Dear Friends,
I have started to write a letter to you a few times and it didn't go as I wanted. Since I could wait and start over, that is what I have done again in hopes that the words flow and can reach where someone needs them.
The snow and cold has already been happening here in the midwest. It's a little early for that as it usually waits until after Thanksgiving.
The other day, out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw a butterfly fly past the window. I took a closer look and realized that it must have been leaves being blown off the tree. I kept looking and realized that it was snowing, huge, fluffy flakes! It took me by surprise! Life does that sometimes. Sometimes a surprise is happy and sometimes they bring us to a stand still.
I have had to pause again and now it is past Thanksgiving and more snow is falling, like tears that fall as you cry out in prayers for a loved one. It’s a very heavy snow.
Praying and giving thanks are linked together like the links of a paper chain made with glue and glitter. I’m praying for a very special friend who has been sick. I'm so thankful for the blessing of a special friendship. Friendship includes going through valleys with each other. Jesus had a special friendship with Lazarus. He spent time with him and his sisters, Mary and Martha. In John chapter 11 we read that the sisters sent an urgent message to Jesus. “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”
Jesus had a plan for Lazarus and He has a plan for us. His desire is always for God to be glorified. His decision to postpone going to Bethany must have been a difficult decision since it brought His friends grief and also grief for Himself. He was also angry at the unbelief He saw when He told them to roll the stone away from the grave that had held Lazarus for four days. “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believed?”
Then He thanked His Father for hearing His prayer! “You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.”
To all who are reading this, the message is to always pray that God will be glorified! Pray to be His hands and feet here on earth that He will be glorified! God desires that we hold on to hope to see answers to our prayers! Turn our thoughts to remember past answered prayers so that our faith be built up! He does answer prayers and He does miracles still today! Remember to thank Him, like He thanked the Father!
John 11:41
"So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, Father, thank you for hearing me."
Isaiah 53: 5
"But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed."
Jeremiah 17:14
"Oh Lord, if You heal me, I will be truly healed; if You save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for You alone."
