June 21, 2018. 8:08pm. If you started to read my previous post, “Yes, I am still here!” but saw that I had not finished writing, please make sure you go back to it. I had quite a bit to write about and I did it in sections, ha ha. I finally finished last night!
Today was a really good day! Around 11am I met up with three co-workers / friends and we headed to Lampasas (about 32 miles from Liberty Hill). We stopped at Walmart to get some pool noodles, then headed to Hancock Pool, which is very unique. “It is a bit of Lampasas’ history, constructed in the very early 1900’s, and a summertime recreation spot for every kid that grew up here since that time. Hancock Park was the original Baptist Encampment for Central Texas and people came from miles around to be baptized in the cool spring waters. It is fed by a large spring and this keeps the water at a constant cool 69 degrees year round. Texas Highways has selected this pool as one of the top ten tourist spots to stop and visit for a cool down from a hot summer day.” http://www.lampasas.org/157/Swimming-Pool
We arrived a little after noon and hung out in the super cold water until around 3:00, then we went to go eat. The first time I went to the pool, I was with our school counselor, Margaret, and her husband. Margaret was one of the ladies who went today. The day I went with them, we ate at a really good Mexican food restaurant named Alfredo’s, and that’s where I wanted to go today. We arrived and there were no cars in the parking lot! Margaret checked the door and they were closed while on a family vacation; today was there last day to be closed. Go figure! Ha ha. We went to a different Mexican food restaurant named El Rodeo, and it was great! 🙂
After our yummy meal we headed back to Liberty Hill. I got home and spent some time out on my porch reading my Bible. I finished the Book of Genesis and began the Book of Exodus. Several things really spoke to me and I wanted to share them here.
Genesis 49:23 and 24: “With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. (Referring to Joseph) But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.” The footnote for these verses says, “These verses celebrate the times God rescued Joseph when his enemies attacked him. So often we struggle by ourselves, forgetting that God is able to help us fight our battles, whether they are against people with weapons or against spiritual forces. Joseph was able to draw closer to God as adversity mounted. To trust God to rescue you shows great faith. Can you trust him when injury or persecution is directed at you? Such spiritual battles require teamwork between courageous, faithful people and a mighty God.” The underlined part above is what really stood out to me. I need to remember that God is able to help me fight my battles. I do not have to fight them on my own, and neither do you!
Genesis 50:1 – 11 tells about how Joseph grieved over his father, Jacob, when he died. The footnote for these verses says, “When Jacob died at the age of 147, Joseph wept and mourned for months. When someone close to us dies, we need a long period of time to work through our grief. Crying and sharing our feelings with others helps us recover and go on with life. Allow yourself and others the freedom to grieve over the loss of a loved one, and give yourself time enough to complete your grieving process.” I used to believe that there is a “process” through grief that is completed; however, I no longer believe that. I believe that grief goes with us for the rest of our lives, but the pain decreases over time. When we lose someone we love, part of us goes with them and our lives are never the same. I don’t believe that we go through certain steps and then we are miraculously better, healed, etc. Nonetheless, the remainder of this footnote really spoke to me.
Genesis 50:24: “Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised an oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, ‘God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.'” The footnote for this verse says, “Joseph was ready to die. He had no doubts that God would keep his promise and one day bring the Israelites back to their homeland. What a tremendous example! The secret of that kind of faith is a lifetime of trusting God. Your faith is like a muscle – it grows with exercise, gaining strength over time. After a lifetime of exercising trust, your faith can be as strong as Joseph’s. Then at your death, you can be confident that God will fulfill all his promises to you and to all those faithful to him who may live after you.” WOW!!!!! Faith is like a muscle! I know that my faith has definitely gained strength over time, and I know that it is continuing to gain strength.
Exodus 2:9: “Pharoah’s daughter said to her (Moses’ mother), ‘Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.’ So the woman took the baby and nursed him.” The footnote for this verse says, “Moses’ mother was reunited with her baby! God used her courageous act of saving and hiding her baby to begin his plan to rescue his people from Egypt. God doesn’t need much from us to accomplish his plan for our lives. Focusing on our human predicament may paralyze us because the situation may appear humanly impossible. But concentrating on God and his power will help us see the way out. Right now you may feel unable to see through your troubles. Focus instead on God, and trust him for the way out. That is all he needs to begin his work in you.” I really understand – and you may as well – how focusing on our human predicament can paralyze us! I must always remember to concentrate on God and HIS power!
So, this is a total God thing…..and I realized it just now, as I am typing this…..I started going through things I saved on my phone last night and today that I wanted to share here. The first thing is a memory that popped up on my Facebook yesterday; it’s from June 20, 2013 and it says: “The Lord has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge.” ~Psalm 94:22 “Thank you, God, for Your stable and unchanging nature. Help us to hide ourselves in You when trouble comes our way. Remind us that we don’t have to fight our own battles.” ~Our Daily Bread. WOW, WOW, WOW!!!!! Didn’t I just mention earlier about not having to fight our battles on our own???!!! This is totally the work of the Holy Spirit! 🙂
The next thing I want to share is something that my former counselor, Sheila posted. I pray that it speaks to you in some way. 🙂
Next is a quote that someone posted about grief; I don’t believe I have shared it before. This goes along with what I said before about grief going with us for the rest of our lives. “Grief never ends…But it changes. It’s a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith…It is the price of love.” That is just so profound to me – “the price of love.” So, so, true!
Another post quoted 2 Corinthians 4:17: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” The next verse says, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. The footnote in my Bible for 4:17 says, “Our troubles should not diminish our faith or disillusion us. We should realize that there is a purpose in our suffering. Problems and human limitations have several benefits: 1) they remind us of Christ’s suffering for us; 2) they keep us from pride; 3) they cause us to look beyond this brief life; 4) they prove our faith to others; and 5) they give God the opportunity to demonstrate his power. See your troubles as opportunities! The footnote for 4:18 says, “Our ultimate hope when we are experiencing terrible illness, persecution, or pain is the realization that this life is not all there is – there is life after death! Knowing that we will live forever with God in a place without sin and suffering can help us live about the pain that we face in this life.”
In closing, here is another post that I came across. I must remember that I will get through this rough patch of life, after losing Adam. I got THROUGH losing my dad when I was 16. I got THROUGH two divorces. I WILL get THROUGH this! Not OVER it, but THROUGH it! And YOU will get through whatever it is that you may be going through. 🙂
Note: My blog posts are shown with the most recent posts at the top. If you’d like to read about how this journey began, scroll to my first post, titled “The Journey Begins.” 🙂
My Strength 