First I want to let you know that we have not received word yet on the meeting with the powers that be in Port au Prince. We are waiting anxiously for any word at all on what is happening... so please keep praying for Savanah's adoption.
This week has been... well, for lack of a better word, HORRIBLE, and yet FANTASTIC. At the end of the week, while praying, God moved me to write it down, in a very different way. I did... here is what I wrote (and I'll add more at the end, if blogger lets me).
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Prayer and Praise
Have you ever felt sharing a burden or a praise with fellow believers or God was useless? Let's talk about mountains and valleys.
When you are on a "mountain top" with God, do you share that with others? Are you willing to let others know what God is doing for you, or IN you? Do you take the time to simply THANK and PRAISE God for what He has and IS doing for you?
I mentioned the valley's ... but I feel it's more like the "pits"...we end up in. Do we only call out to God when we are at our lowest? When we are down there, in the PITS, is that the only time we reach out to God? Is God our God of desperation?
I want to share something with you all today. No, let me correct that, I don't want to share, GOD wants me to share. This is something I have not talked to anyone about, but something God has really laid on my heart.
This week has been... good and totally awful. And I am going to tell you where I was at and what my feelings and thoughts were through it all. Yes, this is a week of "MY PITS".
The whole week started out on a downer. I had a horrid cold. I knew I was to lead at English Church, but sure didn't feel like it. I wanted to stay home and curl up in bed. But I didn't feel I could, at the last minute, dump that responsibility on someone else. It's not that it's hard leading or setting up. I just take it to heart and try to do my best with it. I want things to go right and for the Lord to be glorified in our service. (I feel that the others that lead do it so well, but I sure haven't felt it was my "gift", so I work hard at it.) I went, set up (with Don's help) and led. Couldn't sing (I can't anyway, but I try to make a joyful noise). I had a hard time talking with a bad throat and I felt miserable. Then I introduced Pastor Eugene, a friend, who was to speak. Okay, now I'll stop there and go on to Sunday night.
Don went out to the garage when our city power cut off, to start the generator. I heard him crank it, then yell for me. As I ran down the hall, I saw a red/orange glow around the cracked open door to the garage. I KNEW there was a fire. As I pushed open the door, I saw this huge ball of fire that encompassed the generator and reached toward the ceiling. I ran back in the house to grab a fire extinguisher. Okay, here is what was going through my mind... Don't let Don be hurt, don't let the house start on fire, and WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO US?????? I was angry. Not at God, but at the circumstances that keep happening. And having the beggars who were still out there in the evening yelling at ME because I wasn't out there helping, made me mad. They had no idea I was finding a fire extinguisher, but they were yelling at ME! Okay, I'm stopping here and going on to Tuesday morning.
Still feeling rotten and having some problems with the baby, I decided NOT to go to the airport, although a sweet lady offered to care for Savanah. So, after getting everything together for Don and Vero, they left. And then my frustration started. First, I went in to do laundry...found all the MFI coolers that were supposed to go back to MFI, sitting here. And while in there, Savanah got out of bed (she was to be taking a nap), and got into all sorts of things. (The getting out of her crib started the day before.) While putting her back in bed, the phone rang. It was Vero. She said, "Mom, can you call Daniel? They have arrested Fre Don!" Okay, I am now WAY beyond frustrated. I asked what in the world FOR? Well, he was missing a sticker or two on the truck...???.... and for THIS they arrested him? I called Daniel, he was at work a LONG way away, but he said he'd leave and go help Don. (He is a policeman and he also did all our paperwork on the truck.) Okay we are back to my mind..and my thoughts. I started pacing and worrying. Now I am not really someone who worries a lot. I figure worry isn't going to solve anything, so why do it? Oh I know I can turn to the Lord, and I do, but probably not like I should. But here I was, stewing and fretting. Then Vero called back. They didn't keep Don, but they took the truck. so they are in town, with no transportation and already late for the plane. We had an important envelope coming on the flight and I was worried we wouldn't get it. There is that worry again, unlike me. Then we get the word. It's going to cost mega bucks to get the truck back, maybe tomorrow!
NOW, let's back up, way back to Sunday afternoon. While Pastor Eugene was speaking, God was speaking to me, too. It was like I could hear His voice saying, "YOU needed to be here for this message." Well, I immediately started to, no not pray, but to PRAISE God for getting me there, even against my desire to be in bed. I needed that time of prayer with others, I needed that time to praise God, I needed that great message from Eugene. By the time I got home, I was in a Praise mood totally. I spent a lot of time simply thanking the Lord for all things. I still wasn't feeling well, I still couldn't sing a note, but I had that inner peace and comfort only the Lord could give.
Now on Sunday night, what amazed me about the fire and all that surrounded it was that I was not frustrated to the point of not doing anything. Without my calling out, God was giving me a peace and comfort to do what I had to do. Oh my anger was there, but with the fire out, the door closed (due to smoke), that the beggars gone, I started feeling a real peace. A peace that only God can give. Nope, we had no power that evening. Had one 12 volt light to see by. But we had peace and quiet and I was back to praising. It wasn't an intentional thing, it simply came to me... praising God Don was fine. Praising God the house didn't catch on fire. AND, praising God that in these bad times, God was right there with me...helping me through these things.
And then came Tuesday...well, I can tell you I was not in a praising mood with this. I wasn't even THINKING of God. All I kept thinking was, what ELSE can happen. And when Vero called to say they were on their way home, with a friend, I felt such a peace and calm come over me. I knew God was there, with me, but with Don, too. And praise started flowing through me again.
Wednesday after paying a ridiculously huge amount, we got the truck back., and then came Thursday. Vero and Don headed off to the airport again. Some minor things came up but nothing out of the ordinary, until they got home and Don walked in and was in a REALLY bad mood. He had had a minor accident at the airport. While going around a corner, he scraped another vehicle...a brand new car. More money about to be paid out for this. But Friday came, when he was to pay the man for repairs... and the man sent a message, "forget it, no problem."
Now, what ties all of these "things" together? Well, worry, fear, frustration...but that is NOT what tied them together. In each situation, we had talked to friends and asked for immediate prayer, and got it. Once those concerned prayers started going up, God's Grace and peace came down. Once we joined together praying for... solution, peace, calm... God opened the gates of heaven and poured it out.
I totally believe it was the sharing and praying together that brought not only the solution, but the peace and calm in each situation. The results? I'm feeling a bit better, Savanah didn't get into things that could harm her (and precautions are now taking place to avoid that), the generator wasn't ruined, just surface damage. The two gas cans standing right next to the generator were still there, intact.
The reason I am sharing this to to let you all know it is IMPORTANT to share your needs AND YOUR PRAISES with others. Some maybe just a with a close friend, but many with others who can lift you up as well as the solution you are in.
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Now the next segment... after all of this and learning some lessons and writing it all down, God prompted me to take a copy of it to English church and possibly take a few minutes to hit the highlights of it for others. Well, our preacher didn't show up. So I had time to share the whole concept of praying and praising with others. It is so needed. And it opened some gates for all of us at church to pray for each other.
With everything said and done, now it's your turn to pray and praise God, and to share with others your needs and concerns. God really is AN AWESOME GOD! He hears and answers even before we ask. And He is there with you in all situations and all you go through.
AMEN and AMEN!!!!
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