Monday, March 15, 2021

Where She's Downright Helpless Without Him


"Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved."   ---Psalm 55:22

"Apart from me you can do nothing."   ---John 15:5


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So to fill our outdoor bird feeders I--

grab my coat,
remove a board (which keeps Dan the Cat out) from in front of the accordion basement door, 
push back that door, move aside the curtain across it. 
I switch on the light, descend the five stairs, 
then usually climb right back up, having forgotten to grab the empty plastic shoebox and cup for birdseed.

Then in the still-semi-darkness I --

step over to the storage bin with the birdseed, 
struggle with the lid, 
set it upon the floor then 
scoop up birdseed with the cup a few times into the container. 

Then I carry the seed back up the stairs, through the doorway, replace the board and the curtain
open the backdoor
walk over to the bird feeders
then fill them.
I walk back over the little sidewalk to the back door,
open it, pull the curtain back 
reach through the accordion door opening over the board to the shelf
and replace the empty plastic shoebox and cup,
close the curtain
walk up the three stairs into the kitchen
and go about my day.

All this just to feed the birds! I imagine all my other tasks and discover a sudden need to sit down. ツ

But here's the thing: at age 62-as-of-tomorrow, I can do nothing without Jesus' help. No seriously, not even the vacuuming. Oh, the dread, struggle and loneliness of living one moment apart from Him!

For me? I refuse to live even seconds without the knowledge, the remembrance, the vital presence of Jesus. They've become too much like breathing now, especially during this pandemic, and more? They keep away all silliness like wilderness trips alone and where's God gone? thoughts. 

Phooey on all that stuff.

But go relying on people this way and we're doomed to disappointment (and often disappearance). Even when I mess up, Jesus stays, which says much during these cancel culture times. 

I mention all this because of this paragraph, below. Weeks ago it both shook me and confirmed that Life lived in this manner is best. I cannot shake these words (nor wish to). May they shake you, as well.

"(Jesus) answered: I've given each person a will. The desire of the hearts of those who will not accept me is that they want Us to stay out of the way. They don't want the Father, the Son or the Holy Spirit. They say, 'Leave me alone, I'll make it.' They think they can make their own lives, live the way they want. That's the will of people who deprive themselves of salvation. So I immediately had to create a place of total separation."

From Heaven Is Beyond Your Wildest Expectations, Ten True Stories of Experiencing Heaven by Sid Roth and Lonnie Lane


And now may you go with God. Forever moment-by-moment. In joy.



"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."   ---Proverbs 3:5,6

Only one person has consistently encouraged me when I desperately needed it. Only one. Jesus. End of story.


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Oh, now here was a terrific movie: The Resurrection of Gavin Stone. Tom and I watched it on Saturday and both agreed it was perhaps the best Christian film of this type we'd ever seen. Highly recommended.

We watched that one over at Amazon, but this one, Crossing Streets, was another winner (we found it at Pure Flix). A seasoned detective is assigned a pastor as a partner so to get a different angle on the city's youth. 

It's a drama, but there's lots of humorous banter between the two men. Very enjoyable.







“I have come to see clearly that life is more than self. It is more than doing what I want, striving for what will benefit me, dreaming of all I can be. Life is all about my relationship with God. There is no higher calling, no loftier dream, and no greater goal than to live, breathe, and be poured out for Jesus Christ."
--Jamie in Brother Andrew's "The Calling”


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Please remember: My posts are ALWAYS about more than they appear to be. 

 
*****


 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15

3 comments:

Terra said...

Jesus designed a place of total separation, people can choose that. I think hell is separation from God, and people choose that. Heartbreaking. Those two movies sound wonderful, I am going to look for them.

Betsy said...

So much truth here today Debra. I have tried so many times to tell people of my experience when my heart stopped before I received my pacemaker. I believed in Heaven before. I BELIEVE IN HEAVEN NOW! There is NO doubt in my heart or my mind that when we die we go to one place or another. There IS a Heaven and there IS a Hell. Two distinct and separate places where we are going to spend eternity. I tell people so they will choose Heaven but you would be surprised at the people who don't take me seriously. I have never been more serious in my life.
Blessings,
Betsy

Pam said...

This is such a powerful post. Getting older and wiser isn't always easy, but how valuable it is to know that we are completely dependent on God for every single thing. It's life changing when we truly understand that nothing we might say, do, or think, will cause our sweet Savior to leave us. That's freedom. That is love. Happy, happy birthday, dear sister in Christ. I pray that God will continue to do his marvelous work in and through you. xoxo