He Restores My Soul

‘The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.’

~Psalm 23:1-3a, (New American Standard Bible)

Many years ago, my husband was, one might say, ‘in the business’ of automobile restoration. He didn’t do it as a side job for extra income. Nor was it just some nice man-hobby to alleviate boredom. It was actually something my husband took pride in and found great joy in doing. 

He would intentionally seek out old, broken down muscle cars. Cars forgotten; unwanted; unusable; cars thought to be beyond repair & abandoned by their owners. These were the vehicles my husband would delight in finding, obtaining and restoring. He put a lot of time, thought, effort, hard work, cost, and yes, even love into returning these machines to their original state of beauty and usefulness. 

And more often than not, after his work was completed, family, friends, neighbors and even just curious passersby would remark that these cars actually looked even BETTER than when they first rolled off the assembly line! I could tell by the look on my husband’s face that he was pleased by their accolades, and that he felt the same way about his ‘masterpieces’ as well. 

These memories popped into my head after a recent reading of Psalm 23. Odd analogy as this might seem, isn’t this just how the Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd, works in us?

He intentionally seeks us out; we who are broken, abandoned, forgotten, unwanted, hopeless souls, feeling we are no longer of any use or purpose. Souls emptied of peace, now filled with anxiety. Souls emptied of joy, now filled with sorrow. Dry souls. Angry souls. Unforgiving souls. Souls once brave, now fearful. Souls diseased by sin and doubt, hatred and prejudice, and so much more. Souls in need of healing and restoration. 

His restoration. 

And it’s our Good Shepherd’s delight to carry us back to His workshop, and with much thought, time, effort, great cost, hard work and most of all, enormous love, to restore us from the inside out. 

Not just to our original state of beauty and purpose, but to something much more, much deeper; to someone who will cause others around us to take notice and see us as being even better than we were before! And I’m certain that just HAS TO bring Jesus great joy over us, His masterpieces. 

I wonder if you, like I did for years, view Psalm 23 as a psalm of lamentation, generally reserved for reading at someone’s deathbed, or a dirge to be sung at funeral services. 

If so, I’d like to challenge you to set aside that view, and to take some time (something we all have an abundance of lately) to read through Psalm 23 with fresh eyes and an open heart. Taste and see and experience the life and the joy woven throughout this psalm.

Today, let the Lord be your Shepherd, making certain that you want for nothing. Let Him make you to lie down in green pastures. Let Him lead you beside quiet waters. 

Today, let Jesus, the Good Shepherd, restore your soul. 

The Day In-Between

The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.  “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’  So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that He has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. ~ Matthew 27:62-66; 28:1

Today is an in-between day. A day firmly wedged in between two very different days:

Good Friday: a day of great sorrow, fear, discouragement and darkness

Resurrection or Easter Sunday: a day of joy, fearlessness, hope and light!

A day of silence, a day of hopelessness, a day of sorrow, a day of waiting (not so patiently) and wondering what the heck is going on, and where is God and what happened to those promises of His anyway? Perhaps this is what Jesus' disciples and His very own mother were experiencing and wondering after His body was laid in the tomb, as they rested and grieved on that Sabbath Day. 

Perhaps, they felt as if they were in a tomb of their own. 

And perhaps this is what you are experiencing in your own life today, too.  Entombed, grieving, you're laying somewhere in-between hurt and healing; hope and Hell. And the silence in there can be deafening sometimes.  I know, because over the years, I've been there way too many times myself. 

But hang on!  Don't give up! Despite whatever it is you're going through, however you're feeling right now, whatever lies the enemy of your soul is bombarding you with, KNOW THIS:

There is hope, and that hope is in our Lord and Savior, our Beloved Brother and Friend, Jesus Christ, Who gave up EVERYTHING, from the moment He arrived on this earth to the moment He breathed His last breath on that Good Friday so long ago, to give you and me EVERYTHING. 

Every hope. Every help. Every healing.

