A RESPITE *

I have a several Pinterest boards (43 to be exact).  I am a collector at heart…not a hoarder…a collector.  Much nicer sounding, don’t you think?  There are so many things I read and think, “One day, I’m going to want to read that again.”  So, I save it.  The sayings and verses I pulled from for this post are titled ‘Things I Know For Sure’ and ‘Woman of God’ and ‘The Bible Tells Me So’.   I knew I would find within these boards just the right pics and words to help tell my story today!

This week, I have been battling some health issues.  Nothing that a lot of you haven’t gone through, but painful and hard to deal with anyway.  This is nothing I want to get graphic about in this forum, but there are times it is impossible to move or even breathe for several seconds.  Then it subsides.  But, I feel like I look like I’ve all of a sudden gone into a catatonic state.  Which can cause folks to stare at you sorta strange like.  You know if you just can not move your buggy out of their way IMMEDIATELY, they want to start a fight because you are interrupting their flow! Well!

I got some medicine which will take care of this, but I could not pick it up until Friday morning at 8:00.  Friday morning at 10:00, I was responsible for teaching the art of drawing pumpkins and then painting them with Kool-Aid to around 50 children…3 classes…teaching one  class at a time.  So…on my feet for a good two hours.  I was panicked thinking what these kids and their teachers would do if all of a sudden, I zoned out on them like a hippie from the sixtes stoned on weed.  (Not that I ever was a hippie from the sixties stoned on weed, but I’ve seen some people who were and they looked s-t-r-a-n-g-e!)

I had problems all through the night before…and got little sleep.  But, before I got out of bed…and in the shower….and eating a banana nut muffin….and loading my car…I prayed mightily!  I boldly asked My Father to stop this process happening in my body for the time I was going to be working with the children.  I didn’t ask Him to take it away completely…just give me a break for a few hours…a respite.

I had to make a stop on the way to pick up some candy for the kids and sure enough…in the store…BAM!  it hit me!  This one stopped me for a full 30 seconds!But, I got into my car and prayed all the way to school.  Well, ‘begging’ may be a better word.  And, I told God that I would give Him the glory and praise if He allowed these classes to take place without me ‘zoning out’ in front of the teachers and most importantly, the kids.

And, my friends, I am here to testify to you that from the second I left my car at school…I had not one, single pain!  Not even a twinge!  No need to ‘space out’ except for the fact that our room was covered in  pumpkins and we just may have gotten a little ‘high’ from the smell of all the Kool-aid.  We probably went through 50 packets!  Some of the kids even asked if they could lick the table!!!!

We finished our project and I was able to clean up.  Well everything except my hands!  They, I fear, are forever stained red and orange!  I tried everything to get it off…baby wipes, clorox wipes, soap, goof off,  fingernail polish remover, and finally a magic eraser!  The magic eraser worked the best!

What fun we had!  The joy of seeing the colors on the paper and experiencing a different type of art was such a good time!  I’m so blessed to be able to do this.

I gathered my bins of supplies and walked to the car.  After putting my supplies in the back, I went around to my car door.  BAM!  There it was, back with a vengence!  After I was able to move again, I got in the car, bowed my head, and thanked God!

Isn’t He amazing?  Isn’t He wonderful!  It thrills me to the bottom of my soul to think that the Master and Lord of the universe, who has whole worlds and heavens and oceans to keep an eye on…cared about me, a mere speck in the face of all humanity.  He cared enough about what I needed Friday morning to touch me and care for me.  He heard my prayer…along with the millions of people praying for oh! so much more important things than I was asking for.  He heard me, as He heard them all.

“…you have not because you ask not.”  James 4:2

And, that is why I felt compelled to share with you that He does listen and He does hear.  And, true, He doesn’t always answer our prayers just like we want Him to.  And, that’s where faith comes in…trusting that He knows what we need better than we do!  That’s a hard one, isn’t it?   I think He wants us to be specific when we pray, don’t you?  Generalities cover so much.  I think He wants to hear exactly what it is we think we need.  And, perhaps, being specific helps us to put things in a better perspective in our own minds.  Well, today, I was specific, and He so graciously granted my request.  I thank Him, and I praise Him…and I am humbled.

I end this post by sharing one of the most comforting passages of scripture to me.  A friend shared it with me years ago, when I really did feel I was being consumed.  And, truth is, sometimes I still feel that way at times.  I’m sure you do, too. We all have those time that it seems as if everything and everybody is ganging up on us and we are going under…FAST!  Remember this promise when you feel this way.  I know, for sure, it is truth!

*…(res-pit)…a delay or cessation for a time, especially of anything distressing or trying ; an interval of relief”