I have fought, hoped, cried, prayed, wrote, spoke, exercised, dieted, took medications, treatments, challenged, yelled, and became numb inside (certainly many more adjectives apply but I would lose you as a reader if I wrote page after page of nothing but descriptives) in response to my body's betrayal of never doing exactly what the 'textbooks' (imagine that, finding info in books and not online, archaic!) tell us about how our bodies work. It's just not working, my body or my responses. Pain takes away my ability to do so many things, including fight my insurance company over a denial of services letter I recently received after they had already approved it and well after services were rendered, leaving me with not only a mess to sort through but a bill I cant afford to pay!
All that ^ above caused a mini meltdown (not one person, animal or structure/object suffered undo harm) during a status update on Facebook. Several lovely ladies posted responses filled with encouragement, support, prayers and love (I am so very blessed to have them in my life). One post in particular caught my eyes and I followed the link she left for me. It was titled "Heal Me, O Lord" and can be found at guideposts.org/prayer, I highly recommend reading it. It was an amazing story of her hope, faith and healing but that's just the beginning! The beginning of what you might ask?
The beginning, preface, and start of this new blog series for healing! As I read her journey through pain and then healing I could not ignore this voice inside that kept saying "Denise, this is your answer, Denise, are you listening to the words you speak, Denise, Yes! I am talking to you, no you are not crazy (well you might be but not because of Me speaking to you), Denise, I need your help, please I sent this to you........this went on throughout reading her story. Now we come to my response to the Lord's calling of me........
For the next few months, Mon - Fri nights, I will be posting one of the 36 Bible Verses to Healing (which was discussed in the article mentioned above) and share with my readers a personal reaction/opinion based response. Since Lent is literally just around the corner I felt it fitting that I was called to do this and hope all my readers enjoy sharing their opinions and accounts of healing throughout this devotional period. I have one rule: respect each other's opinion!!! Bullying or attacking any individual will not be tolerated here and since I have the ability to screen all posts before they are displayed they will not be made made public immediately anyway and I will take care of unfit replies appropriately! Anyone wanting to send me a response without it being made public please be sure to type PRIVATE PLEASE in your comment!
Thank you and enjoy my fellow aliens!!
36 VERSES TO HEALING: #1 Proverbs 4:20-22 NKJV
20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
What a wonderful way to start a devotional, by listening to His words, exactly what I did when that voice wouldn't quit while reading the story (see not crazy at all......)and as we all will be doing throughout the 36 verses. Listening and hearing are two different things and as this verse points out 'give attention', 'incline to my sayings' not just hear them but listen and don't let attention wander elsewhere for He is all we need! Then He tells us not to let the words leave our eyes, focus on them, keep them in your heart....so what is it we will do when we are frustrated, stressed, in pain, sad, joyful, mindful? Recall His words or read them again from the Bible, a devotional, your laptop or index cards like the woman in the story who read the 36 verses in the car at a red light, on line at the store in a Drs waiting room or exam room and anytime she could so that her heart, mind and soul were all focused on the One that could heal her!! He goes on to say that His words are 'life', so when we complain that life sucks, and life isn't what we want etc...are we rejecting or forgetting where we are suppose to find our happiness, love, life? He makes it clear, He is life, His words are all we need and if we do that 'health to all their flesh'! We can find health and make our bodies well but it takes work, dedication, commitment....sounds a lot like exercise doesn't it? We need to make it a priority, just like eating healthy and exercising for our bodies we need Him and His guidance to fill our souls, our spirit, our minds and our hearts so they are healthy and fueled with faith and hope to offer encouragement to others struggling and share our love of life our love of Jesus and His words! Listen carefully, is He speaking to you yet?
Denise,
ReplyDeleteI read these verses for myself and my husband. It is always good to meditate on God's wisdom. God bless us as we journey from the 'desert' to a 'better place' with him.
