Day 102 Remembered by God

 

4/12/2025

My day began earlier than usual after an earlier than usual bedtime for me. I'll have good news to tell my doctor when I see him Monday for my six month follow up, although I'm not sure why I'm following up. I was having spells of falling asleep every time I sat down, and my son not being able to wake me up, which triggered a few visits to various doctors. I thought I'd left that life behind in New Mexico. Perhaps, this is why I have a follow up visit scheduled. The good news is that I'm fine, without any known problems. I think I was exhausted, as I lead a pretty active...no, I live an intense life. Deleting emails can be that way, and besides, I seldom leave the property. In fact, of late I have been squeezing in a little more free time to catch a movie and knit, although the latter is still not my favorite pastime. I'm hoping, however, to get in a little sewing time, as I need some new clothes. I'll squeeze that in between putting mud on the plaster in the kitchen and painting the walls. Life can be exciting and a work in progress!

This morning Pastor Jack asked us to read John 4:1-42 which covers the exchange Jesus had with the woman at the well in Samaria. Many from the town believed in Jesus just from her testimony alone, but it was augmented by having their own shared experiences. It is unimaginable how so many people believed Him to be who He said He is, shouting "Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna!" one day, and practically the next day shouting, "Crucify Him!" At least the people in Samaria may not have been part of that since the bad scenes were in Jerusalem, and Samaritans weren't accepted by the Jewish people outside of Jesus, of course. But this story means something to me, as I can identify so closely with this woman at the well. She'd been married several times before, and she was living with the eight man. At least Jack didn't blame it all on her, as women have gotten the bad rap for such things. I should know. Why is it that we think we need another person to validate our worth?! Especially educated women very capable of doing anything they want to do. I know what it feels like to be put down over every dream you dare to share with someone, and consequently, feeling so much less. Over the years, I've been able to get past the hurts that began in childhood, but there are times when I am reminded, and I wonder. Without Jesus in my life I would never have made it past childhood. Then as a teenager and on to adulthood. I was a dreamer, still am, and I realize now that I had and have talents. I also learned that in spite of having seven blows to my head that I am pretty intelligent. Maybe that trauma kick started my brain functioning in the right direction?! Whatever happened to me, I'm all the smarter for my life journey thus far. And I owe it all to Jesus! Only He knows what's next for me! We are an inseparable twosome!

I picked up my little 60 Days of Prayer devotional this morning to today's reading, "Embrace Your Call." How fortuitous considering my musing over my past dreams! Frederick Buechner, a Christian author, was quoted as saying "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." Now, what exactly can that mean to me? The devotional speaks about being a good steward of the gifts God has given us, so that we can help others by encouraging and uplifting them. Perhaps even helping someone who was in the same cycle of mess I found myself in so many times, and without anyone to offer any positive or helpful advice or assistance to me. This reminds me of why I wanted my own Home for Misfit Toys, which was the subject of one of my first blogs when I started years ago. I haven't given up on the idea either. The world is a mess, and although we now have some God-inspired talent in the administration, help is still needed. The church would be the perfect solution, but I guess no one has an imagination when it comes to practical helps for hurting people. The idea behind my "Home" would be to take in people who need a place to stay, where they'd receive support, friendship, and training, so one day they will be able to share the same support with others, pay it forward. It'd be a working farm, and it would have recreational areas. I dream big. Right now all I have is a house in much need of repair, with one spare room, that is actually doubling as a work room for now. But I'm on the lookout for my special place in the woods, sheltered by many trees on at least ten acres, with a lake or stream for fishing, and enough space for unwanted animals to live and graze. That's not all I want, as I told you I dream big. God hasn't told me how I am supposed to finance this adventure, but I know He has a plan. Good thing, one of us does, especially since He is The One! 

I'm also reading a devotional during the time leading up to Pentecost called "365 Prayers & Activations for Entering the Courts of Heaven." The titles were "Remembered by God" and "Regarded and Esteemed by God," for days 4/11/2025 and 4/12/2025, respectively. Naturally, I read them on the correct date, although I do tend to forget to do everything some days. The text for 4/11/2025 was based on Genesis 30:22-23, "Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, 'God has taken away my reproach."'  In short, when we call out to God in the most dire of circumstances, He remembers us. It's not like He forgets about us, it just means that, as James 5:16 says: "The fervent, effective prayer of a righteous man avails much." This is only the second part of the verse, however, as the entire verses as written in the Amplified Bible translation is: "Confess to one another therefore your faults - your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins; and pray (also) for one another, that you may be healed and restored - to a spiritual tone of mind and heart. The earnest (heart-felt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available - dynamic in its working." Whew! That's a mouthful, but it helps with the understanding of the verse. Rachel, you may recall, was married to Jacob after he was tricked into marrying the older sister, Leah, of Laban. It is a great read, so I hope you avail yourself to it. God heard other prayers offered by Hannah, Hagar, and many other women. God listens to our prayers, and they rise to Him as incense, a sweet-smelling savor.

In the second read for 4/12/2025 the author deals with how God remembered Noah after the water receded after the flood that killed all of mankind and the animals outside of the ark. This phrase of God remembering a person is used in various places in the scriptures. What the author was saying also speaks to me, as he says that we have to belong to God for Him to regard us. That reminds me of a difficult time when I cried out to the LORD, asking Him where I belonged, and before I hardly penned the words in my journal, He said, "You belong to Me." I've written about this in length other times, but suffice it to say, God thinks about us, He loves us, He esteems us, because as believers, we belong to Him. 

Now isn't that a great way to begin or end a day?! We belong to Him.