EVERY blessing.  


There is a song whose lyrics begin, 'Come thou fount of every blessing.'  Who is that fount? Jesus is. Everything we need pours forth from Him.

EVERY blessing. Perhaps not the kind we envision and consider to be blessings  -- not the material or tangible kind, like brand new cars, beautiful, immense homes, gorgeous jewelry, loads of cash in the bank (and in our hands), etc.  But the kinds of blessings the Lord knows we need and is delighted to give.

• Are you weak today? He will give you His strength
• Are things chaotic? He will give you His rest and bring things to order
• Are you anxious and worried? He will give you His peace
• Are you afraid? He will give you His courage and boldness
• Are you confused, lost? He will order your steps
• Are you overwhelmed by sorrow?  He will stand with you and give you His comfort
• Are you feeling unloved? He will give you His unfailing and unconditional love
• Are you broken and feeling shattered into a million pieces? He will take those pieces in His hands and send forth His healing upon you

Let Jesus, the Christ, roll away the stone from your tomb of death; step out with Him and into His light and life. The day of resurrection. No longer the day in-between. 

Remember, I am with you always. ~ Matthew 28:20 (HCSB)

Worship Song Sunday -- Not For A Moment (After All) - Live, by Meredith Andrews and the Vertical Church Band

'Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.' 
~ Psalm 27:10 (NLT)

The Promise, by Morgan Westling

Some years ago, there was a commercial whose tag line was 'Life Comes At You Fast.'  I wholeheartedly agree with that.  Sometimes, too fast.  And with too much flux. Nothing stays the same and you have no control. 

Like a roller coaster, I can be up one moment and down the next. Some days, it's all I can do just to hold on tightly to the safety bar and hope I don't fly out of my seat! 

Can anyone out there relate to that?

Back in June of 2000, my mother passed away; my father six years earlier. I recall sitting outside on my front steps the morning I received the phone call from the nursing home about my mom, feeling so lost and thinking, 'Wow. I'm officially an orphan.'  Being in my '40s at the time and married with two children, it was such an odd thing to come to mind, but it's how I felt. 

Ever feel that way?  Like an orphan? Neglected, forgotten, abandoned, lost, alone?  

Be encouraged, dear ones.  On days like these -- days where life comes at you at the speed of blur, everything seems out of control, or you're feeling alone and forgotten -- let's remember that we worship, serve and love a great and glorious God.  A God Who is constant. Who is good. Who is sovereign.  A God Who has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. Take some time to sit and saturate yourself with the promises of God in His Word:

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ~ John 14:18 (NIV)

For I will be with you as I was with Moses; I will not fail you or abandon you. ~ Joshua 1:5 (NLT)

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] ~ Hebrews 13:5 (AMP)

When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. ~ Psalm 27:10 (AKJV)

Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, but I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands. ~ Isaiah 49:15-16, NKJV

Remember, I am with you always. ~ Matthew 28:20 HCSB

The Family of God, by Nathan Greene (copyright 1992)

It's my sincere wish that this song will not only allow you to experience a greater sense God's presence as you worship Him in song, but that it will also encourage, inspire, comfort you, and bring you hope.

I heard this song the other day for the first time while waiting for my daughter in her high school's parking lot.  I'm glad I was early and that no one was around, because the words and the music moved me to tears.  I was reminded that I am loved by a holy, good and faithful Father, Who knows where I am at all times and Who hears my cries, because He is right here with me, even when I cannot perceive His Presence. He will not forsake me -- nor you -- not for a moment. 

Warning

Warning – never write a blog entry entitled “God is Good,” and expect/think that nothing will happen (sooner than later at that) to make you wonder, even if only for the briefest instant, if that is really true.

Now, I know that it IS true.  God IS good.  But I also know that this life is not. Not all of the time. No matter how many T-shirts, baseball caps and bumper stickers assure me and you that ‘Life is Good,’ don’t for one minute believe that to be a consistently true statement.

