Sidelined but Back on Track
by Jan Cox
Last Friday I wrote about my husband’s car accident and how he was t-boned at an intersection. This definitely set our lives on a slightly different course for a while. Our time has been spent in hospitals, giving medications, resting and much paper work. Regular routines have been sidelined for a time. But God is good and it has been a good time for reflection.
This week I received an announcement of a Liebster Award for my writing on this blog from Dawn Blanchard. She wrote:
I met Jan on the Facebook web page Colossians in a Year where we support one another in memorization of the book of Colossians. Jan’s site is about prayer. If you go there you can leave requests, but the best part is her extensive coverage of each nation in the world and how to pray specifically for that nation. She travels to do mission in the world and at home. If you need some help with prayer or want to help Jan, I know she’d be glad to have you.
Oh my – I have been sidelined. The two things that Dawn wrote about I had stopped doing. And just this week, before the award, I had come to the conclusion that the Praying for the World part of my ministry had come to a halt somewhere in the “m” category. I don’t know how it happened. I used to have my Operation World book at the breakfast table and I would read and pray as I ate – yes I had lost my focus on this ministry.
Earlier this week I signed up for a daily email for each country and started to pray again. If I feel a strong nudge for a country I have my Operation World book handy for more intensive prayer. This email will keep me steadier in my prayers and I can pray while travelling, when routines get changed and even if I feel “out-of-sorts”. That email will be my reminder to pray.
Dawn reminded me of something else I had let go – the memorization of Colossians – that left me sometime during the summer. What I did memorize has been a definite blessing – especially in the past two weeks. These two passages were a blessing:
“being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light” (Colossians 1:11-12 NIV).
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2: 6 NIV).
It was in the counting His gifts during this time that has brought joy to each moment of each day.
I thank God for nudging me and for Dawn in her blessings me with the Liebster Award.
And I don’t feel guilty about being pulled off the line I had travelled. I do feel thankful that the Holy Spirit reminded me that getting back on track is good, too.
Here are four wonderful blogs/websites that I think deserve this award: And remember to check out Dawn Blanchard’s Dschondog’s Blog.
Storygal by Carolyn Wilker – Carolyn wrote about milk bags for Haiti last year. She is still getting comments on this post. She writes from her heart and her experiences in writing and speaking.
Precious Moments by Sulo Vinayagamoorthy – Just found this blog from a fellow Inscribe member. She wrote a wonderful post on prayer called Precious link to God-P-R-A-Y-E-R.
Tickling Won’t Do by Tammy Wiens – I didn’t know that T. L. Wiens, one of Under the Cover of Prayer’s writers had a blog. Discovered it in my hunt for blogs this morning. Tammy always has a clear understanding of God’s word and explains it well for the reader.
A Woman’s Voice by Dolores Ayotte – Dolores has written a couple of books and her third one comes out next month. She speaks from her heart and her faith. One can learn a lot by listening to her words of wisdom.
My Gratitude List for this week: I am getting closer to 1000 – I am at 745.
- Prayer warriors
- Hot tub to lessen Wayne’s pain
- Rest for Wayne
- The arresting sound of an owl’s call at night
- Pictures of my family by email
- A good night’s sleep
- Time – a good healer
- Finding Operation World has an email option
- Links through blogs to grow me spiritually
- Holy Spirit nudges, emails and God-incidents
- My connection to Poland
- Peace while waiting for a replacement card
- Strength and stamina to do “double duty”
- Wayne is able to reduce his medication
- A Christmas piano book for $1.00
- Praying for someone about their father’s operation
- Feeling and understanding the Holy Spirit at a different level (reading Charles Stanley’s A Wonderful Spirit Filled Life)
- Snowball loves to ride in the golf cart
- Stars shining above the palm trees
- Learning to speak French with a friend at the pool
- Bible verses that come to mind
- Service on generosity (Unleashed Generosity)
- Wild bunnies
- The beating of my heart
- First Sunday in Advent – God our Hope
- Facebook chat with a friend
- Watching Snowball jump through a hoop
- Painting a live parrot – beautiful colours – awesome
- Being personally awarded the Liebster Award
- We put up our Manger Scene in front of our house
Jan Cox
Jan, a former school teacher and small business owner, found a new passion in writing in her retirement. She has published two devotionals and a number of articles for magazines and a Bible study. She is owner of Under the Cover of Prayer and moderates the site. She also writes at A Better Way. Jan has written a children’s book in which she is also the watercolour illustrator. She hopes to publish it some day.
