Looking for Miracles

I started this post on Saturday and then finished this morning.

All this week I have been doing the Love God Greatly Bible Study entitles His Name Is… I have thoroughly been enjoying studying Jesus as the Bright Morning Star. I was not able to do the study from yesterday because Tirzah was sick Thursday night. I did not get much sleep. I gave myself some grace as I knew that I would have time to catch up this morning. I missed my personal time with the Lord yesterday and I truly DID miss it. I tried to find time yesterday but with 8 kids in the house I just could not find a time or place where it was quiet enough for me to concentrate. To be honest, I could have found the time, but I was not feeling well and just rested all day. I stayed by my diffuser and watched movies. I drank tea and just had a day where I did nothing. I could tell that I did not have that time in the morning with the Lord. I craved it all day.

So, this morning I had to go to the Spiritual Twist Production building to work on lights for the performance tonight. I planned it so that I would have a few hours of uninterrupted time at the coffee shop. I have spent a lovely few hours pouring into the Word of God. My soul has been renewed this morning as I have listened to piano Christmas music focusing on Jesus Christ and digging into my Advent notebook. It has truly been a wonderful time preparing my heart for this evenings performance.

Our whole family is involved in the Spiritual Twist Production’s Christmas Concert. Most have been fighting colds all week long. Our house has been filled with essential oils and the smell of apple cider vinegar, honey, lemon, and ginger. We have been trying to combat the sickness and keep our voices ready for the performance. William especially has been anxious as he has a solo tonight and his voice has been affected by the cold. We have been praying and trusting that God has us right where he wants us to be. We will be singing tonight, and it will be all for His glory. Our voices may be a little hoarse, but we are singing for Him. As long as my heart is prepared God will do a mighty work.

I wrote this on Saturday, but it is now Monday afternoon. The Lord truly did a miraculous work. My voice held out the entire performance, kind of. William’s solo was amazing. He truly allowed the Lord to work through him. I love to watch him on stage because when he sings or acts he does not really perform but worships. It truly is amazing to watch. One lady walked up to him in the parking lot and told him that she could tell that the anointing of the Lord was on him. I almost cried while he was singing. I had to look away.

The kids did a great job on the nativity. It was our kids, except Alex, and the Hsieh’s. We had enough kids between the two families to have Mary, Joseph, an angel, Elizabeth, Zechariah, a shepherd, two of the cutest sheep ever, King Herod, and three adorable wise men. The audience enjoyed the Nativity story. I was so proud of my kiddos.

I spent Sunday resting as my voice was gone by Sunday morning and I ended up somehow pulling a muscle in my back from coughing so much. Now the cough has set in and I cannot talk much without having a coughing fit. I am trying to heal so that I can sing again on Sunday. The kids seem to be healing from whatever sickness this is. I seem to be the only one hanging on now. I have really been trying to rest.

Well, enough about my cough.

On Saturday, I wrote in my Advent notebook a prayer about the Lord understanding what we experience. “Lord, With the recent loss of Wilson, my heart has really been focused on who is not with us this holiday season. I think of Asa and Pam, and Grandma Holder alongside Wilson praising you. You know the pain of the death of a loved one. I think of You grieving the day that Jesus died. So much so that the foundation of the earth shook and the sky went dark. You are not some distant god made of wood or stone. You have felt all the emotions we have. You truly know what we go through each day.”

In John 11:35, it records the shortest verse in the Bible. “Jesus wept.” Such power in those two words. Jesus felt the sting of the loss of someone he cared deeply for. Lazarus was Jesus’ friend and he had died. Jesus wept even though he knew that he was going to raise him from the dead. Jesus still wept. He knew that in doing this great miracle for his dear friend that his enemies would grow to hate him more and seek his death. He still wept and he still loved Lazarus.

God loved us enough to send His only son to a world that He knew was going to reject Him. He knew that and yet at the beginning of creation, when God flung the universe into place, He had already prepared the path of the stars that rose over Bethlehem to signify the birth of Christ. He also prepared the eclipse that happened on the day of his death. All of that was put in place since the beginning. God knew we would fall into sin and that we would need rescuing. Christmas starts the message of that amazing rescue mission that God sent Jesus on. For the world.

A podcast I was listening to from John Piper said that God even went as far as to send into the heart of Caesar Augustus the desire to want to count the people under his rule so that he issued a decree for everyone to return to the place of their birth lineage. All of this was put into place just to move two ordinary people for the tribe of Judah to be moved 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. This was done to fulfill a prophesy from Micah. John Piper pointed out Proverbs 21:1, “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” God knew, and he prepared the way for the coming of Christ.

How prepared am I for the coming of Christ, both the celebration of His first coming and the His expected and promised second coming?

That is my desire for this advent season and beyond. I want to make sure that my heart is prepared for true worship and celebration of Christmas Day and then on into Easter and then to next Christmas and for as many years as God allows me to breath earthly air.

I wrote on Saturday, Lord, above all else I desire to have an obedient heart and a willing spirit. I want to walk so close to You that when You call me. I want to be like Samuel, and Mary, and Isaiah who answered immediately when You called them. When You say, “Jump,” I want to respond with, “How high, Lord?” I want my faith to be so strong that I remain obedient even when you ask me to go through the losses and the trials and those times when I just don’t understand. The times when my heart desires to give up. Help me be obedient even then. Give me Your Strength. Amen.

My desire this Christmas season is to look around for the miracles He shows me every day. I want to spend this Advent season thanking Him for who He is and what He has done and is doing in my life.

Today I am thankful for cough drops, essential oils and Throat Coat tea. For early morning devotions in a quiet, warm house. For a van that runs well to get me to the Spiritual Twist building where I can serve the Lord. For a husband who works hard every day, so I can stay home and homeschool our children. For my eight blessing on this earth and one sweet boy I will meet in heaven one day.

Count your blessings today and look for His miracles.