Saturday, August 14, 2021

RECIPE FOR LIFE

I began my 5th Monday Meditation from Lysa TerKeurst, seeing beautiful again on August 2, the day after a friend's husband died. "Consider" it pure joy....(James 1:2-3) This past Monday, after visiting a rehab center and an assisted living center with round the clock care, I attended his funeral. 
The service gave glimpses of joy in the midst of the grief and hurt. (p.30) Sorrow and celebration were co-existing, not mutually exclusive, as  one might think. "Mixing them together is part of the recipe of life." (p. 35) 
Returning home, I read devotional #6 in TerKeurst book and the title was so "spot on", Why Would you let all this Happen, God?" Meditation quickly ensued as the two entries seemed to have so much in common. Younger friend (1) dying, older friends suffering cancer set backs (2), mixed generations (5 ) undergoing chemo or radiation, and (2) falls that led to blood clots, one had no hospital room, available, 3 needed hip surgeries, 2 younger gals needed female surgery, 3 adult children of dear ones have made poor choices that are breaking hearts....I could go on & on but after further reading it's easy to see the "God is Good Pattern." In essence, as believers, we can easily say we trust God but in reality do we trust in the plan we are praying God will follow? When it doesn't, we often want to turn and run and hide. (Elijah in 1 Kings 18 &19) (p.37)

God's plans don't always have to match our plan for them to still be good. (p. 39)
Perspective is key in trusting God in the experiences of life we all wish we could avoid.  
"God is good. God is good to me, God is good at being God." Say and Repeat. (p.36)

Recipes of a life of faith often come from those wilderness experiences God allows in order to deepen and even sometimes sweeten life on the other side of the bitterness/disappointments.