The Venable Family: Lingering Effects

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Lingering Effects

Just a quick update/post...

Michelle is continuing to experience lingering effects for longer periods now, especially with bone pain/discomfort and headaches. It is a very draining thing... in her words, I just want to feel normal again. It grieves my heart to hear her say those words and see what she is going through. Please pray the Lord would intervene today, allowing her to be relieved of these things and have a day of feeling as normal as possible. She did have her blood drawn yesterday for the sugar level panel, we should have results either later today or tomorrow morning.

On a different yet personal front, we have listed the condo/manor home we own here in Wheaton and could really use a quick sale. Please PRAY for the Lord's intervention with this as well and that TODAY He would bring a buyer our way!

Lots going on these days with us... so many areas up in the air for us right now. We praise the Lord daily that, in the midst of it all, He is stable and secure; never changing and always working things together for our good! We look forward to the day when we can look back on this time rejoicing on all that the Lord accomplished in and through us, yet we remain focused on praising, pleasing, and shining for Him in the day! Like the chorus from the Salvador song "Shine":

"Lord let me shine
Shine like the moon
A reflection of you
In all that I do
Lord let me be
A light for your truth
Light of the world
I wanna be used, to shine for you"

That is our prayer daily, join us in that! You are each loved dearly... - Steve and Michelle -

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: We are all praying for you guys and our encouraged by your strength. Pastor John shared at devotions where you are at this week and the school staff prayed for you guys Tuesday. Keep on keepin on!
Love ya,
John; May 17, 2007 at 9:57 AM

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Trust, Lean, Acknowledge

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Prov 3:5-6)

An alternate rendering of "He shall direct your paths" is that the Lord will make your way smooth and/or straight. This can seem so contrary to life experiences, which at times appear to be anything but smooth or straight. Yet, as we trust in the Lord and not in our interpretation or thoughts on what is "happening around or to us", acknowledging that He is in control and nothing escapes His knowledge including the trials of life, relying on Him for even our very next breath, He truly provides "shock absorbtion" for the bumps and potholes of life; and what seemed to be a dramtic turn in the road is nothing more than Him redirecting us down a path for our edification and growth. It is not always easy and many times doesn't seem to make sense, but in the Lord it is ALWAYS for our good.

Trust in, lean on and acknowledge HIM... He will guide you through even the most difficult of times of life. Today, even if you are in the midst of the fiery trial, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, in Jesus you will come through it not singed, without even the "smell" of fire on you (Daniel 3:27), purified for greater service unto Him and bringing glory to His name alone.

Pause and Ponder (Selah):

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say,'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'" (James 4:13-16, NKJV)

At times like the one Michelle and I find ourselves in at the moment, it amazes me how simple life really becomes. Yes, things can seem on the surface complicated when you think of tests, surgery, radiation therapy, possibly chemotherapy; but in actuality, as life becomes more focused on the immediate and more critical, it slows and everything just seems a little more uncomplicated. You can't really make plans for tomorrow, next week, next month, or even next year to some extent; you literally have to live life moment to moment, day to day. This brings about a re-evaluation of ones life, causing that which is truly important to come to the forefront.

It makes me wonder how many times we, even as Christians, fashion our plans, establish where we are heading, and detail out where our life is going and then, once we have come up with it all, ask God to bless OUR endeavors having never sought Him in the process. How much struggle do we bring into our own lives because we didn't first seek Him as we were coming up with our "plans"? I am reminded again that is is okay to make plans in the Lord for our future, but in the end it is the Lord's will that matters most. To paraphrase Henry Blackaby from Experiencing God, we are really here to simply participate in what God is already doing around us!!! As the Word says, don't get caught up looking to tomorrow because you have no control over what it holds and sufficient for the day (today) is it's own trouble (or "stuff" to deal with!). Oh yeah, and don't get hung up looking back at yesterday either because you can't change it!

Keep an eye on where you are heading in the future, yes, trusting in Jesus each step of the way as you make your plans. But be sure, in the midst of the "road trip", to give your ALL today in serving the Lord, giving Him the "steering wheel" as HE guides and directs you into the future HE has planned for you. It is better than anything you could have come up with anyway!!!

The Venable Family

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Lingering Effects

1 comment:

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