Saturday, January 8, 2011

contentment

The days are long. Really long. Dave has not been feeling all that well today. He has a low fever tonight. He will go on Thursday for his next chemo. It is going to be a cold week in Houston. Our coldest weather so far. Nothing like the weather back home. Everyone is gearing up for a big snow. All the milk and bread are bound to be off the shelves at every grocery store. James Spann (our favorite Alabama weather man) said once and I'll never forget it that everyone must be going to have milk sandwiches. But that's what we do in Alabama when it snows....we stock up on food and play in the snow. We are sad we are not home for the snow. I have been dealing with not being content. I never dreamed we would be doing this...living in Houston and facing cancer head on!! But this is where we find ourselves. So, we press on.

A friend gave us this book while we were home. It is a collection of Puritan Devotional Readings. Every page I read seems to hit me just where I am. I thought I would share some of what I read today.

..... Many times we must be content, not only to be active instruments but passive objects of His glory. If God will glory himself in our poverty, or our disgrace, our pain and sickness, we must be content. We need to deal with God seriously about this matter that we may submit to the Lord's will as Jesus: "Save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour: Father, glorify thy name" (John 12:27-28). This was the humble submission of Christ Jesus and it should be in us.
......We need to deal with God that we may have the end, and leave the means to his own choosing: that God may be glorified in our condition whatever it is. If he wills for us to be rich and full, that he might be glorified in our bounty; if he wills for us to be poor and low, that he may be glorified in our patience; if he will have us healthy, that he may be glorified in our labour; if he will have us sick, that he may be glorified in our pain; if he will have us live, that he may be glorified in our lives; if he will have us die, that he may be glorified in our deaths (Romans 14:8). Thomas Manton


I really want to be content where I am. If you pray for us, add this to your list.

June 13

22 Years I wrote this blog post several years ago. I have added to it each year.  It's good to remember...... 1st year (1998-1999) o...