It's after nine and I am doing dishes. It's quiet here; Bob's teaching this evening. I feel deeply the need to share with you, Alexis, and others, a book that has been passed to me recently. This might be lengthy, please bear with me. The title is 'When I Lay My Isaac Down', by Carol Kent. The woman is a writer and a nationally known speaker in womens' ministry circles. As you, Alexis, I also have been battling to peak out of my comfortable little space and to hear and feel the needs of others. As your video clip stated, everybody has a story. I want to take time to hear them. I want to show them Jesus' love, the Lord's peace, to prove to them His availability to everyone. But, to do that I (we) need to be prepared because the heartache out there is more than I (we) can sometimes bear. We have two choices: We can sympathize and go on with our safe life, or we can totally open our hearts and hurt for them as the Lord does, and serve them as the Lord would have us. For me especially, and God knows this about me, I need to have a bit of an understanding of how to go about going past the first step of showing His love. 'When I Lay My Isaac Down' is written by a woman who has a raw, bleeding heart, and writes what it feels like and how her many 'stretcher-bearers' across the country help lower her, and her loved ones, down 'through the roof' to Jesus' feet. Many people go through losses and grief that never ends. Not until they see Jesus face to face. How do we minister to them? Is it enough to say that 'Jesus loves you and He knows what you are going through'? This book opens a door and a few windows to what we can do for our fellow Jesus Christ Followers who are nearly dying of a broken heart. I heard of a young child today who drowned in a pool of a family your sisters know through church and soccer. You want to say "Really Lord?" "You couldn't have stopped such a tragedy?" What do we do now? the question is asked over and over again as the tragedy is shared. Sydney shared how she has noticed how often she prayers with her boys for other children. For healing of life threatening diseases, for resuscitations for the bottom of swimming pools... The prayers aren't always answered as we think they should. It is time to become equipped to know what God has for us to do in these circumstances, and then we will be able to equip our children. I recommend this book. We will all have an 'Isaac' we will need to lay one day. We will all have a heartache that we just can fathom the darkness that will come with it. Trust me. Thank you, Alexis, for listening and for letting me use your space to share. I miss you and love you. I will talk to you soon. Mom
I am in tears as well... WOW LEX!! You have asked God several times to use you for his glory and he has over and over again! I have chills... I am taking so much from this post (as I have from many of your posts!). You are such a LIGHT in my life and I am beyond grateful (to you and to God;)! He loves me SO much to know I would need a Lex;)! I will say it again... YOU NEED TO WRITE A BOOK!!!!;)!!
You never know how God is going to speak to you or use others to speak... Mom RS... I know a friend who could really use your book suggestion!!! I am going to see her Friday and have to get it for her! I will pick one up for me as well (Lex, I will bring it to you when I visit soon if you want;)! THANK YOU!
THANK YOU Lex and Mom RS for blessing my day... yet again!! Love you girls!!!
Crying!!! You are blessed and used by God to stir hearts and bring forth love and compassion! Thank you for doing your blog consistantly. Momma, I'm anxious to get this book. Thank you for sharing it. One of the hardest things I struggle with is focusing on other peoples hurts and feeling for them as our Abba Father does! I love ALL of you beautiful ladies I am blessed to call FAMILY!!
it's way too early to be crying... thanks for the reminder! so much thinking going on now. i need to slow down and smile, so many things are more important than my list and i needed reminding, thanks!
5 comments:
I'm crying here.
It's after nine and I am doing dishes. It's quiet here; Bob's teaching this evening. I feel deeply the need to share with you, Alexis, and others, a book that has been passed to me recently. This might be lengthy, please bear with me.
The title is 'When I Lay My Isaac Down', by Carol Kent. The woman is a writer and a nationally known speaker in womens' ministry circles. As you, Alexis, I also have been battling to peak out of my comfortable little space and to hear and feel the needs of others. As your video clip stated, everybody has a story. I want to take time to hear them. I want to show them Jesus' love, the Lord's peace, to prove to them His availability to everyone. But, to do that I (we) need to be prepared because the heartache out there is more than I (we) can sometimes bear. We have two choices: We can sympathize and go on with our safe life, or we can totally open our hearts and hurt for them as the Lord does, and serve them as the Lord would have us.
For me especially, and God knows this about me, I need to have a bit of an understanding of how to go about going past the first step of showing His love. 'When I Lay My Isaac Down' is written by a woman who has a raw, bleeding heart, and writes what it feels like and how her many 'stretcher-bearers' across the country help lower her, and her loved ones, down 'through the roof' to Jesus' feet.
Many people go through losses and grief that never ends. Not until they see Jesus face to face. How do we minister to them? Is it enough to say that 'Jesus loves you and He knows what you are going through'? This book opens a door and a few windows to what we can do for our fellow Jesus Christ Followers who are nearly dying of a broken heart.
I heard of a young child today who drowned in a pool of a family your sisters know through church and soccer. You want to say "Really Lord?" "You couldn't have stopped such a tragedy?" What do we do now? the question is asked over and over again as the tragedy is shared. Sydney shared how she has noticed how often she prayers with her boys for other children. For healing of life threatening diseases, for resuscitations for the bottom of swimming pools... The prayers aren't always answered as we think they should. It is time to become equipped to know what God has for us to do in these circumstances, and then we will be able to equip our children.
I recommend this book. We will all have an 'Isaac' we will need to lay one day. We will all have a heartache that we just can fathom the darkness that will come with it. Trust me.
Thank you, Alexis, for listening and for letting me use your space to share. I miss you and love you. I will talk to you soon. Mom
I am in tears as well... WOW LEX!! You have asked God several times to use you for his glory and he has over and over again! I have chills... I am taking so much from this post (as I have from many of your posts!). You are such a LIGHT in my life and I am beyond grateful (to you and to God;)! He loves me SO much to know I would need a Lex;)! I will say it again... YOU NEED TO WRITE A BOOK!!!!;)!!
You never know how God is going to speak to you or use others to speak... Mom RS... I know a friend who could really use your book suggestion!!! I am going to see her Friday and have to get it for her! I will pick one up for me as well (Lex, I will bring it to you when I visit soon if you want;)! THANK YOU!
THANK YOU Lex and Mom RS for blessing my day... yet again!! Love you girls!!!
Crying!!! You are blessed and used by God to stir hearts and bring forth love and compassion! Thank you for doing your blog consistantly.
Momma, I'm anxious to get this book. Thank you for sharing it. One of the hardest things I struggle with is focusing on other peoples hurts and feeling for them as our Abba Father does!
I love ALL of you beautiful ladies I am blessed to call FAMILY!!
it's way too early to be crying... thanks for the reminder! so much thinking going on now. i need to slow down and smile, so many things are more important than my list and i needed reminding, thanks!
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