God is good despite the fact that life is not always good. Despite the fact that things and people aren’t always what they seem and don’t always turn out the way you want them to. Despite what others say and do. Despite the way things look. Despite the way you feel.

One thing you can be sure of – God never, EVER changes. That is a part of His nature – to be unchanging. Unwavering. He is not fickle or double-minded like we are. God is good – all the time. That never changes.

But circumstances and people do change. All the time. Wednesday could be a perfectly wonderful day.  The. Best. Day. Ever., as people like to say. But then Thursday rolls in like a killer storm, complete with torrential downpours, deafening thunder, blinding lightning bolts and tsunami-sized waves. Sunday could be a day filled with joyful blessings, a day where it’s easy to praise God, a day where it’s easy to see and say and believe that God is good.

And then Monday comes along and begins to unravel like a bad sweater.

You car breaks down, your cell phone dies and oh, by the way, you left your wallet at home. Or you go online and find that three of your checks have bounced, with more on the way because your account is showing INSUFFICIENT FUNDS (always shown in blood red, just in case you missed it being in bold caps). Meanwhile, you realize that your rent is due today. And later on, you find out that you didn’t get that better paying job everyone, including you, were absolutely SURE you were going to get.  

Do you still believe that God is good?

Or how about this scenario?  You get to the job you already have, get called into the office and are told that your services are no longer needed and please go back to your desk to pack your things, your severance check is in the mail, have a nice day. You plod back to your desk -- where there are some empty boxes all ready and waiting for you and you find yourself greeted by two rather intimidating gentlemen from your employer’s goon squad…sorry…security office, to keep an eye on you and accompany you as you leave the building, just in case you might be thinking about going postal and shooting up the entire office on your way out the door. 

Might you be thinking: God is good?

The phone rings at home, you answer it, and the voice on the other end tells you news you don’t want to hear:

·         Your son’s been arrested

·         Your parents are divorcing

·         Your daughter was in an accident and is at the ER

·         Your spouse isn’t coming home

·         Your test for cancer or diabetes or heart disease came back positive

Is God still good then?

Yes, of course He is.  

However, it can be a truth that's difficult to grasp and hold tightly to in the midst of life being not so good.  In fact, it's downright, exasperatingly hard. When things begin to spiral downward in life, I can almost see the enemy slithering up next to me, raising one eyebrow, nodding his head and saying with an eerie chuckle, "So....how's that whole 'God is good' thing working for you now, dearie?" 

Not long after I wrote  'God is Good'   and posted it, some things in my life began to unravel like that aforementioned bad sweater.  Because, as we all know, after a lesson always comes the test. 

But --  in spite of the things I see going on around me in my family, in my neighborhood, in the lives of dear friends, as well as in the Church and, of course, in the world, things that anger, sadden, confuse and frighten me -- I will choose to remember and believe that God is still good. 

Even after the three phone calls I received in an hour's time that left my head spinning and my heart pounding out of my chest the other day.  Even after someone near and dear to me shared some news yesterday that made me sick, broke my heart and caused me to wonder what the future will hold for them now, I will choose to remember and believe that God is still good.

What about you, dear friends? Who or what in your life is causing you to struggle to remember this truth, that God is still good even when life is not?

Will you join me today, and in the coming days, in choosing to remember and to say, along with the prophet, Habakkuk: 

Though the fig tree should not blossom,

    nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail

    and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the fold

    and there be no herd in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

God, the Lord, is my strength;

    He makes my feet like the deer's;

    He makes me tread on my high places. ~ Habakkuk 3:17-19, ESV

Worship Song Sunday -- Stronger, by Hillsong

There is truth
that sets me free,
Jesus Christ
Who lives in me.......

