel that it isn't fair...but if we can just wait until Easter morning...if we can just trust God enough to walk dry shod across the Red Sea...if we can stand still and watch...we will see the salvation of the Lord...we will sing with Moses and the children of Israel:

"I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!  The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him..."

Exodus 15:1-2

Okay, Lord,...I will trust You and wait for You...I know You have a plan...