April 16, 2012: Clinging and Waiting

3 hard eucharisteos:

• endings. Celebrating with the other women I lead Bible study with, knowing that one will not be returning next year as a leader.  Happy about her new path, but sad to say goodbye.
• waiting. Accepting that I don't know what God has planned for our Bible Study next fall. 
• suffering. Clinging to the promise that God will use it. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:17

February 12, 2012: When It's Hard to Give Thanks

3 hard eucharisteos:
eucharisteos: a verb; from the Greek [yoo-khar-is-teh'-o] To be grateful, feel thankful, give thanks.

In Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22, and Luke 22:19, during the final hours of his earthly life, his last moments to teach his disciples, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and broke it.  A simple act, yet so rich in meaning.  He took bread, gave thanks and broke it.  Jesus, the Bread of Life (John 6:35), gave thanks and willingly allowed his body to be broken, laying down his life for me.

Eucharisteos is not always easy, not always joyful, not always fun to blog about.  Sometimes eucharisteos is hard, painful, even gut-wrenching.  Knowing what was before him, Jesus gave eucharisteos.  Can I?

• The injured muscle in my arm. I don't know why it happened, I don't know when it will heal.  I hate feeling like I am carrying around a useless appendage that won't cooperate with anything I want it to do.  Yet, I am thanking God for it today, knowing that 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells me to give thanks in all circumstances (emphasis mine). Not just the circumstances where the outcome looks positive or where there is no suffering involved.
• A painful incident with my son several years ago.  It still causes me sorrow when I think of it, but I remembered it this morning when I was in church.  I love my church.  It's a beautiful place full of broken, but healing, people who are just placing one foot in front of the other in an effort to follow the way of Christ.  And the thing is, if it weren't for what happened to my son, I don't know if I would have been there this morning.  Often we see through the glass dimly, but this time I believe I understand a portion of why God allowed.  It was for greater good, for my son's growth and mine.  It brought us nearer to the foot of the cross and, although it's a bit gory, I want to be there.
• A family member's divorce.  Horrible, ugly, agonizing.  God says he hates divorce, not because he enjoys making up rules and wants to wreck our fun, but because he knows how it rips apart families, causes grief and heartache.  It's hard, very hard.  Again I don't know why.  I don't comprehend at all, but again I can see him working good.  It has caused us to band together as a family, to lean on each other a little more, to express our feelings out loud.  A hard eucharisteo.

February 4, 2012: Looking for Good Gifts in Times of Trial

3 gifts found when bent down:  Not doing much literal bending down today because frankly it's painful, so I am counting gifts found when bent down with an injury to the muscle in my arm.

• the depth of my husband's love.  Not being able to get yourself dressed is rather humbling, but my dear husband truly is glad to help me in any and every way.  It's nice to know that's still true after 26 1/2 years of marriage. 
• contentment.  For the first couple of days, I thought I would go nuts just sitting around, not able to do much.  Today I find myself more at peace.
• single-mindedness.  I can't multi-task, so I am forced to focus on the one thing I can do at a time with one hand.

There is always blessing in suffering when we count it as joy, looking for the good, looking for God. Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3

January 28, 2012: The Gift of Friendship

3 graces found in your friends:
This was both very easy and very hard.  Very easy because I have such wonderful friends, but that made it very hard to choose, so I went with the first three God brought to mind.

• Grace in the way my friend, Louayne, speaks so freely of the Lord and how he is working in her life.  She teaches and reminds me to do the same.
• Grace to endure suffering.  My friend Diana endures many trials, yet she clings to Jesus as her lifeline.  God's glory is indeed revealed in her. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
• Grace of spirit.  That's my friend, Sharon.  She has the most gentle, loving spirit of anyone I've ever known.  She inspires me to speak graciously and to look for the good in every situation.

January 24, 2012: Even the Blues Are a Gift

3 things blue:

• my email inbox.  I love email!  Texts are fun and Facebook is fine, but emails are usually longer and more personal.  Of course junk email doesn't count, but when I see a friend's name in my inbox,  it makes my day.
• a Tupperware freezer container.  I was rooting around in the freezer looking for some cookies I thought were in there and discovered the meatloaf that I had frozen a couple of months ago.  Yeah!  Dinner already half done.
• my daughter.  Now ordinarily that wouldn't be a gift at all, and it also makes me blue that she is so miserable in her job.  I feel bad for her and I pray every day that she will find a new job.  However, I  see God using her suffering to make positive changes in her life.  It's motivating her for school and it's helping her to move beyond her own self to ask for help.  He does indeed work all things together for good! (Romans 8:28)