Spirit of the Savior, by David Jean

I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me. ~ John 14:6

Worship Song Sunday -- My Hope Is In You, by Aaron Shust

Show me Your ways, LORD,
teach me Your paths.
Guide me in Your truth and teach me,
for You are God my Savior,
and my hope is in You all day long. ~ Psalm 25:4-5, NIV

Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken. ~ Psalm 62:5-6, NLT


Life is hard.  That's a given, isn't it?  We all would love to live a smooth, happy life that moves about on an even keel.  No surprises or shocks.  No hard times or difficulties.  No road blocks or detours.  


Unfortunately, that's just not possible.  Jesus warned His disciples (and that warning stretches through the centuries down to us) that  "in this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33).  There will be times when life doesn't go the way we'd hoped or planned.


But -- Jesus didn't leave them nor us with merely a dire forecast.  His next words in the same verse -- "But take heart!  I have overcome the world"  give us something else.  Something better to hold onto.  


Hope.  Jesus gives us hope.  Always.

Let our hope be in Him, all the day long. 

Saved By Grace

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ~ Romans 3:21-23, NIV


Ever since entertainer Whitney Houston passed away, almost one week ago, rumor-filled stories of the way she died and gossipy tales of how she lived abound in the news.  

At the grocery store yesterday, my eye caught the Newark Star Ledger touting headlines something along the lines of: 'The Sacred Being Made Into A Circus.'   

And today, that same newspaper's online headlines announced: 'Whitney Houston Funeral To Be A Star Studded Event.'



Yes, no matter where you go -- television, online news feeds, newspapers, magazines, Facebook, blogs -- you can't get away from the media feeding frenzy. EVERYBODY has something to say about Whitney, be it good, bad or indifferent. And I guess you can say that now, I'm just adding to the 'noise' with my two cents.



Fans and local pastors are in an uproar because they cannot attend Whitney's funeral service at her childhood, hometown church in Newark, New Jersey, due to her family's decision to make it an 'invitation only' event.   Folks who serve or have served in the military are appalled that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has designated that American flags throughout our state be flown at half staff tomorrow, February 18, the day of her funeral, in honor of Whitney.  I can certainly understand their indignation over this, although I do not share in it.  


But I'm not here to address any of that.  I'm here to address something that someone wrote about Whitney Houston which I believe is just absolutely WRONG.


I'm not certain of where I read this.  Again, there is so much out there right now about Whitney, it may have been on someone's blog (no one's blog I actually follow, just one I happened upon) or I might have read it as a post that someone shared on Facebook.  That is unimportant.  What is important is that someone actually believes this and is spreading this lie.  Perhaps they heard it preached in their church.  


This person was questioning people (family, fans and such) who are consoling themselves with the fact that Whitney is at peace and in the presence of her Heavenly Father.  This person stated that they should NOT be doing so because more than likely, Whitney is not in God's presence at all.  They declared that she had lost her salvation because she had turned her back on God by choosing drugs over Him.  


Ok, whoa, WHOA, WHOA!!!  Stop right there, someone hit the Rewind button!!!!


SAY WHAT????!!!!


I make no apologies for stating that this is SUCH a load of malarkey!!! To me, this is appalling.    Really!!! 


Appalling because, if this is so for Whitney, then it stands to reason it is true for everyone. True for me.  True for you.


Again, I have no clue as to where this person came by such a belief; perhaps, as I said, they heard it preached at their church.  But this is a false teaching!


Now, I didn't know Whitney Houston personally, so I have no idea if she surrendered her life to Jesus Christ.  I've learned that just because someone goes to church and sings in the church choir doesn't necessarily mean they are followers of Christ.  I can say this because I lived this way for many years. I grew up singing in the choir and was a pew warmer extraordinaire for over half my life.  


But, for the sake of argument, let's say that Whitney had surrendered all to Jesus and she was His follower, despite the fact that she battled a drug addiction for some years (and let's 'judge not, lest ye be judged' here because believe me -- everyone is battling something).  She was offered and accepted the free gift of salvation -- free to her (and to us), but at great cost to Jesus: purchased with the shedding of His precious blood on the cross.  If this is so, we would consider Whitney Houston 'saved.'   Saved by grace.  The apostle Paul makes it ever so clear in Ephesians 2:4-8 ~


'But because of His great love for us, God, Who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,  in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God....'


