Day After

The day after is just as important as, "THE DAY", meaning Christmas day.   The day after the disciples are  depressed, Jesus is dead, buried, the Roman's are still in change of their world.  When history proves itself it should give us hope, especially when He told them there was more history coming,  but how easily we get caught up in the drama of THE DAY,   making us feel hopeless.  It should be easier for us who have all the history pinned down in the most powerful book ever written, the Bible.  We can read how God continued to fulfill His promises, all of them to the tee as we journey in our days after.  

Let me just add this, there is a time for mourning, grieving,  feeling hopeless, that is why the day after is important.  It shows us how frail our faith is, no matter our station in life.  To have walked side by side with Jesus for three years, hearing over and over truth, being shown daily He was God in the flesh, all His promises would come true.  One would think the disciples would have the strongest faith of anyone, yet the day after made them doubt and fear and fall into despair.   

On this day after, Covid is still killing people.  Businesses are lost, jobs are gone, families are tore apart, most of our leaders are not making wise choices, they are driven by greed and pride.  How could our country come back and be a better country after all its been through?  

For one, He never promised our world would be better, He never promised death would not hit everyone. He did promise in this world we would have trouble. 

I love a  song by the Martin's titles, The Promise, especially this line, "And my love will be the anchor that you can hold onto, This is the promise I made to you. "  

I am holding tight to His love for me, not my love for Him, for mine is frail.  Just let a hard trial come my way that I cannot control or change you will see how frail it is. 

 So I will cling to II Cor. 5: 14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all , therefore all died, and He died for all so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.  

II Cor.  4:16 -18 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner is being renewed day by day.  For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond  all comparison while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.  

Where is your faith on this day after?

Extension of life....

 Stop always expecting your blessings to be financial or materialistic, God just may have added some time to your life instead.

 Have you ever begged God to extend your life?

At almost 74 I have faced some hard health struggles but never felt frail enough that I might die.  

Until recently.

On top of blood pressure issue my kidneys started failing,  infection filled my body and then I caught Covid.  

I begged God with every fiber in my body to extend my life, to let me stay around my family a little longer, to restore me.  I did not ask out of fear but a desire to not go yet.  

I did not hear a voice, feel a touch, get Holy goose bumps, nothing super natural happened.  It still took doctors, medicines, a stay in the hospital and lots of rest, but I am here to tell you God has extended my time here on earth.  

My kidney doctor came in every day and told me how lucky I was because I was slowly getting better.  With a sadness he said, I have signed more death certificate's in the last few months then all the years of my doctoring.  He said, it had taken a toll on him.  Everyone who worked or came onto the Covid floor had to be garbed in a plastic suit with  plastic head gear with a pump attached to them that pumped cool air into their head gear.  They wore two pair of gloves all the time, taking off the top pair and adding a fresh pair with each new patient.  All the extra work wears on the nerves yet they treated me daily with kindness.  I was never worried that I wasn't being taken care of.  

  I am beyond grateful for the extra time God has given me. 

 23The steps of a man (or women) are ordered by the Lord who delights in his journey. 24Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.…Psalm 34:23-24

Not only did He give me more time but He is holding my hand as I walk it.  Would you pray I use my time wisely and with purpose?