Today the unthinkable happened: it snowed. No, it didn't stick. No snowmen were made. No snowballs were thrown. But it did snow. And what a way to wake up this morning: beautiful big flakes quietly and deliberately falling from a gray sky. Facebook was abuzzing. Pictures were shared, with some areas to the northeast of us having a bit of accumulation. Folks were amazed and bemused that we would see the white stuff in South Carolina on the first day of November.
Fast forward to this afternoon. We received some bad news. A major setback. Mike was beside himself with anxiety and frustration. He was in a bad place. And there was nothing I could do. I felt helpless - just as he was. And then I happened to see my Proverbs 31 devotion from yesterday. It said to pray like everything depends on God. Of course I know that. But do I do it? Was I doing it right now? Obviously, the answer was a humble and uncomfortable No.
So I stopped what I was doing, right then and there. "Heavenly Father," I closed my eyes and prayed. "We need you right now. Things are not good at all right now. I pray that you will take away the despair and anxiety from my husband. I ask that, in its place, you pour down your hope and promise that you will take care of him. We need you right now." As I was praying this over and over, I kept having visions of the gently falling snow from earlier today. But why? Why did that vision continue throughout my prayer? It was calming - and claiming me. I felt a peace wash over my troubled spirit.
And then it hit me. It was not snow that was gently falling. It was manna. Manna! God's promise to the Israelites was that He would provide for their every need. It was manna. God's promise to us that He would provide for our every need. Wow.
Like the Israelites, what we are going through right now will not be over quickly. It will take some time. And at times, we will struggle. But I will remember the manna, and I know that He will provide. And we will be alright.
Snow here. The first snow is always so beatiful.
ReplyDeleteIt's such a helpless feeling to see our men in such a state. And why do we
occasionally need to be hit in the head to realize that it is God who will bring us some sense of peace. At least that's how it was for me. Who am I kidding? I am still like that. It's just that Kenny is not here, so I don't have that anxiety of his illness or the joy of being with him.
None of this is easy.
I will keep you in my prayers, and fortunately, even though we might forget, God doesn't!
Cheryl
Thank you for your kind words. Though our situations are not completely similar, I do feel you are one of few people who completely understands.
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