Dear Prayer Warriors,
One morning this week Simon caught me reading the Bible before anyone else was up. I looked up at him with delight and he sat down next to me and waited quietly. As I was finishing reading, Simon asked “what do you do with Jesus other than read the Bible?” As I searched for my critical thinking cap, I repeated the question to myself aloud. He wasn’t dogging on reading the Bible, I think he wanted to do more stuff with Jesus. How would you answer that?
Its easy for me to think of the things I do for Jesus, and even easier to think of the things Jesus done for me, but that wasn’t his question. I looked my son in the eye, complimented him on the question and asked for a little time. “what do we (Jesus and I) do together?” That was three days ago. The question has been a helpful inventory of my faith life. Simon and I have talked about it since.
One of the fruits of this question came in my spontaneous prayer life. I have since been asking Jesus throughout my days if He will go and do this or that with me. “Can you lead with me at work today Jesus?” or “I hear Renee crying mid sleep let’s calm her together Jesus.” Out of all this came so much thanksgiving.
I am so thankful for another year with Jesus. 15 years with, 28 years on my own. My life has more of Him and less of me.
Simon stormed off to his room this morning as soon as our visitors came because he was surprised by how they looked. He was in a moody state. I talked to him about how his feelings were getting the best of him as he rolled around on the ground not wanting to hear me out.
Simon didn't want to move. So I told him that we should pray for Jesus to go with Him upstairs to apologize to our guests, and serve them drinks, because if it was just up to him he would stay in his room.
This situation helped me see that perhaps its better to do things with Jesus instead of doing things for Jesus. Both are honorable in humility. Simon might have mustered a change of heart for Jesus because his father asked him or because he knows God sees him. Calling on Jesus to go with him to encourage and face the people he offended brought a more tangible thing to do with Jesus.
Please Praise the Lord with me:
*In December we will be receiving the chair we ordered post surgery. Anna has been in a stroller for 6 months that offers no spinal support.
*Our night nurse and our Homemaker/Respite provider continue to work full time for Anna and us! They are meeting all the regulations imposed on them. They continue to ease our daily living with great grace.
*Anna’s surgery bill appears to have gone through processing after numerous follow-ups with insurance.
*With great favor from God and man we purchased another car with our savings. This allows us to look for ways to turn our gold minivan into a blessing for someone.
*the Lord continues to sustain us through a few minor viruses. Thank you for praying for our continued health.
*We continue to have all our needs exceedingly met. We are blessed and favored from friends, prayer warriors, strangers, and family with gifts that humble and affirm us in Jesus. Some for the arrival of Victor, some for Anna’s comfort and some for the family as a whole.
*With Anna’s bike trailer we have gone on family bike rides in this unseasonable warm weather. That has been fun!
*We have been able to attend church and have been encouraged by the saints, fed in the Word, and filled with worship.
please pray for:
-The continued joy and understanding that comes when doing things with Jesus. May He be our confidence. May we be yielded in heart to the Holy Spirit’s lead.
-Anna to grow and regain ability in her legs. We are putting her in the gait trainer more, and hope to start hippo therapy soon.
-her new AFO’s (ankle braces) to be approved and arrive soon, we ordered them three weeks ago. she has outgrown her old ones and develops irritation when we put them on her.
-God to correct her left foot rotation, she is so inwardly rotated post surgery it has become hard to simulat
