Wings of Eagles

Are we eagerly expecting in hopefulness the presence of God or are we waiting for something else? The angels around the throne of God are in continual awe. They sing over and over, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.” This never gets old for them. Every moment is a new experience of being awestruck with His incredible beauty.

Perhaps if we are not living in awe, we are not looking to the right places with eager expectation and hopefulness. In the midst of the darkness that seems to surround so much these days, He is right in the midst, shining brightly.

He is doing what He always does, working good into our lives. Psalm 146 says, “He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and widow.”

Do we see it? Are we awestruck?

We can get caught up in the day to day tasks to get done. Our attention goes toward all kinds of busy work and we lose sight of why we are even doing it in the first place. We forget the bigger purpose of our lives to live with God, the Maker of heaven and earth. We settle for crossing something off our checklist of things to do.

Otherwise, we have our eyes on our own or other’s problems and difficulties and lose sight of Jesus in the midst of the waves. We grit our teeth and hope to make it through difficulties knowing that this world is not our final destination. But He is walking directly toward us with a smile on His face. Let our hearts rejoice, trust and be like Peter and ask Him to invite us out on the waters with Him.

God is faithful. Time after time, He will meet us with goodness in the midst of our difficulties. As an example, some eight years ago or so now around this time, my husband found out he had a rare eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. It showed up later in his life and happened very slowly at first so he didn’t notice changes in his sight.

When he was sent to an eye specialist after failing a field vision test, the eye doctor told him of his condition. He was told that within five years he would most likely be fully blind and he needed to get his things in order because it wouldn’t be long before he couldn’t work, drive or do anything he currently enjoys.

Needless to say, we were both devastated about the news. We were beside ourselves for next steps. Seeing God taking care of us as my husband had to let go of driving and could no longer do his job when his eyes became worse, we began to explore our hearts. We had always wanted to be foster parents but previously were not in a position where one of us could be home full time to do this.

As we began foster parenting, God gave us a gift of this special little boy with some medical needs that brought incredible joy into our lives. He also had a little brother that later came to live with us as well. Now both of them belong to our family.

Our lives are so incredibly rich as a result of these kids. My husband found new purpose in being a dad again. Our boys adore him. He is an amazing dad. And when we go somewhere and he can’t see well enough to navigate, the boys hold his hands and help him.

We can see not only His goodness falling into our lives, but as we put our hands to what our hearts prompt, we can be part of it. We can be His hands and feet in the world to touch others with Christ.

When difficulties strike, it is easy to move into fear and self-protection. Out of stress and duress, we can limit ourselves and fail to see the goodness of God that is shining down in our lives. We need to stop and remember God’s goodness to us. Here are some reminders in this time:

<b>Trust and Rely on God<b>
Remember God works all things for our good. Ask, “What does God have for me in this?” Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”

<b>Live in the Moment<b>
Live in the gift of the present moment versus regret over the past or worry for the future and leave the rest in God’s hands. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”

<b>Let the Joy of the Lord be Your Strength<b>
Take yourself lightly, keep your sense of humor, and let God fill you with joy. When we look to God, we will be filled with the fruit of His Spirit. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

<b>Engage With Purpose<b>
Engage with difficulty as growth-promoting opportunities versus reacting with fight or flight responses. Put your hands to what your heart prompts. Psalm 37:3 says, “Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.”

<b>Remember Gratitude<b>
Consider all the things that you have to be grateful for in the midst of your difficulty. Psalms 126:2 says, “Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.”