We are saved by grace, a gift from God.  Yet are we to believe that if we 'mess up' in life -- as Whitney did....as we all do -- our loving, Abba, about Whom James says 'does not change like shifting shadows' (James 1:17), about Whom Balaam declares in the Book of Numbers '...is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind' (Numbers 23:19),  and Who Himself says in the Book of Malachi "For I the LORD do not change," (Malachi 3:6)  -- are we to believe God will change His mind and snatch back that awesome gift??  I just cannot wrap my brain around this mindset. 

Because really, if we are honest with ourselves -- we will admit that we all 'mess up' in life, many of us on a regular basis.  And that's why there are Christian counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists available to us; that's why there are Christian support groups like 'Celebrate Recovery' popping up in so many churches.  Because we are a fallen, flawed people, saved by grace, yet still in a battle with some temptation, some addiction, some sin in our lives, threatening to take us down.  

'Calvary,' by Stephen Sawyer

The enemy of our souls would love for us to believe that our salvation can be taken away. 


I want to believe that Whitney Houston gave her life to Christ and called Him her Lord and Savior somewhere along the way in life, so despite the fact that her addiction to drugs ended her life, she found herself in the arms of Jesus.  Truly, I do. So I cannot speak the following truth to her.


But -- perhaps there is someone reading this today who believes or knows and loves someone who believes that their salvation can be taken away.  That in the midst of their battle with some sin or addiction, God will come along and snatch back His gift of salvation, His gift of amazing grace and unending, everlasting love. That in essence, God is what they used to call back in my day 'an Indian giver.' 


I am no learned preacher or educated theologian, but I am here to say:


Please DO NOT believe the lie!!!


My pastor has preached and taught on this subject many, many times. And interestingly enough, I recently heard a sermon podcast which addressed this very subject!  I'd like to share some of what I learned from it:


*For those who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, NOTHING can hijack their salvation.  Grace always triumphs!  


*Jesus's death paid for our sins.  Sins we could never pay for ourselves.


*Don't cheapen grace.  Our sins cannot undo Jesus's work by His death on the cross at Calvary and His resurrection from the grave three days later. Because if that were so, then NONE of  us has ANY guarantee of eternal life with our Savior.


And finally, this statement:


*Jesus's death either pays for ALL sin, or it doesn't pay for ANY sin.  

So, regarding the above statement, let me ask you now:


Which do YOU believe?


Believe that you are saved by grace.  That you are safely in the hand of God and NOTHING can snatch you out of His hand.  Nothing.



Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see


'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed


My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace ~ Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone), by Chris Tomlin

Legacy

For I am already about to be sacrificed [my life is about to be poured out as a drink offering]; the time of my [spirit's] release [from the body] is at hand and I will soon go free. ~ 2 Timothy 4:6, AMP

Yesterday, I attended the going home service of my beautiful friend, Daveida Wallace, joining together with several hundred other people, to bid her farewell. 

It's been my honor, privilege and delight to be a part of Daveida's life -- not only to have been her friend and to have loved and served her, but to have been loved and served by her. This woman made such an impact on my life and the lives of so many others.  We had only met back in September of 2010, but I felt like I had known her my whole life.  

At the time, neither of us had a clue as to just how entwined our lives would become.   

Daveida was a mother of three, a woman who had been battling breast cancer for some time; she was in pain, exhausted and had been told by her doctors that she'd be lucky if she made it to October.  She was simply looking for help with meals to give her overwhelmed family members a break when she reached out to our pastor for help, who in turn, shared her story and request with my friend Michelle and I, both of us being breast cancer survivors ourselves.  

