Sunday, November 9, 2008

Blessed Be the Name of the Lord

Last week my son called me and said "Mom our worship team sang this song (Blessed be the Name of the Lord) and prayed for you" . He then called me and said that a number of worship teams in the South are praying for you and in God's way, always His way, wouldn't you know my passion for music and I am being prayed for by young men and woman who are using their gifts of music to bless others.

I went down to the piano and looked through the worship songs my kids have kept from years of being on worship teams. Wouldn't you know it, they were alphabetized so I did not have to look past the B's to find the worship song Blessed Be the Name. I pulled it out and tucked it into my Bible.

Saturday I was at a women's gathering. It was very special in that the woman who spoke has been a mentor for our pastor's wife and our pastor's wife does not keep the wisdom of this 73 year old woman to herself. Well can you guess what one of the passages of scripture she taught from? Yep, Job. And when Job faced the worst possible catastrophes in his life what did he do? He fell on his knees before God and said what? "Blessed be the Name of the Lord".

Job did not alter his faith in the almighty God, even in the face of extreme trials. Nope he could fall before his King, your King, and my King and offer up praise to Him.

Today I sit in wonder of the examples of misfortune in the people I know and the Godly men and women in the Bible. I am comforted by these stories of those who kept their focus on Christ. It did not mean there would be no emotion, no pain, no loss. It did not mean that life was going to be honky-doree. It meant that there is someone who knows me and will give me the comfort that I am going to crave in these next months as they unfold.

The results of my MRI are "dreadful". This is a word used by a friend and I love that word. It just gives meaning to a tumor. Dreadful. This friend has given me the understanding of allowing myself to grieve this news regardless of what the next steps will be. There is a mass behind my optical nerve. It explains why my vision has been deteriorating and explains many other things. We have a mighty God and with that also comes a sense of humor. We cry, we laugh, we cry, we laugh. I told Emily she now has a title for her book she might write someday. "Deaf Brother, Blind Mother'. Please laugh, it's okay. I also took 15 minutes to shower, dry my hair and put on lipstick with my eyes closed and you know what...I did fine. I may not lose my sight, but that can happen so in my own way I tested the waters for 15 minutes.

Please pray for our entire family in way that can only bring Glory to God. I am scared and my mind would like to take me to a white cane with a blue tip or is it a red tip, but I know that I am to take one day at time and live each day breathing the same air that our Lord Jesus breaths. At this moment I am also reminded of the worship song...Give thanks with a grateful heart Give thanks to the Holy one, give thanks for ........and now let the weeks say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich, let the blind say I can see...I am not sure that is the exact words, but it jumped into my mind and out my fingers the words clip along.

If you have a trial in your life put your faith, your focus, and your heart into the hands of our Lord Jesus. And Blessed Be the Name of the Lord.

19 comments:

  1. Praying, elizabeth...

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  2. P.S. there's a bloggy award awaiting you on my blog...

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  3. Hi Elizabeth, I am so sorry to hear your diagnosis from the MRI. I have no words to offer except the words of the Great Physician. God is mighty, and continues to work miracles every day. He alone is your source of strength. I pray that He will stay very close to you in the next few weeks as decisions are made. May it give you some comfort knowing that there are those of us who care and are praying for you.

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  4. I am so sorry Elizabeth. I am praying for you.

    Go to www.thepromise.cc and listen to some of their podcasts. I believe in supernatural healing and you may want to go visit that church up in Woodland, WA because the power of the Holy Spirit is in that body of believers. I believe you can and will be healed in Jesus name!

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  5. Elizabeth, I heard about you from Beloved Mama and I have added you to my prayer blog. We serve a mighty and powerful God and I am believing a miracle for you.

    You can find the prayer blog at:

    http://wmfirstassemblyofgodprays.blogspot.com/

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  6. I am committed to praying for you through this. I am so sorry that you are walking through this but we both know that God knows the plans that He has for you...

    "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11"

    Bless you sweet Elizabeth... bless your family.

    Your prayer partner, Tänia

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  7. I'm praying for you Elizabeth. I pray for healing and for peace as you and family walk this road.

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  8. Elizabeth, my bloggy sister... I am PRAYING and BELIEVING for YOU!

    My aunt had the same thing a few years ago... hers was inoperable... but benign. My mom was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis around the same time. They gave her 3-5 years. Well it has been 3 and she is IMPROVING... my AUNT is IMPROVING... they are being Healed. They are standing on the WORD.

    We will be praying the WORD and standing on it for you!

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  9. Hi Elizabeth,
    I found you through Beloved Mama's blog. I am believing God for a miracle for you. May His peace cover you and your family.

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  10. I think of Paul in Acts 20 writing
    "I served the Lord with great humility and with tears.."

    That is you Elizabeth. No matter the outcome. Not matter the trials. You serve like Paul did. What a faithful servant you are. I'm praying.

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  11. Very beautifully written. I will be praying for you!

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  12. Praying for you and your family. Our God is good, no matter what. Live on.

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  13. I'm an "Anonymous" first-time commenter because I am ashamed of how some respected bloggers might view my remarks. I have followed your blog only for a short time but long enough to be slain by this news. I keep thinking, "What if this had been me?"

    It's not that I don't believe in God's ability, understanding and love. It very much is that these things are such troublesome aggravations and I am flooded with outrage. Again, my rage is not at God. It is at the circumstance of uncertainty, sorrow, change, pain, grief, sleepless nights, racing thoughts ... the list could go on and on.

    Of course, I will pray for you. But right now, what I most want to do is to throw myself on the ground and roll and wail. I do not mourn your life -- our lives are hid with Christ in God. It is the circumstances listed above that bring my face to the floor. I am truly sorry that you and your family have this maze to walk through.

    "DeeDee"

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  14. I know that your hand is in the hand of the Lord as He walks along with you. He knows you, He loves you, and whatever happens you will be okay. That said, I am still praying that you will be healed.

    This is one of the drawbacks with blogging. You get to know and love people and it breaks your heart when they have to pass through the fiery furnace of a trial.

    I know one thing for sure: when I have had to submit to the challenges that life can bring, I have drawn closer to Him who can bring solace and comfort. I would never give up that part of a trial, for it makes the relationship with the Lord even more precious and enduring.

    May the Lord bless you and your family.

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  15. I want to say that I am truly humbled by this blogging world. Some I know personally, some we have bonded through the words of our hearts shared. I am realizing that healing is going to come in this process. It may not be my own healing, but I know God is going to reach out, as He does, and His touch will be felt on another's life. Perhaps I may not know when that time comes, but I know that there is going to be healing.

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  16. Oh, Elizabeth! When I think of all you have been through... and yet your spirit shines like refined gold. I have no eloquent words today... just that I know God is faithful. I'm praying for you, sister!

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  17. I don't have the right words. (What are the right words, anyway, unless they're from God?) But, know that I'm praying for you and your family. I, too, take comfort in music. The song coming into my head now is I Will Praise You in This Storm.
    Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings while you go through this storm in life.

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  18. I am praying for you. I was in a car accident and lost my site in my left eye when I was 16. They found out at the time that I had undiagnosed lazy eye in the good eye so I have pretty good vision but as I get older it deteriorates so they expect that someday I will be close to blind or possibly blind. Anyway I will do what I have to do and if that means a white cane so be it.

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