So Good To Me!

You know, God has shown His mercy to me in a big way! He didn't have to, but He did. God can do anything - Luke 1:37. I love it when in the most sour of moments, He reveals Himself and His plans. I mean, He is most amazing when everything has gone in the crapper and all hope has been lost. He's watching us right now and He knows our lives. It's so awesome when that check comes in the mailbox on a day when you needed it most, or your best friend unexpectedly calls you to encourage you, or when the pneumonia has miraculously cleared from your lungs overnight, or when your kids get real quiet in the backseat and you are able to find a moment to be still.

Yeah, that's the good stuff - but don't overlook the greatness of God.

Remember though, it doesn't always work out rosy. The road to lost hope is a rough trail of unhappy moments. When I was almost killed in August 2003, I remember all of the notices that we got on our house, our car, unpaid medical bills from the creditors over the next year. There was no quick fix, but I can share an idea of how awesome God's work through my life has been - not because His plan didn't involve my life being nearly destroyed, but because His plan did involve my family falling madly in love with Him. This is a photo that I love because it is The Babe of course, but it is how - even after all of the trouble that we've experienced - we feel about God.

This morning I was reading through Luke chapter 8 and I saw many amazing things. I haven't posted anything from my Bible study for a long time so I thought I would. I was reading through the story of Jairus (Luke 8:40-56). Jairus had a daughter that was really sick and he had gone to retrieve Jesus for healing. On their way to Jairus' house, his daughter died.

Luke 8:49-56
- read this verse in your Bible first please -
- then the Ben Blue Jean Para -

Jairus got news from his house that his daughter was dead and he shouldn’t bother the teacher anymore. Though Jesus was speaking, He heard the news and turned to Jairus and said, “Don’t be afraid. If you believe, she will be healed.” Jairus, with tear-filled eyes and his mouth all puckered up like he had eaten something very sour, nodded his head and they continued the journey to his house. When they arrived, Jesus had everyone get out of the room except for Peter, James, John, Jairus, and Jairus’ wife. They went into the room while all of the people were outside wailing, moaning and groaning for her. Jesus shook His head and said, “Stop with all the noise! She is not dead but asleep.” The people that were making all the noise started laughing at Jesus because they knew that she was dead. Jesus closed the door and went to the bed that the girl was lying on. He took her hand in His and said, “My child, it is time to get up.” Right when He said that, she pulled her arms to her face and wiped her eyes. She yawned, and then jumped up because she hadn’t ever seen these men that were in her room before. Jesus said, “Get her some food, she is very hungry.” Jesus had to snap His fingers a couple of times because her parents were standing there looking like zombies with their mouths wide open. They were amazed at what they had just seen and had trouble recognizing that she was really alive again. When they started to move around like normal people, Jesus said, “Listen, I don’t want you to tell anyone about what has just happened. O.K.?” The parents nodded as they hugged their baby girl up.