Wow, I fell asleep early and woke at exactly the time in the early morning/ late night that you said you posted this. I have read it twice, and found the idea of putting each verse on cards a very good one. I think we often think we are listening, but, sadly, we did not, or do not hear at all, like our husbands to us lol. But, I am so very interested in how you do and feel very honored to be invited to not only follow along, but feel warmly challenged to go on this journey with you , in a personal way. My first response , I must say, is wow, and thank you Denise. In my teen years, in a youth dept.at church, I was often challenged by certain verses in the Bible. In the years of Bible College that followed, I think I heard enough for tests, but, wondered often, did I listen? It was in the times with the other girls in our curlers etc. in the late night hours of a little Bible Study, that I found I listened . I am grateful for this opportunity to, in our curlers, pjs. whatever way we find ourselves to settle in with a cocoa or tea, to go along with you dear Denise and my cards through-out each day to see what God has for you and me. I am excited for the journey . God Bless you dear one and everyone of us that reads God's word in a very personal way..... ♥
ReplyDeleteOh Mary, how I love your replies and reactions because they are so very personal and precious to me, you let us in, even if just a glimpse, to your world. I always learn something new or read something that strikes a chord within when you write posts. Your sharing of Bible School and sitting with curlers was such great imagery and made me smile at the thought of us and other readers and friends from Facebook all cuddled up in our heated blankets reading verses and sharing what they mean to us.....it's exactly what I hoped and what I felt while reading the story in Guideposts. We need to do this journey together but also apart, it doesn't stop until the next verse, we must live it, share it and grow from it or it isn't a journey at all, it would just be reading. Well Mary, my Earth Angel, I certainly look forward to joining you as well on your journey and anyone else who joins in as well.....I do believe this is going to change our lives forever and so happy I get to share that with you! My blessing and love to you as always Mary, you are an amazing blessing in my life!! Xoxo
DeleteThank you Maureen, without you passing on the 36 verses I may not have had my message.......we were meant to be brought together all part of Gods plan unfolding isn't it amazing? Hope you both enjoy this journey with me, I love having company!! Xxxxxxxx Be well
ReplyDeleteMy dear Denise (and little sister) when you told me about this last night I was amazed and fascinated and very glad you read and shared this with me. I too am so thankful you listened to God's words to you and have started these 36 days and I surely will be with you all the way through this. There are so many times God tries to speak to us and we hear but we really do not listen I know this is true of me. As I am reading this and the beautiful thoughts you have and have written I set here thinking how very important God is in our life's and when he say's ( My son give attention to my words) to me this is so important. It means he comes first he cannot and should not be put on the back burner. And even in our trials and I know you face many as I am right now I have to stop this OCD brain of mine and listen. I need to not go all to pieces as I have been with the worker's comp. insurance and lack of care. I need to focus on it. It is in his hands I am his child and he can surely take care of all of this and heal my flesh. Maybe I have given up on the thoughts of getting healed and just resigned to surviving. Is this what I am suppose to do believing his word? NO! So as Mary said I look forward to this journey I am going to write them on index cards after coming here, (goodness knows my memory is not good anymore.) And truly take time to study them and LISTEN! I love the analogy Mary of us sitting home doing our bible study all of us together with Denise in our p.j.s comfy spot and with God leading. I know Denise has took his lead for that I am so thankful! And Maureen your so right in saying as we journey from the desert to a better place with him. I am so ready for this journey!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou said so much Viv I have not a clue where to start or end........well, yes I do! If this provides you with nothing else then focus to help control the OCD episodes we know so well, not only will I be grateful but think just maybe Ben would be too, not to mention The Lord! He looks down and says there she goes again, she's on her tenth sentence and I heard one and I am all knowing.......lol Just kidding of course but to those looking on trying to help you we feel helpless, I try and redirect you to prayer and remember saying several million times "Let GO Let GOD", but unless you take that time to listen you will never hear what God may try saying. We know so well how He uses vessels to carry out His plan and offer His words but if we dismiss someone too soon we could very well miss something very crucial. Slow down, breathe, and pray those verses and I bet your OCD will leave town pissed off because now He is in control and OCD can't survive unless its in control of you! A miracle in your healing has happened, you lost weight, you can breathe better with less meds and you certainly haven't had as many episodes in the hospital......give thanks and help keep me going please, remind me that this is what I need to do without putting pressure on me just by guiding me along through replies etc..... I know you are the one for the job, no one else has that ability except for The Lord! Love you and proud of you for trying so hard to keep it together, I know it's not easy!!! Xoxoxo
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