Day 70 My Soul Waits

 

3/11/2026

"Prayer does not mean simply to pour out one's heart. 

It means rather to find the way to God and to speak with Him,

whether the heart is full or empty. No man can do that

by himself. For that he needs Jesus Christ."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

and in His word I do hope."

Psalm 130:5   

 

Do you ever feel that too much is happening way too fast? I feel as if my head is constantly spinning, and I hardly have a chance to recuperate before something else is thrown in my direction. I remember so many times in my life when I had to deal with opposing views and find some semblance of rationale in the mix. Why is it so hard for adults to behave respectfully towards one another? 

The home across from ours is occupied by a few guys who cut trees and clean forests debris for a living, or so it seems, as they often bring home large loads of cut timber or branches and other forest debris. Yesterday they brought home four logs that took up the entire truck bed of the semi-truck they were using. As they slowly came up the hill approaching their driveway, the van that drove up behind them began impatiently laying on the horn. The truck had stopped, probably to access how to best pull into their driveway with that extra large load. The van pulled around the truck eventually, then the men in the van got out, and they began yelling at the men in the semi. Fortunately the only ones yelling were the men in the van, perhaps because the semi-drivers only spoke Spanish, or maybe they were speechless at this rude behavior. After that embarrassing situation ended, the men got back into their van, drove a few feet further and turned into their own driveway. Rather than cause all this fuss, the van could have easily taken the street at the other end of the road, sparing the neighborhood of this show. And we wonder why our children and grandchildren are so confused and behave poorly. I imagine we could have become enraged, because the truck pulled into our yard while attempting to back the semi into their driveway, but what good would come of it?!

For the past three days I have been outside battling with thorns and thistles, hacking out the wild vines sucking the life from my once vibrant bushes. I had hoped to burn the thorny culprits this afternoon, but winds picked up, so the vicious species lay waiting for another day. I still have a fair amount of work remaining, aside from the burning, that will not require a long time, as the fire seems to snap them up quickly. I love working in the garden, or in this case, in the bushes, as it is peaceful and there is a sense of satisfaction in seeing a job well done. When my son helps, it makes the job lighter, and it is more enjoyable laughing over silly things. The only hitch in the process is that thorns prick the skin, causing an allergic reaction, and the histamines cause intense itching. It's hard not to scratch itching skin, but that will only make the problem worse. It's nearly impossible not to scratch them in the night unless I bandage my arm. With the stronger winds this afternoon, there is also the threat of rain mixed with snow tomorrow, so that allows time for my wounds to heal. I find it hard to believe that 80 degrees temperature today would change to 40 degrees in such a short time, but it is getting cooler already, and temperatures are falling. 

Back inside, I was once more confronted with the concerns I temporarily laid aside in order to do my yard work, although out of sight is never out of mind and heart. I initially mentioned that things were happening too quickly, but this is the reality I face daily as we stand with Israel during this time of war. As the world is becoming increasing aware, the situation involving Israel and Iran has evolved into a much larger crisis involving several countries now, and America at the lead as we stand with Israel. That in itself is very much a concern, but there are many other problems that exist within our nation and without, that are also of grave concern. Whenever there is war, many people suffer, but the underlying problems have been quietly dormant and in many respects hidden. In America, the discord within our nation, that was already out of control, has become louder, and it seems as if finding common ground is becoming harder, while the rest of the world, especially our enemies, are watching. Although each situation is extremely important, often critical, they become distractions from the main focus of our prayer. I am so grateful for my daily prayer calls, because standing in prayer together, we are able to discern the enemy's tactics. But honestly, it can be exhausting, and heartbreaking at the same time. So we have to find balance in our lives, so we are able to rest and refresh in order to remain alert. There are days when going emails to obtain updates is exhausting.

The only way I can get up in the morning to face another day is knowing that my confidence does not rest in man, military strength, or in the hands of powerful rulers or leaders. My hope is in the Lord who made heaven and earth. When I open my eyes, and take the first breath of air into my lungs, I rejoice in the day the Lord has made, that He has given me another chance to serve Him. My first priority of each day is spend time alone with Him, listening, worshiping, and reading His Word, because His Word is life. We must abide in His Presence where there is fullness of joy. Once you come to know Him, you will discover that it is true. Days can be difficult, but fighting for freedom is never free. It comes at a cost, a very high cost, and the real freedom is found only in Christ. May Jesus be the center of your life.