Moving with the Spirit

A message has been formulating over the past few days to go along with the next occurrence of "thank" in the Bible. I'll be revealing that very soon. But today, I have to side-track my plan to forge ahead from front to back (of the Bible)... move away from my natural bent to keep the order in things. This is not an easy thing for me to do. I'm rather stubborn in that way... keeping order. I suppose it makes me feel in control of my world. Today I will move with the spirit within me to share a true story.

I have this very close friend. When we began to hang out, she was at home with toddler triplets and a 7 year old daughter that she was homeschooling. I was a mother of 3, but two of mine were in the public school for 8 hours of the day. My world looked a bit more "orderly" than hers. We seemed to be drawn together because of the old saying, "opposites attract". We joked that she was a personality type Z and I was an A and if we hung out long enough maybe we'd become an M. She had a desire for a bit more organization in her life and I a longing to loosen up a bit. Sounds good right? Well, our plan did take hold to some extent.

This friend of mine has been battling the nasty "c" word for close to two years. She has fought and won some of these fights. It hasn't been an easy road. Not too many breaks. Her life has been scheduled around surgeries, recoveries, and treatments. With a goal for "normal life" in sight... the cancer has claimed her body once again. She is a faithful fighter. Her hope is in Jesus and eternal life in heaven. I stand strong by her side in this hope. We are looking for a miracle. Nothing short.

The news of the three new tumors came to me last evening. For some reason this one hit me harder than the rest. I wrestled with sleeplessness. In my awakenings, I kept hearing the same scripture address over and over throughout the night. Psalm 95:2. Psalm 95:2.

"Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."

To many of you this may sound completely unrelated. Ridiculous even. Why on earth would you be singing praises when your sister-friend's life is threatened once again? Yeah, it does seem odd. But, the thing is... it once again lines up perfectly with the theme that the Lord has been revealing to me over the course of this year of trials. "Give thanks and praise, even in the worst of the storms, and I will give you peace."

Peace we need. Mercy we desire. A miracle we beg for. Thanks I'll give for the hope we have in all of these through our faith in Christ Jesus.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b