Showing posts with label Surrendered life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Surrendered life. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

My covid Journey — The Best Year of My Life

What a mixed-bag of emotions!

"You won't get covid again. 
If you do, it won't be severe. 
You are free! 
Go to church, 
go to the store, 
restaurants,
 travel, 
go anywhere and everywhere!"

My heart skipped higher than my feet sailing out of Roswell Cancer Center yesterday.

After 13 months of isolation,
 I was free!

We celebrated with in-restaurant dining.
Good, but not as good as Dan's cooking.

My glee!

Giddy at the prospects of where I would go first:

Family
Friends
Church
Mani/pedi
Walmart
 
The list was endless. 
So much missed in 13 months.

My mind became cluttered quickly.

Slow down, Elaine, 
you still have 40 percent of your lungs damaged. 
Ease into, 
don't jump into,
 life as you once lived.

This morning, I woke to our slow-paced, covid-pandemic lifestyle.
Coffee and breakfast together.
Talking, waking up, talking some more,
Reading our devotional book, our Bibles and praying together.
Slow, no schedule, relaxed.

Thankful, I realized this year was a gift to us.

Together. 
This is the year life stopped and we found each other.
Without the pandemic, I may never have noticed Dan's love in action.

We cooked, 
 talked, 
played games, 
 laughed,
healed, 
 loved.

Like a year-long honeymoon, 
our love deepened, 
our communication understood. 

Soon, I realized this was more than our love story.
God revealed His love story for us.
Sick with covid, 
we had no choice but to 
stop and 
surrender
our lives and 
our dreams to
 our Savior. 

We fell at His feet and realized our utter dependence upon Jesus.

Nothing else mattered.
Not family,
friends,
church,
mani/pedi,
or Walmart

Only Jesus and
Jesus was enough. 

A life surrendered to Jesus is always the best year of one's life.


"And we know that God causes everything to work together 
for the good of those 
who love God and
 are called according to His purpose for them." 
Romans 8:28



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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Thanking God for George Beverly Shea's Work in Our Lives

 I remember the day well. Over thirty years ago.

 Our dreams had come true. We had it all! Loving marriage, beautiful children, financial security, dream home, a new found faith in Jesus Christ. Our hearts overflowed with joy and love and happiness we never dreamed possible.

Then came the call. God asked us to surrender our lives to him and enter full-time ministry. Could we give it all up? Financial security? Our dream house? How would a move affect our children? They were doing so well right where we were.

Dan and I drove country roads discussing and pondering the challenges ministry would place on our family. Weary of talking, I turned on the radio.

George Beverly Shea's beautiful baritone voice singing I'd Rather Have Jesus filled the airwaves of our car.  Dan and I looked at each other and we knew.  Yes, we'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands, silver or gold, riches untold. We'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today. Our children would be in God's care — the best place for them.




George Beverly Shea obeyed God and sang for Him. God used him to sing to us that day. His words were life changing. On difficult ministry days, we sing I'd Rather Have Jesus or play it on the George Beverly Shea cassette I bought for Dan one Christmas. In the 1990's tears streamed my cheeks as I sat not ten feet from Mr. Shea and enjoyed a private concert at The Cove in Ashville, NC.

There is no better place than in the center of God's will. May you know that truth today and sing I'd Rather Have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

Yesterday, at age 104, George Beverly Shea, met the Jesus he sang for.  Oh, I can hear him singing!  You can too! May this you-tube of I'd Rather Have Jesus be a splash of serenity in your day! I pray you'd rather have Jesus too!

I'd love to hear who God used in your life to affirm His will for you.

Thanking God for George Beverly Shea,

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