Thou Shalt Hear!

A day before I left for Haiti, I began to deal with some sinus stuff…really no big deal. I get it regularly, work through it and it goes away. But after arriving in Haiti, it started acting a bit differently. My ears clogged up, and I starting losing some of my hearing. I didn’t let this interfere with my joy or what God had planned for me. It truly was nothing more than a little annoyance.

As the days wore on, my hearing lessened. I could barely hear myself talk, but was feeling fine. The night at the hotel after leaving the island, it seemed to blow out in full force. I simply struggled to hear normal decibels. But I was so thankful the worst hit as I was retuning home. And then it got even worse.

Massive fluid built up behind both ear drums due to the change in pressure on all my flights, particularly the little 4-seater private plane that took me off the island. This rendered me essentially deaf. So I struggled. I prayed and was determined to let it run its course, but my doctor thought tubes were probably in order. I had made it 45 years without major ear problems or the need for tubes and didn’t want to do that now. But no improvement was happening.

Finally, after reaching my limit this Tuesday night, God brought a scripture to mind. I was reminded of the night Jesus was betrayed and how one of his disciples cut off the ear of the high priest. Jesus reached out, touched his ear and he was healed. I thought, “Yes, it states clearly in the Bible that God heals ears.” So I believed He would heal mine. As a matter of fact, I was completely convinced. That night I prayed fervently for a miracle and slept with my Bible under my pillow, so God’s Word could seep into my inner ear.

Guess what? I awakened the next morning feeling worse than ever. It felt like something had exploded in my head overnight. But I was still convinced today was my day for healing. I went to a specialist later in the morning and he and I agreed NOT to cut my ear drums. I planned to wait it out. After leaving his office, I drove less than a half mile and my right ear popped. I had to actually turn down the radio…I was so excited. I immediately praised God for His healing. Shortly after that, my left ear was itching to do the same. I went from feeling at my worse to being miraculously healed.

As soon as that happened, I knew why I felt so bad first thing in the morning. It was a test of my faith. Was I going to continue to trust God? Did I still have faith in Him even when things got really bad or was I going to take matters into my own hands? I kept the faith, and He showed up. That’s what always happens when I stay fixed on Him.

So I pick Zach up from school later in the day. I tell him my right ear popped and I can hear again, but before I could tell him the story behind it, he said, “Wait...let me guess. God healed you.” I said, “Yes, He did. Let me tell you the story.” So I did. When I was all finished he looked at me and said, “Mom, that sounds like a Hallmark movie.”

I am thankful for my Savior more than ever. I’m thankful He heals me, cares for me and guides me in all that I do. But I’m most thankful that He shows up every single day of my life!

Matthew 11:15—“He who has ears, let him hear.”

The Face of Jesus...my beloved Haiti

We were sitting in the Atlanta airport when the earthquake hit. We were due to fly in to Cap Haitien, Haiti the next day, but that did not happen. All flights were canceled and through the amazing work of God, we were able to get there just 1 day late. I felt a great peace as our team wrestled with whether to go or not. I just felt called to be there.

I walked through the village of 6,000 desperately poor Haitians. Many children ran around without clothes and the immense poverty was immediately seared deep within my heart. I spent an entire day just hanging with the kids and getting to know the people. I have never felt so loved and accepted by a people in my life...I truly felt at home.

One evening I was able to share my testimony with the ladies, sing with them and simply enjoy their company. I also made salvation bracelets for the kids and handed out homemade dresses to 50 little girls. So much was packed in so few days that it was hard to even process it at the time...I spent my whole time staring the face of Jesus and feeling His presence on such an intimate level all day every day.

And the conversations and relationships that were built from the godly pilot who gave me a ride off the island to the associate pastor at one of the villages to the ladies who would not stop hugging me to the mom who asked that I sponsor her 1-month girl. My heart was exploding love...I don't know how else to say it.

I continue to pray about my time in Haiti and how God wants me to be involved in His work. As I was riding in the small 4-seater aircraft over the ocean, I watched the most magnificent sunset as I sat reading 1 Corinthians. I was speechless as I just breathed in the majesty of God. He spoke to me in the 15th chapter and 58th verse where He said, "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." I realized, He wants me to give myself fully without distraction to what He calls me to do. If I do His will, it will not be in vain. All other paths will be useless.

So I wait...I pray...I process...when He speaks I plan to respond without hesitation.

A Hankering for Haiti

I'm leaving for Haiti tomorrow. I tried to dismiss God's calling to go for several reasons. I am going with 8 guys and no other women, it's in the middle of the school year for Zach, Derek is just starting college, and on and on my excuses went. I even backed out when I thought there were too many other things going on in my life. But God spoke. He stopped whispering and turned up the volume. I responded. I didn't have a choice at that point.

I am now so excited!! After accepting His invitation to join Him in His work down there, so many things have begun to fall into place. He has laid a lot on my heart concerning my trip. Last night He spoke loudly and unexpectedly about another reason for my going. I'll be anxious to see it all unfold before my eyes as I attempt to walk humbly toward Him.

I've been doing a lot of research on the country and find my heart really drawn there. It was once very prosperous and now is desperately poor. 50% of Haitians live on less than $1 per day. I found myself coming down with sinus stuff last night and this morning I really wanted a vente Chai from Starbucks on my way into work, but I couldn't bring myself to plunk down more than a day's wages for 4 Haitians simply for a cup of tea. It didn't seem right. So I drove right on by.

I am at total peace about going and little concerned about my crackling voice and sore throat. I want to be a light in a dark world and make sure that all my deeds have a seed of eternity in them.

I am thankful for my salvation more and more every day and want everyone in the darkest places in this world to understand the unspeakable joy that comes from personally knowing Jesus.

Lord, please use me!

Devotion without Interruption

I have been reading the biography of Amy Carmichael. It's been a great way to bring in the new year. She had an extraordinarily intimate relationship with God that is so inspiring to me. Her deep and abiding connection to the King was not because she was a missionary or spent 53 years in India or saved hundreds of orphans. She served her whole life with a single-minded devotion to Jesus. That is how she developed a relationship that I long for. And that is my prayer as the 2010 gets underway.

This past week started out great. Then on Thursday, I was opening the mail and my heart sank with something that arrived. I looked up with devastation and said, "What do You want me to do with this?" I folded the letter, laid it in my bedroom and began to pray...I prayed all day until I began to feel guidance on how to react to the surprise in the mailbox. Later that evening, I took a punch to gut on an unrelated matter and have been continuing to pray through that as well.

My weeks are often filled with great joy and great challenges...sometimes the latter is overwhelming. And this is what makes me realize that my prayer for complete devotion to Jesus must be my only goal. I do not want to be distracted by what comes my way...I don't want my energies and emotions to get zapped while I focus on other things that are outside of His will for me.

May Amy's prayer be mine..."Lord, do Thou turn me all into love, and all my love into obedience, and let my obedience be without interruption."

Here are a few notable quotes from the book:

1. Whatever might blur the vision God had given her of His work, whatever could distract or deceive or tempt others to seek anything but the Lord Jesus Himself she tried to eliminate.

2. Take your slate to the foot of the cross and add up the figures there.

3. The saddest thing one meets is the nominal Christian.

4. He is burning out the dross, teaching me the meaning of fire, the burnt offering, the death of the self-part of me.

5. Truth once given form becomes imperishable, but let the edges of truth be blurred, and that pure form is very difficult to recover.

6. Nothing is worthwhile if the seed of eternity be not in it.