Learning to live within the framework He sets!

I read a book years ago called IN THE EYE OF THE STORM by John H. Groberg. The book was about his life as a missionary in Tonga. It was an amazing book of faith and trials. Here is one important lesson that was mentioned in the book.

"I learned a lesson in patience once on a trip to Uiha ( in Tonga). We had left Pangai about noon with very favorable winds and made it to Uiha in just a few hours. We had some preaching engagements that evening, so we stayed overnight on Uiha.

Early the next morning, we left Uiha just as the sun was rising, and I felt sure we would be back to Pangai by early afternoon. I had been up late and was tired, so after helping get us started. I lay down in the boat and went to sleep.

A few hours later when I awoke, I could see an island not too far away. I told the others how happy I was to be so close to Pangai. The captain looked at me and said, "That's not Lifuka (the island pangai is on), but Uiha."

I was very surprised, even upset, and said, "We've been going for several hours. What have you been doing?"

The captain patiently said, "The winds have been against us. Are you going to tell God that He doesn't know what He's doing? You have better calm down and learn to live within the framework He has set, and not try to force your schedule on Him."

His quiet, correct reasoning had a profound effect on me. I spent the rest of the day thinking about the implications of the truths he had spoken.

How often I have done the same thing. Tried to tell God that I didn't have time for this or that, or get frustrated because I thought things would turn out differently. How foolish to correct God. How much better I am, when I trust in His Framework of time. In the end, I always accomplish and learn things that I thought were impossible!

 

"The antidote to frustration is a calm faith, not in your own cleverness, or in hard toil, but in God's guidance." ~Norman Vincent Peale
                                                    

"I would rather err on the side of faith than on the side of doubt."  ~ Robert Schuller
                                                                         

"Calmness is the way we show that we are trusting in God."

Timing

I read this article on Timing by Dallin H.Oaks and was so impressed with it, I thought I would share it with you. Hope you had a wonderful Sunday!   So here it is, enjoy!

TIMING

The most significant talks changed the listeners' way of thinking about an important subject.. I will attempt to change some listeners' ways of thinking about an important subject--the matter of timing.

I begin with a story I heard many years ago at the inauguration of a university president. It illustrates the importance of timing in university administration. One university president had come to the end of his period of service, and another was just beginning. As a gesture of goodwill, the wise outgoing president handed his young successor three sealed envelopes. "Hold these until you have the first crisis in your administration," he explained. "Then open the first one, and you will find some valuable advice."

It was a year before the new president had a crisis. When he opened the first envelope, he found a single sheet of paper on which were written the words "Blame the prior administration." He followed that advice and survived the crisis.

Two years later he faced another serious challenge to his leadership. He opened the second envelope and read: "Reorganize your administration." He did so, and the reorganization disarmed his critics and gave new impetus to his leadership.

Much later the now-seasoned president encountered his third major crisis. Eagerly he opened the last envelope, anticipating the advice that would provide the solution for his troubles. Again he found a single sheet of paper, but this time it read, "Prepare three envelopes." It was time for new leadership.

The familiar observation that "timing is everything" surely overstates the point, but timing is vital.

In all the important decisions in our lives, what is most important is to do the right thing. Second, and only slightly behind the first, is to do the right thing at the right time. People who do the right thing at the wrong time can be frustrated and ineffective. They can even be confused about whether they made the right choice when what was wrong was not their choice but their timing.

I. The Lord's Timing

My first point on the subject of timing is that the Lord has His own timetable.

Faith means trust--trust in God's will, trust in His way of doing things, and trust in His timetable. We should not try to impose our timetable on His.

II. The Agency of Others

The achievement of some important goals in our lives is subject to more than the timing of the Lord. Some personal achievements are also subject to the agency of others.

III. Applications to Our Lives

Someone has said that life is what happens to us while we are making other plans. Because of things over which we have no control, we cannot plan and bring to pass everything we desire in our lives. Many important things will occur in our lives that we have not planned, and not all of them will be welcome

So what should be done in the meantime? Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ prepares us for whatever life brings. This kind of faith prepares us to deal with life's opportunities.

I return to the subject with which I began. Do not rely on planning every event of your life--even every important event. Stand ready to accept the Lord's planning and the agency of others in matters that inevitably affect you. Plan, of course, but fix your planning on personal commitments that will carry you through no matter what happens.

