It's better than engraving

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. Isaiah 49:15-16  (NIV)

The funny thing about these verse is that you would think the answer to that question would be no. However, we've seen in this world that the answer can sometimes be yes. A mother does forget her nursing child. This show us how sad and cruel the world we live can be, but that's not really what these verse are about. There about God's thoughts and nature toward us. In the next line, God says He will not forgot us. It also talks about us being engraved on his palms. It's not the kind of engraving you would do on metal. It's not the kind of engraving we got done on the dog's tag. It's more of an imprint. Have you ever held something in your hands so tight that after you let it go you could see the imprint on your palm? That's how God holds us. Right now God has me held so tightly in His hands a little Michelle imprint is on His palms. The great thing about this, if you are His child, He is holding you so tightly your imprint is on His palm too. How wonderful that. I know that I only hold things tight enough to leave an imprint that matter to me. If God remembers better than a nursing mother her child, how tighter does God hold us. This is the greatest and safest place to be. Where else would you rather be.

It's funny as type this I have my phone playing through my worship songs on shuffle. The song that was just playing is Your Hands by JJ Heller. I think I'll leave with the words to that song.

I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That you would take my pain away
You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crooked lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking 
I never leave your hands

When you walked upon the earth
You healed the broken, lost and hurt
I know you hate to see me cry
One day you will set all things right
Yeah, one day you will set all things right

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking 
I never leave your hands

Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still

Blessed by Your name

One of my favorite songs is Blessed Be Your Name. When it was played through my klove app the other day this is what came to mind.

