Almost three years ago I visited a small family owned garden nursery, one my chirldern and I had visited often. On this visit unlike the ones before my arms were empty. There was no little boy needing me to hold him. Somewhere in the distance there came this heavenly sound. It was high pitch yet soft and tender all at the same time. It reminded my heart of a child’s laughter. I followed this sound all throughout the winding garden. The end of the trail had lead me to a small, red wind chime.

Fast foward to tonight. All three of my precious little girls were sound asleep as I peeked in on them one last time for the night. There lying on my youngest bedroom floor was my son’s favorit teddy bear. I picked it up … but insted of putting it away I heald on to it. I could feel every drop of strength I had fall away. There in the dark room I bent down to pray. Words stuck like velcro on my tong. 1 Peter 5:7 flooding my heart over and over again ! (‘Cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you.’ 1 Peter 5:7).

I don’t even know how long I was on the floor. I stood up and gazed upon the stars to say thank you one more time and there it was ! In the dead of night coming from a small red wind chime hanging on my frount porch was the precious sound of a child’s laughter.

(Romans 5)

Mothers day is approching… there is this unspeekable pain when you have a child in your heart but you can not hold them in your arms. I am thankful that in my reading the lord had me stop and digest these words for  the past three days.

Romans 5… While we were deep in sin he loved us !. He so lovenly gave us a gift to cover all the ugly. A gift of grace.

How sweet the sound !

Romans 5:1-21      (NKJV)                                                                                                                                     1. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  2. through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in whice we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perserverance; and character, hope.  5. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

6. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7. for scarcely for a rigteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9. Much more than, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God throuh the death of His Son, so much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God throgh our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now recieved the reconciliation.

12. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the would, and death throuh sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned- 13. (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14. Necertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of HIm who was to come. 15. But the free gift is not like the offense. For it by the one man’s grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ abounded to many. 16. And the gift is not like that which come throuh the one who sinned. For the judgement which came form the offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in jusification. 17. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who received abudance of grace and of the gift of rightousness will reign in life throuh the One Jesus Christ.) 18. Therefoe, as through the one man’s offense judgement came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinner, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. 20. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. 21. So that as sin reigned in death, even so in grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

She was only thirty – four years young but during this dark, endless night her heart would age over sixty years. Her body was exhausted and weak, she did not even realize it. Love, the strongest love one can experience between another person kept her pressing on as she stayed watch at his bedside.

The moonlight silently covered the cold hospital room.
Where had the sun gone ?
Where did the time disappear to ?
It had all slipped away as the prayer was flowing from her soul (scripture feed, spirit lead.) “Please heal him from head to toe, let him dance and smile.”
Only once in those fifteen hours did the words ‘let your will be done’ escape through her lips.*Matthew 6:10 Lets not my will but your will be done on earth as is in heaven. Hope, trust and tears accompanied those words. She knew His will may not be the same as a mothers.
In her heart, in the foundation of her very being she knew his will was love, always love. *Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
*Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you” says the Lord ” Plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and hope.”

This night would change her.
Memories of lying next to him. Holding his hands and softly kissing his forehead. A whisper coming not from any lips but strait to her heart ” I have him, I have him, I HAVE HIM.” The Lord has him.
Never leaving his side, always leaning onto her saviors promises.
*Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.
*Hebrews 13:5 Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.
*1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your cares upon the Lord for he cares for you.
*Psalms 33:4 His word is right and true. He is faithful in all he does.
*2 Corinthians 14:18 So we fix our eyes not on what we see but on the unseen. For the seen is temporary and the unseen is eternal.
*2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is sufficient for you, it is made perfect in your weakness.

She couldn’t see it in this dreary moment but this time with him in her arms, lost in prayer was a precious GIFT. Time to have him just a little while longer.
*1 Corinthians 13:13 And these three things remain; faith, hope, and love; the greatest of these is Love.

Just as the pink early sun broke through the already hot August sky, her prayers were answered. He was healed !
He was perfect from head to toe. His blue eyes sparkled as he was dancing… in paradise.
*John 14:3 I will go and prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you with me so that you may be where I am.
*2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down, we will have a house in heaven and eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.
* Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The strongest Love.

I will never forget how the soap suds glistened from the orange afternoon sun. My arms elbow deep in the dish water as I finished the lunch dishes. It was in this moment I felt the words ‘just love’ placed upon my heart.

I had been in a season where I was unsure where the Lord was leading me. My days were filled with taking care of a home and three amazing daughters. Sometimes I felt like life was just trying to keep me busy but that is not how I wanted to live. I wanted to make the moments count. This life is nothing without His love. He is in all of the details and I do not want to miss a thing, always thankful for His amazing grace.

They were just two little words ‘just love’ was it simply that easy? *Matthew 5:44 but I tell you love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. *Colossians 3:14 and above all these virtue’s put on love, which binds them all in perfect unity. Love is not love until it is given away.

It is anything but simple! I am so grateful to serve a God whom loves his children so much that he provided us with the perfect example of love in his son Jesus Christ. *John 15:12 my command is to love each other as I have loved you. *John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Grow where you are planted. Be still and know he is God. Always have faith in his word. These are the words running though my mind as I plant the peace lily into my garden. We are His masterpiece, created in his image. We are more precious than jewels. Our Lord has laid out grate works for each and everyone of us. Works that will be accomplished as He directs our footsteps, refines us to be more like Him. He walked with us yesterday and will be beside ust tomorrow. *Ephesians 2:10 For we are Gods masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, in which God prepared in advance for us to do. *Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.*Proverbs 3:15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can be compared with her.
*Deuteronomy 31:8 it is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you or forsake. Do not fear or be dismayed

Just Love… Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus replied “LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; this is the GREATEST COMMANDMENT. And the second is like it: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.
*1 John 3:1a “See what great love the father has lavished on us; that we may be called His children of God; and that is what we are.
We were created to love and to be loved.