Oh, Jimmy

On By mygodroomIn blessings

Mark and I were talking on the phone while he is in Salt Lake earning extra money so we can have a little margin in our budget. This trip also gives him more prayer and reflection time as he drove across some of God’s most beautiful artwork.  It was a rare opportunity to serve our family, our God and others, as well as have some precious time alone.  It is important to have that one-on-one time for both of us.   When he has been absent from me physically, my soul reaches out to his in a different way.

I felt that tonight in a very palpable way when we finally hung up our phones.  I am grateful Mark speaks so much truth into my heart even if my mind is simultaneously traveling 17, 456 tangents.  The two are not mutually exclusive, though they can be equally overwhelming.   Where some of my responses come from often surprise me.  Odds are, I am equally apt to say something ridiculous as I am to speak something profoundly beautiful.  Tonight, thank God, I am assured by Him who is higher that it was beautiful.  I told Mark that the very person he did not want to have dinner with may be EXACTLY the person God desires for him to love like Jesus tonight.  It was a great conversation.  I want to honor the last night my husband is 44. He will smile to know that is what may have put Jimmy on my heart, too.   Tomorrow, he turns 45!

God, please keep my husband close to you and bring him home to us safely.  Thank you, again, for a husband seeking your heart and seeking to see the parts of me which reflect your son.  Thank you for showing me your love, grace and mercy this afternoon through your sons and one of your daughters.    Thank you for showing me exactly how a true Acts church must have felt for the members represented in Acts 2: 40-47.    I am grateful you whispered into my heart to speak the truth you have given me to the whole church present, not only our pastor.  Hearing more hearts, more praise for you from more voices was quite the symphony.  You already know this, and it was part of your plan, lest I forget.   I should expect no less from you, our master conductor. 

Once again, I am humbled by both the songs and the silences you are weaving together.    Once again, you removed any obstacles to living your word out in the spirit you intended.    Bring your concerns to the church and find the joy in the one lost sheep, indeed!   I am so grateful to know the spirit in your word and seek it out to find they are the words of your son.  Matthew 18:12-18!  Lord, you know my heart. Though I do not quote your Word chapter and verse, I pray you delight in how I will stop everything to chase YOU down, Lord.  Nothing matters more than learning more about you so I can share more of you.  Father God, I know I am yours. You know I am yours.  You know I live my life in such a way that I can praise you to others and encourage them to the letters in red.  I cry every time I think of those “lost sheep” you have put in my path.  Why you chose to use me may forever be a mystery, but there is no better work or greater success then bringing one of your precious sheep back to your Kingdom.   How perfect of you to take me to Acts 20:24, again, this morning.  Truly. Utterly. Perfect.  Paul cried in humility and tears and like him, I long to only finish the race you have for me.  Please keep helping me see your son in others and put the words in my mouth which will draw the light to the grace you have so generously given us.  Oh, Lord, we did not deserve him!  Please press it on the hearts of all in our church, YOUR church, to be held in the awe you absolutely deserve.  Help us grow, Lord.  If not in number, then in closeness to you and to each other.  Please, Father God, keep your arms wrapped around our pastors and ministry leaders, as well as their families, as our local church navigates this period of growth.  Please give comfort and peace to those being persecuted beyond measure in your name around the world.    I am reminded of a sermon almost five years ago where you told me I would not lose my way.  In that moment, GPS became God’s Perfect Son in my heart.     

While I have no clue how you brought me to seek your Truth and Grace in the quotes of Jimmy Carter, I will trust the thought “GPS”, as you have been directing my thoughts to your purpose in a huge way.  I am in a perpetual state of gratitude, awe and joy because of you, Lord. Only because of Calvary can I consider the toughest situations pure joy.   I love you.    For now, I will leave the quotes which resonated the deepest here for future reflection.  My prayer is you will reveal more of yourself to me through one of your other faithful servants.  Yes, even though he is a Democrat and no longer part of the SBC.  Not sure why you had me chase that factoid down, but I am certain it, too, will serve YOUR purpose.  I love you.

“Failure is a reality; we all fail at times, and it’s painful when we do. But it’s better to fail while striving for something wonderful, challenging, adventurous, and uncertain than to say, ” I don’t want to try because I may not succeed completely.”
― Jimmy Carter, Sources of Strength: Meditations on Scripture for a Living Faith

“If you fear making anyone mad, then you ultimately probe for the lowest common denominator of human achievement.”

“I have one life and one chance to make it count for something . . . I’m free to choose what that something is, and the something I’ve chosen is my faith. Now, my faith goes beyond theology and religion and requires considerable work and effort. My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.”
“Earlier in my life I thought the things that mattered were the things that you could see, like your car, your house, your wealth, your property, your office. But as I’ve grown older I’ve become convinced that the things that matter most are the things that you can’t see — the love you share with others, your inner purpose, your comfort with who you are.”
“Each of us has been made “a little lower than the angels.” What an incomprehensible compliment! But it’s not only a compliment; it’s also a responsibility, for our special status equalizes us with other people in the eyes of God. The Lord has exalted not only me or some special group; God has exalted everyone. It’s the people of Burkina Faso and Niger and Guyana and Haiti. It’s people who never learned to read and write or who live on fifty cents a day.  All human beings have been made a little lower than the angels, and we have a responsibility to treat them accordingly.”
“We should live our lives as though Christ was coming this afternoon.”
“Republicans are men of narrow vision, who are afraid of the future.” (I want the context of this quote because it’s not very Christ-like)
“You only have to have two loves in your life: for God, and for the person in front of you at any particular time.”
“In his early twenties, a man started collecting paintings, many of which later became famous: Picasso, Van Gogh, and others. Over the decades he amassed a wonderful collection. Eventually, the man’s beloved son was drafted into the military and sent to Vietnam, where he died while trying to save his friend. About a month after the war ended, a young man knocked on the devastated father’s door. “Sir,” he said, “I know that you like great art, and I have brought you something not very great.” Inside the package, the father found a portrait of his son. With tears running down his cheeks, the father said, “I want to pay you for this.ℍ “No,” the young man replied, “he saved my life. You don’t owe me anything.ℍ The father cherished the painting and put it in the center of his collection. Whenever people came to visit, he made them look at it. When the man died, his art collection went up for sale. A large crowd of enthusiastic collectors gathered. First up for sale was the amateur portrait. A wave of displeasure rippled through the crowd. “Let’s forget about that painting!” one said. “We want to bid on the valuable ones,” said another. Despite many loud complaints, the auctioneer insisted on starting with the portrait. Finally, the deceased man’s gardener said, “I’ll bid ten dollars.ℍ Hearing no further bids, the auctioneer called out, “Sold for ten dollars!” Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. But then the auctioneer said, “And that concludes the auction.” Furious gasps shook the room. The auctioneer explained, “Let me read the stipulation in the will: “Sell the portrait of my son first, and whoever buys it gets the entire art collection. Whoever takes my son gets everything.ℍ It’s the same way with God Almighty. Whoever takes his Son gets everything.”
― Jimmy Carter, Through the Year with Jimmy Carter: 366 Daily Meditations from the 39th President

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