Blessed be Your name
When I get up in the morning

Blessed be Your name
When I have a good work out at the gym

Blessed be Your name
When the sun shines

Blessed be Your name
When life is wonderful

Blessed be Your name
When I get to spend the day on the couch with husband

Blessed be Your name
When my children are angels

Blessed be Your name
When my dog is wonderful

Blessed be Your name
When the day goes right

Blessed be Your name
When I am on the mountain top

Blessed be Your name
When I sing your praise

Blessed be Your name
When You answer my prayers my way

Blessed be Your name
When it storms

Blessed be Your name
When things go wrong

Blessed be Your name
When I fight with husband

Blessed be Your name
When my children act like demons

Blessed be Your name
When the dog goes in the house

Blessed be Your name
When I'm in the valley

Blessed be Your name
When husband goes to fight for freedom

Blessed be Your name
When he comes home

Blessed be Your name
When he goes to play his trumpet for a furneal

Blessed be Your name
When my father has cancer

Blessed be Your name
When he wins the battle against cancer

Blessed be Your name
When he loses the battle against cancer

Blessed be Your name
When my mother judges me

Blessed be Your name
When I'm not the person my mother thinks I should be

Blessed be Your name
When my co-workers are great people

Blessed be Your name
When my "Christian" co-workers attack me

Blessed be Your name
When I move across the country

Blessed be Your name
When I have to say good-bye to my friends

Blessed be Your name
When I say hello to new friends

Blessed be Your name
When the car works fine

Blessed be Your name
When the recall notice for the car comes

Blessed be Your name
After I wreck the car

Blessed be Your name
When I like the number on the scale

Blessed be Your name
When I don't like the number on the scale

Blessed be Your name
When I like the number on the bank account

Blessed be Your name
When the bank account number makes me cry

Blessed be Your name
When I open my Bible

Blessed be Your name
When I'm too busy to pen my Bible

Blessed be Your name
When things don't go right, but don't go wrong either

Blessed be Your name
When I'm scared to get out of the boat

Blessed be Your name
When I get out of the boat

Blessed be Your name
When I don't want to face the gaint

Blessed be Your name
When I face the gaint

Blessed be Your name
When I make the right choice

Blessed be Your name
When I make the wrong choice

Blessed be Your name
When You answer my prayers your way

Blessed be Your name
When You smile down on me

Blessed be Your name
When You can't look at me

Blessed be Your name
When I go and build houses

Blessed be Your name
When I can't go build houses

Blessed be Your name
When I go to church

Blessed be Your name
When I stay in bed and miss church

Blessed be Your name
When the week was longer than 7 days

Blessed be Your name
When the week was less than 7 days

Blessed be Your name
When life is too hard, and I can't go on

Blessed be Your name
When traffic sucks

Blessed be Your name
When all the lights are green

Blessed be Your name
When I'm running early

Blessed be Your name
When I'm running on-time

Blessed be Your name
When I'm running late

Blessed be Your name
When I cook dinner

Blessed be Your name
When I burn dinner

Blessed be Your name
When I pick up dinner thru a window

 Blessed be Your name
When I pray

Blessed be Your name
When I forget to pray

Blessed be Your name
When the snow falls

Blessed be Your name
When the leaves change

Blessed be Your name
When spring is here

Blessed be Your name
When the heat is too much

Blessed be Your name
When I paint

Blessed be Your name
When I dance

Blessed be Your name
When I sleep

Blessed be Your name
When I can't sleep

It is what you asked for.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 (NIV)

Have you ever asked God for something? I have on several occasions. My first request came at 18 for two things. I asked for more faith than King David and the kind of wisdom that King Solomon had. If I would have know what it took to get these two things I don't know that I would ask for them again. However, I'm glad I did. 

So here am I, with more faith than I know what to do, and a fount of wisdom. This isn't enough, I want more. About 3 years ago I came across James 1:2-4 and I see those simple words: mature, and complete, not lacking anything. That's what I want. So I ask God to make me mature and complete, not lacking anything. The difference is this time, I know because of the first part of there verses, there will be trails. I know this is part of it. In fact, a couple of Sundays ago, my pastor made the comment, "If we have an alter call for tails, no one would come." My thought "No, I would go. I want a trail. Bring them one. I'm ready."

So James informs that the plans for his unit have changed. The one we thought was getting left behind, no longer is. Here it is, just what I asked for. James and I have been apart before. That year and halfish of dating, more of it was spent apart than together. He was TDY every other week our first year in Alaska, it seemed. This is different.

So what do I do? He did give me just what I asked for. I could throw a fit, get mad at God and inform this is not how I wanted things answered or I could let perseverance do its work. I know from the past getting mad doesn't do me any good. I will let this trail produce perseverance so that I can closer to mature and complete, not lacking anything. Besides, because He chose to answered me in this way, I know get to go on a mission trip, I didn't think I would go to. 

For those of you sitting in the middle of trail, I just want to encourage to let perseverance finish it's work.

He is more aware than you.

“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16

Esther was preparing to go before the king and ask to save the Jews. There was a good chance that she was going to die. It was not ok to just walk into the king's throne room and make a request. In fact, when Esther was preparing to do this; it had been 30 days since the last time she spent time with the king. Things were not looking good. The scale was leaning to the parish side. One starts to wonder was God aware of what He was asking of Esther. I can assure that God is more aware of what He is asking of Esther than she was aware.

You can apply this to your life. Whatever God is asking of you to do. Whatever step of faith God is asking you to take. He is more aware of what is required to complete the task than you are. There are things you should be worried and concerned about that aren't even on your radar. God sees them. He's lucky, He gets to see the whole picture. He knows what it will cost to take that step. On the other hand, He knows the glory He will receive once you've stepped out. He is aware of the growth and the stronger  your faith will be after you have stepped out. He knows the struggle you will face but He knows the reward.

So what are you struggling with? What is God asking you to do? He is trying to lead me down the path of writing and speaking His truth and love into women's lives, but I keep stumbling. I take steps and only to realize  what He is asking of me and then stepping back and stopping. Sometimes I sit and wonder if He really is aware of what He is asking for. I wonder if He is aware that He is asking someone who struggles with spelling and grammar to write. I wonder if He is aware that I use to turn as white as sheet when presenting in college to get up and speak. Oh but He knows the times when I have been faithful and how they have change lives. He knows who eyes who have come across my blog and the encouragement  it did. He also knows the impact my testimony had on those women that came to Regenerate Her that night. He is aware of it all. He also has yet to  decided I am not going to do what He has called me to do and take away the gifts. At times, I feel like I am wasting them because I am not using them.

What is God asking you to do? Starting or leaving a ministry. Moving and doing something you have never done. Going on a mission trip. Not sure God is aware of what He is asking. Leave the comfort zone is hard. Have you tried talking with Him about it. He'll tell you, "Dear one, I know the struggle, but I also knew the other side and the glory come." Trust Him.