Showing Up for Service
by Brenda Wood
Because I’m a recent widow, people always ask how I’m doing. Lately, I’ve started to say, “I am good because God is good”.
Someone cries, “I don’t know how you do it”.
I tell them I’m just showing up for service, because that’s all I’m doing.
It is hard to be alone, without my love of almost 50 years. I miss Ron every day.
But tell me, what are you going through? Isn’t God meeting you in the midst of it? Aren’t you able to bear the loss, the pain, the difficulty? Of course you are because that is what God does. He comes along side. I can stand in the midst of my grief because God is faithful. He answers my prayers and the prayers of those who pray for me
Oh wouldn’t we like to wallow in self-pity? We could give into our feelings. Some days we feel like we’ve made no progress at all. It seems that we’re swimming in noodles. But we know what to do when that happens.
“Keep awake and watch and pray [constantly], that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38 AMP).
God always hears our heart cries and helps us stand for one more minute, one more hour, and one more day. All we have to do is show up for service.
The Bible doesn’t say much about noodles but it does tell us what direction to swim.
“Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord! Simon Peter, hearing him say that it was the Lord, put (girded) on his upper garment (his fisherman’s coat, his outer tunic)–for he was stripped [for work]–and sprang into the sea” (John 21:7 AMP).
Swimming in noodles? What does it matter as long as we swim toward Him?
Prayer: Lord, give us the strength to swim through everything, even noodles, as long as it leads us to you. For Christ’s sake. Amen.
Brenda J. Wood
A popular motivational speaker, Brenda, of Barrie, Ontario is known for her common sense wisdom, sense of humour and quirky comments. Brenda especially enjoys speaking at women’s retreats and conferences, community events, Mops, World Day of Prayer, and Stonecroft Ministries.
A prolific author, her current books include:
The Big Red Chair: a children’s book dealing with the loss of a grandparent.
Meeting Myself: Snippets from a Fractured Mind: the author’s recovery from abuse and eating disorders.
Hearts Under Construction: A motivational cookbook designed to feed both body and soul
Heartfelt: 366 Devotions for Common Sense Living.
God, Gluttony and You: a Bible Study dealing with our relationship to food.
Read more at:
http://heartfeltdevotionals.wordpress.com
facebook – www.facebook.com/brendawoodspeaker
