Well, the day has ended better than it began, for me at least. When I read Aubrey's Bible story to her tonight, it was about how Habakkuk found joy in the Lord, just because he was God. So, I will take a lesson from my daughter and go to the Lord to find my joy and strength.
When the doctor was in this afternoon he said that Ryan has teflitis (I don't know if that's spelled right). That means that his bowels are swelling again and they are backed up. We need prayers that they will not swell completely closed as they did last August. Ryan is not allowed to eat for the next two days and is supposed to be up walking every 2-3 hours to try to get things moving again. The nurse did hear some noises when she listened tonight, so that's a good sign, but Ryan needs to get things cleaned out.
We still have appointments at Columbus for Friday and next Tuesday and we're believing that things will move quickly at Miami Valley and Ryan will be home to go to his appointments so that the transplant can occur on schedule.
We're thankful for all we've been blessed with, our little family feels right tonight and we continue to pray for God's healing of Ryan.
-A
Hi April,
ReplyDeleteI know you've had so much going on lately; I just wanted to pass on this reminder of how special you are to our Lord:
When God Serenades You
Micca Monda Campbell
"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)
Growing up I had to watch whatever my sister wanted to watch on television because she was the oldest. She liked the black and white classics that featured Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, and Frank Sinatra to name a few. Over time, I began to enjoy them too.
I really liked the part of the movie when Dean Martin would serenade the woman he loved at her bedroom window. I thought that was so romantic! In fact, I would get a funny feeling in my stomach. Somehow, I knew deep inside that I, too, would be serenaded by some lovesick man. I didn't know when, but I was certain it was going to happen.
Well, guess what?
It never happened.
At first, I was bummed. Then, one day shortly after I had experienced tragedy in my life, and was feeling completely unloved, I came across our key verse.
"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Right away, I knew God had led me to this truth. How else does a person stumble into the book of Zephaniah if not led there by God? At the time, I didn't know the book of Zephaniah existed. But it did exist, and the words on the page read like a personal note written just for me. Micca, I will rejoice over you with singing!
That's when it dawned on me. God delights in me so much that it causes Him to break out in song! Suddenly, it no longer mattered that no one else has ever serenaded me. God, Himself, serenades me. He sings to me. He sings over me and He sings about me! It's His joy to do so. Better yet, He delights in serenading you, too.
I pray that you will allow this verse to sink deep into your heart today so you'll have it when you need it. Trust me. There will be a day when you will need it. You see, we tend to believe that because we are children of God that nothing bad will ever happen to us. When the bad does happen, we believe the lie every time.
I knew it, God! I knew You really didn't love me.
Friend, that is a lie from the pit of hell. Nothing is further from the truth. God, indeed, loves you because He can't do anything less. You and I cause God's supernatural heart to skip a beat at the mere thought of us. Therefore, the next time you're feeling unloved because of some adversity in your life stop and say, "NO! That's a lie. God loves me so much that He can't help but sing about it!"
Dear Lord, I need Your loving touch today. Let Your love song wash over me and fill my heart. I release my feelings of doubt to You and rest in Your undying love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Praying for fast and long-lasting healing for Ryan and the grace and strength you all need in this trial,
~Jill S.