Daveida told us later she had no great expectations of anything other than a few weeks worth of meals, and perhaps the pastor stopping by once or twice to pray and share some Scripture with her.  She never expected two survivors to come her way and wind up as friends. 

Michelle and I had similar non-expectations.  Even though we'd survived our own cancer journeys, that Saturday morning in September we showed up on Daveida's doorstep, we really weren't sure WHAT to expect as we eyed up the "No Smoking--Oxygen In Use" sign attached to the front door.  I remember the both of us taking a collective breath as we got ready to knock on her door, as if we were preparing to dive into unchartered waters. 

When the door opened, we were greeted by a waif of a woman with barely-there hair, and huge sunken eyes, lugging an oxygen tank behind her. We had to strain to hear her breathless voice as she welcomed us into her home, shared her story, and just before we were ready to go, whispered a prayer over US!


Later that day, though, feeling SO overwhelmed by her many needs, Michelle and I realized something.  We felt -- beyond blessed!!  How was THAT even possible? 

We went to be a blessing to Daveida, but walked away having the tables turned on us. 

Every time we met with her, it was like that. Not just for us, but for everyone else who came to know her in the weeks and months that followed.  Because, thanks be to God, October came and went and our delightful new friend remained among us, defying the doctors dire predictions! (That's our beautiful Dee in the middle, top row!)

Daveida wrote to me once that we'd be sisters forever.  And that will not change just because she has left this world. In fact, I feel an even more special, sisterly connection to her because she passed away on my birthday.  No, I am not angry, hurt, upset by that fact. Because I know that Daveida's with her Savior, Jesus Christ.  She is FREE -- free from all hurt, pain, discouragement, sorrow, disease.  And that is something to celebrate.  Her birth into new life!


For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that  is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself and not by human hands.  We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.  For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.  While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us.  Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:1-4, NLT


The soul of this precious woman left her body last Thursday evening and headed for her new home -- her home with Jesus.  However, Daveida didn't just leave behind a weary body. She didn't just leave behind a grieving group of family and friends.  She didn't just leave behind memories of brighter, happier, healthier days. No, she left behind much more than that.  

Daveida Wallace left behind a legacy.  

A legacy of love and service to others in need.  A legacy of perseverance and strength in the midst of pain and suffering.  A legacy of encouragement and hope, comfort and joy.   And she didn't leave it laying by the wayside for all of us to look at or comment on or weep over. 


Absolutely NOT!  This woman of faith left behind a legacy for all of us to grab a piece of and run with.  Just like she did.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ~ 2 Timothy 4:7, NIV


As hard as this seems and as much as it hurts for us who loved her dearly, we are called to carry on Daveida's legacy. Pressing on.  Moving forward.  Leaning on our Lord Jesus Christ all the way, following in His steps, like she did.  And we are to lean on one another as well.

Daveida didn't look at life as something to 'get through,' but as a gift to be enjoyed, savored and shared.  

She was pleased and content to be a humble, obedient servant of the Lord, avoiding the limelight and applause, choosing instead to work behind the scenes.  My friend wasn't looking for acknowledgement or accolades or other people's approval.  She was simply doing what every humble, obedient servant of the Lord and child of the Most High God does: shining her light of love in the dark places of this world. 

Last week, Daveida's light was gently, quietly extinguished by her Father God.  

But not before He made sure each one of us who knew her and loved her were touched by that light and have added a portion of her flame to our own that burns for Jesus.  To make our flames that much brighter as we also shine our lights in the dark places of this world. 

May my sister's legacy continue on in all of us.  


Daveida Wallace:
Daughter
Sister
Mom
Grandmom
Auntie
Godmother
Coworker
Friend
Daughter of the King
Good and Faithful Servant
Beloved

I will miss you so much, dear sweet friend.  Sisters forever!!


Until we meet again.................  


