Thorn (s) ....

I knew time was flying by, but it's been over a month since I posted here! We've been enjoying the summer and dealing with weather in all it's glory....good and bad. During the last big storm, our power went out for a few days. I forget how thankful I need to be when I flip a switch and the light goes on! :)

I've also been going to therapy for my neck issue. This has taken more time than I thought it would. I am blessed that the therapy place is close by my work. Therapy so far has not helped as much as it was hoped (in my opinion). I have a dr. appt. on Friday to see where we go from here....which brings me to my topic of thorn(s).

I have struggled for a long time with the issue of healing. If God CAN heal any of us at any time, how come He doesn't? How come there are still people dealing with chronic pain, diabetes, MS, cancer, ADHD, etc? I have heard people say that while they've fought the battle they have learned lessons they would not have learned any other way.

I got to thinking about Paul in the Bible. He was a very Godly person (after a round about conversion!). He talks about a "thorn" that he asked to be removed. Not just once, but three times.

2 Corinthians 12 : 7-10 7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I don't pretend to know what Paul's thorn was or why it was given to him. I haven't read further to see if it is taken care of and removed. However, I really like verses 9 and 10. God wasn't away from him. God reminded Paul of his grace and his power. Maybe half of the "fix" is realizing that whatever thorns we deal with, we are not dealing with them alone.

For myself, pain and my realization that I can't control everything that happens to me has made me rely on God more than I have been. I had been drifting again....not taking time to BE with God through reading the Bible, prayer, worship, etc. And I have also realized that God's way of removing the thorn may not be my ideal solution. Sometimes we are provided with doctors and/or medicines that become part of the solution.

I don't know if I will ever be able to say I "delight" in the thorns, but I will do my best to remember that when I am weak, then I am strong because I'm not leaning on my own power. I hope and pray the same for you whatever thorns you're dealing with now.

Once we get past the thorns, we'll enjoy the rose! ;)

Be Strong and Courageous .... STAND!

Joshua 1:9 (NIV) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

John 16:33 (NIV) "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Yesterday (Wednesday), was rather a blah day again...and not just because of the weather. It is amazing how fast my emotions can take control and drag me under. I was even reminded on Tuesday that the light God gives us isn't just around us....it is IN us! I was sure doing my best to be in the dark. Hubby brought up maybe we're suffering from T.M.S. (Too Much "Stuff"). Luckily, hubby and I are not down on the same days! God is good.

So I'm finding some verses to remind me to look for the light and STAND even when I feel like laying down and giving up. I had heard this song before, but it sure fit the mood. The song is "Stand In the Rain" by SuperChick.



2 Chronicles 20:17 (NIV) You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "

1 Corinthians 15 : 57-58 (NIV) 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Ephesians 6:12-13 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Psalm 40:1-3 (NIV)
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

Keep the faith. God knows and cares even on the darkest days, even when we don't look to him first, and even when we want to stand on our own strength instead of borrowing His. Be strong and courageous! STAND!