"LIFE IS ALL ABOUT TIMING...THE UNREACHABLE BECOMES REACHABLE, THE UNAVAILABLE BECOMES AVAILABLE, THE UNATTAINABLE...ATTAINABLE. HAVE THE PATIENCE, WAIT IT OUT IT'S ALL ABOUT TIMING."  ~ Stacey Charter

 

Lucky

I received this sweet story the other day and although I don't know who wrote it, it still was one of those stories that touches your heart. I thought of this story too today, because I have 2 dear friends that are dying of cancer. I thought how lucky I am that I have been able to some how beat it twice. I thought how they must feel every morning wondering if this is their last day. I truly believe that God is in charge of our life. If it is our time to go then nothing will stop us, but at the same time...if it isn't our time to go then some miraculous thing will happen and we will be able to finish our journey. A girlfriend of mine (that was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer) once asked me..."how do I prepare myself for dying Lynn?" I wasn't sure how to answer that except that I asked her how her faith was? Did she truly believe that God is in control and who does she want to see when she gets to the other side? We had many laughs talking about all the people we hope to see there. We also talked about all the things that she still wanted to do while she has a little time left.  Life is tough, there is no way around it, but I am feeling lucky to have the opportunity to be here today. No one knows what tomorrow will bring, we just need to do the best with each day we are given. I hope this story reminds you to look around and see how lucky you are too. Good night dear friends!

                     Mary & her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.' Lucky
was a real character. Whenever Mary & Jim had company come for a weekend
visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because
Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone
would forget and something would come up missing.

                     Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the
basement & there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite
toys Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box & he was very particular
that his toys stay in the box.

                     It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer.
Something told her she was going to die of this disease....in fact; she was
just sure it was fatal.

                     She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her
shoulders.  The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with
Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the
three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through & through. If I die,
Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't
want to leave him!  The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own
death.

                     The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her
doctors had anticipated & Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took
Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped,
whining and miserable.

                     Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital.
When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up
the steps to her bedroom.  Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch & left
her to nap.

                     Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her
when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her & she dozed.

                     When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand
what was wrong.  She couldn't move her head & her body felt heavy & hot. But
panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was
covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned!  While she
had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement
bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life.  He had
covered her with his love.

                     Mary forgot about dying.  Instead she & Lucky began
living again, walking further & further together every day. It's been 12
years now & Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky He still steals treasures &
stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.

                     Remember....live every day to the fullest. Each minute
is a blessing from God. And never forget.....the people who make a
difference in our lives are not the ones with the most Credentials, the most
money, or the most awards.  They are the ones that care for us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death.”

"Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever  you want to do, do it now. There are only so many tomorrows."  ~ Pope Paul VI

Rough day!

I went in for my Physical Therapy at 9:00 this morning. For some reason the swelling has gotten worse. I am not sure why? I didn't lift anything the last couple of days so I am not sure why it is hurting this much. My Physical Therapist was as puzzled as I was. She is going to talk to the oncologist tomorrow and see if he knows why the swelling keeps coming back, so we have an appointment on Friday. She also is looking into getting a compression sleeve that also has a compression piece for the chest wall. The down fall is that it will have to be done once a day for an hour or so. I just smiled when she said that,because I already have a couple hours worth of stuff that I am suppose to be doing to help this poor old body every day, why not an another thing to do on! :) Pretty soon as soon as I get up and do all the exercises, massages and etc, then it will be time to do the ones that I need to help me go to sleep. I have got to try to have more of an exciting life. I know all of you envy me but...DON'T !

In all seriousness, I am sure things will work out. I was able to go to some of Lee's baseball game today and it was sunny outside too, that was a double blessing. I can't forget to count all of them. I found a quote today that went right along with my baseball theme. "PROGRESS ALWAYS INVOLVES RISKS. YOU CAN'T STEAL SECOND BASE AND KEEP YOUR FOOT ON FIRST" ~ Frederick Wilex

So I need to remember that... compared to 9 months ago, I have made great progress. I can go out in public and not feel so self conscious about my looks, I can enjoy some normal thoughts with out every one being bombarded with a new fear. I am starting to dream...just a little bit...but I am dreaming again. I am being able to serve a bit more and that feels wonderful. I am growing in ways that I am sure I never would, had I not experienced this trial. It has been worth the risk to make it to second base (beating cancer for a second time). I will keep trying, keep believing that life will get better and most importantly...trust in the Lord and in His timing and in His plans for me. Patience, not an easy virtue!

Thanks for being my cheering section, it means more than you will ever know! Good night!

"Things could be worse. Suppose your errors were counted and published every day, like those of a baseball player." ~Author Unknown