I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?  Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy ~ Legacy, by Nicole Nordeman

In The Blink Of An Eye

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ~ James 4:14 

Many years ago, I used to keep a sign at my workstation that read, 'Life is unpredictable.  Eat dessert first.'   I got loads of comments and lots of chuckles about that statement, but it is so true. Life can change in the blink of an eye.

Last week, I wrote  “A Different Kind of Sunday,” highlighting the song ‘Our God Is Able’ for my Worship Song Sunday post.  I wrote it after a day spent with my sweet friend and sister, Daveida, who once again found herself in a major, painful battle with cancer.   I penned these very words that day:


But my sweet friend and sister-in-Christ KNOWS that Our God is able.


Yes, oh YES she knows this!!


Able to heal.  Able to strengthen.  Able to comfort. Able to deliver. Able to redeem. Able to transform.  Able to raise the dead to life.  Able to make a way when there seems to be NO WAY. 


Able to do IMPOSSIBLE things. 


She knows God won't fail her.  She knows God won't leave her or forsake her.  She knows God loves her.


Daveida believed those truths for her life with her whole heart, mind, soul and strength.  Those of us who loved her dearly were in agreement with her and continually reminded her of and encouraged her with those truths.


I consider this Sunday a different kind of Sunday also because today, Daveida is no longer with us.  As her mother told me this past Thursday night, “She’s left us.”  Yes, my friend passed away.  Today, she is in the arms of her beautiful Savior, Jesus Christ, while our arms -- and our hearts -- are now empty. 


Right up until the end, all of us, Daveida included, believed that God was going to do a mighty, supernatural work and heal her…totally and completely….bringing all glory and honor to Him, because the doctors had given up, saying there was nothing more that they could do for her.  Several strong and faithful people of prayer, none of whom knew one another at the time (and two who didn’t even know Daveida at all, but who had been asked to pray for her by friends), had clearly heard God speak to their spirit and tell them, ‘this will not end in death for her.’  


We didn’t know how or when healing would come.  But we all trusted and believed, and thanked God for how He was going to bring this all about.   Last Saturday when several of us went to visit her, and she rocked back and forth in pain in her living room, we continued to trust and believe with thankfulness that this would not end in death for her.  Three days later, this past Tuesday night, when I stopped by Daveida’s home to hang out with her for awhile and she seemed so much better,  I continued to trust and believe with thankfulness that this would not end in death for her.  We made plans for me to stop by the next morning to make her breakfast.  


Wednesday morning, when Daveida called me to cancel breakfast, telling me that she could no longer stand the pain and was having her son drive her to the ER;  and on my way to the hospital, when I made the phone call to several friends to spread the word to pray pray PRAY for Daveida; and when she slipped into a coma later in the day after being taken for a CT scan of her lungs to check for blood clots; and as so many of us gathered together with her family in the ER's tiny waiting area, we continued to trust and believe with thankfulness that God was going to heal our girl and that this would not end in death for her.    


When we got word later that she was awake, and lucid, and cracking jokes, WE REJOICED!!!!! And we continued to trust and believe with thankfulness that this would not end in death for her. That night, Daveida held court in the ER while she waited for the staff to find a room for her, listening to praise music on a friend’s iTouch, talking and laughing and enjoying the revolving door of company in the form of family and friends that she received (oh, we all broke SO MANY hospital rules).  We all thanked and praised God, joyfully sending out messages to those who could not come, but who were diligently praying at home or at church, that once again, God had rescued our dear Daveida (as He had done almost a year and a half ago).  And we all continued to trust and believe with thankfulness that this would not end in death for her. 


Thursday afternoon, I stopped by the hospital to visit with Daveida.  She looked as if she had slipped back into a coma, although her family said she was just asleep from the pain meds she'd been given.  Just before I left, she sat straight up in bed, struggling to breathe and acting as if she had to throw up.  Her eyes reflected so much pain, and she looked so disoriented, it hurt to look at her.  I kept repeating to myself, “Lord, I trust You.  You said You were going to heal her and I believe You will.”   I leaned over to Daveida, took her face in my hands and spoke words of encouragement to her.  I told her to hang on, that the Lord was going to bring her through this, as He had promised.   I told her I loved her.  I saw a bit of recognition in her eyes.  And a bit of hope, struggling to stand firm.  I kissed her and said that I would see her tomorrow. I walked away, fully believing that I would. 


