Skip to main content

Another Chance

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.  (Psalms 9:10)

What a difference a couple months can make.  On April 1st, I received a phone call I hoped would never come – that one of my parents was being rushed to the hospital.  The next morning when I talked to my Dad at perhaps his lowest moment, I honestly didn’t know if it would be our last conversation.  My mind started looking to record each word that was said - that I might be able to replay it for the rest of my life. 

When I hung up the phone, a feeling of helplessness came upon me like never before.  But thankfully, that feeling passed quickly as I knelt down before the Lord in prayer, and asked for his healing power to descend upon that hospital room in New Jersey.  I prayed for another chance to see my Dad, for another chance to hug him hello, and for another chance to sing him Happy Birthday.  It didn’t take long for the Lord to answer, as a few hours later I received the good news that my Dad was on the road to recovery.  I knew that road was being paved by the Lord, and I lifted a thankful prayer to the heavens.

Four weeks ago I got another chance to see my Dad and hug him hello, this morning I got another chance to sing him Happy Birthday, and with each passing day I grow more in awe of the limitless love, mercy, and power of the one who knitted and formed him 77 years ago.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Farewell Mike

  “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)   Last September, Dee and I made an extremely difficult decision to switch churches. The toughest part was leaving behind our “small group” made up of people that have become like family.  For decades, biweekly between the months of September and May, we’d get together to worship and pray with and for one another.  The prayers offered up there I firmly believe changed the trajectory of many lives for the better.     Back in 2015, an older gentleman, Mike, joined our group and we hit it off right from the start.  Mike was a prayer warrior – if I knew Mike was praying for us, I just had a deeper peace that whatever the situation was, it was going to work out for the best.  Mike also had the best memory I’ve ever been around – he even came to know my schedule...
Read more

The 25th Wedding Anniversary

“He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.” (Proverbs 18:22)   July 1st marks Dee and my 25 th  wedding anniversary.  How could time have gone so quickly?  It seems like just yesterday Dee was walking down the aisle, and here we are looking back at so many years gone by.     Those years have been filled with not only many mountain-top moments, but also times of hardship and sorrow.  Thankfully, those difficult times have helped bring us only closer.  As time has gone by, we’ve navigated toward doing almost everything together – we’ve found through times of separation, we simply work better together as a team.     The success of that team is not a mystery to us – on day one we put Jesus at the center of our marriage and there He shall always remain.  Oh, the many times He’s been there to right and steady our ship as its sailed thru stormy seas.    I’d be remi...
Read more

The Christmas Shoebox

  “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.     Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:7-8)   Two Saturdays ago, I had one of those non-stop days.  I got up early and had hours of intense office work to do.  After that, I took a break from that to help Dee get the Christmas decorations up.  After that, I switched to get some urgent outdoor items done before the Minnesota frozen tundra took over for the winter.  I capped the day by switching back to the intense office work for a couple hours.   At about 9 pm I was ready to collapse in a heap when Dee said, “we have to get the Christmas shoeboxes put together so we can take them to church tomorrow”.  After thinking about it for a minute, I reluctantly agreed.   Thankfully, Dee had taken the lead on buying everything for 4 boxes (...
Read more