But then -- life changed, in the blink of an eye.

That night, my family took me out to dinner for my birthday.  We switched cars and I inadvertently left my cell phone in the other one.  I didn’t even realize I was without it until I got home.  After much searching, I remembered it was in my car, and ran out to get it.  What I saw when I checked it made my dinner want to come rushing right out of my stomach.  There’s a horror movie called ‘1 Missed Call.’  Well, I felt as if I were starring in my own horror movie as I read the words '8 Missed Calls' on my phone’s screen, most of them coming from Daveida’s mom and sister, as well as two other mutual friends.   I didn’t wait to hear the messages, but called back her mom, who shared that her daughter was gone.  


Like a mist, Daveida appeared for a little time on this earth….and then vanished. 


Three days later, I am still reeling from the news.  I’m still in a state of shock.  I’m doing all the normal, day-to-day things -- running errands, cooking, doing laundry, taking my daughter and her friend to the mall -- but I feel like I’m moving in a dream. A very bad dream.


So what happened?  As the four of us who were closest to Daveida came together to comfort her family and each other, this is the question we kept asking and continue asking.  We are not shaking our fists in anger and raging at God.  But we are shaking our heads.  We’re confused.  We’re hurt.  What happened here?  Did those people who said they heard  that this would not end in death for Daveida  hear incorrectly from God?  Did we all misunderstand Him?  Some have said that yes, God did indeed heal Daveida completely.  She was so tired and in so much pain, He could no longer bear to watch His daughter suffer so.  So He called her home to heal her there.  


In some way, I can understand this reasoning.  But how do you explain that to the shy 11 year old boy who is grieving for his mother and internalizing his pain? How do you explain that to the 15 year old woman child who now not only has to raise her own 7 month old baby but her younger brother as well, all while attending high school, without the benefit of her mother’s guidance, encouragement and support?  How do you explain that to the 19 year old young man who promised his mother he would continue on with college NO MATTER WHAT, and is struggling now to keep that promise, as he wonders where and with whom will his two younger siblings reside?


Our faith, hope and trust is anchored in Jesus Christ.  But at the moment, all three of these things are being sorely tested in myself and many others.  We remain hurt and confused.  We are looking to our Lord for strength, for comfort, for peace.  We know that His ways are not our ways, and that our thoughts are not His thoughts.  We are not doubting His Sovereignty. But like David did in so many of the psalms, we are crying out to the Lord, looking to Him for answers. 


I will miss my beautiful friend Daveida.  The one year and four months since we met truly felt like it passed in the blink of an eye.  But in that blink, she taught me so much: quiet dignity in spite of pain and suffering; total dependence on God for EVERYTHING; trust in Him in the midst of the darkest possible storms; endurance and perseverance despite heavy burdens and challenges.  She gave me so much: love, support, hope, encouragement, wise counsel, laughter.  Hers was a well lived life.  And she was a woman much loved.

I’d like to ask a favor of those of you who have stopped by to read this post:


Would you please share your comments on this story?  What do you think and how do you feel about what I’ve shared here?  Have you ever experienced anything like this, confused over the possibility of misunderstanding God’s message to you, or wondering if you had really even heard from Him at all?


I’d really appreciate hearing from you.  Thank you, dear ones!

Teach me to number my days 
And count every moment before it slips away 
Take in all the colors before they fade to gray 
I don't want to miss even just a second more of this 


It happens in a blink 
It happens in a flash 
It happens in the time it takes to look back 
I try to hold on tight, but there's no stopping time 
What is it I've done with my life?
It happens in a blink ~ Blink, by Revive