This past season has been a difficult one for me pain-wise. Between my arthritis and my back, I don’t know which has been worse. Pain has become my constant companion it seems. I’ve been trying to push through and still accomplish things as I live alone, but it has been hard.

As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

2 Samuel 22:31

I recently started physical therapy for my neck and occupational therapy for my hands. Another nerve ablation (nerve burning) is scheduled for this Thursday, and I can’t wait. The nerves in my back have been worse than ever, causing a lot of interference/ pain in my life like never before.

With all this happening, I am praising God that He works through medicine and doctors; that His healing strength comes through these quite often; other times, help came strictly through prayer. I appreciate the fact that God uses various ways to help us; not always in the way we’d expect.

“For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
God is my strength and power,
And He makes my way perfect.

2 Samuel 22:32-33

With my health the way it is, this blog has been more difficult to keep going than I thought it would be. Many times, my posts have ended up being more like teaching posts rather than sharing posts.

God must have had other plans. At times I am okay with the way things turn out. Other times I want to just say “No, change it to the way I had planned it to be.” I guess it depends on how wore out I am when it happens. LOL

‘…That they may know

from the rising of the sun to its setting,
That there is none besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other;
I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and create calamity;
I, the Lord, do all these things.’

Isaiah 45:6-7

Aren’t we all like that sometimes? It’s when we’re at our weakest that the enemy strikes, causing discontentment and discouragement. Our hopes have to give way to God’s plans. We need to be able to surrender anything and everything to Him. We can’t hold anything back.

I have always said this was God’s blog, so I have no real reason to fuss about where He leads it as I am just His worker. He knows best. He knows who needs a specific topic at a specific time.

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,” says the Lord.

Jeremiah 9:23-24

So who else is having issues with God’s timing, His purpose and plans, besides me? Many times I remind God that I am just human, thinking with the brain He gave me; striving against this fallen nature as best I can with the help of His Holy Spirit. It’s a daily struggle to remain open to His leading; to place everything on the altar and leave it there. It can be hard to lift up open arms and say , “Your way, Your will not mine.”

This is why we, (I), need to stay focused on the path He has set before us, (me). Using His word as a lamp to light each step of the way. This lamp doesn’t blaze forth so we can see a mile down the path or all around us on each side. No. It shines for each step. Just enough for us to see where to place our foot for the next one. Causing us to trust and cling to Him. To surrender our fear of the unknown and our own yearning to lead.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield,

full of mercy and good fruits,

without partiality and without hypocrisy.

James 3:17

All we need to do is be willing. Willing to be used as a servant of His. Willing to be guided, no matter where it leads us. No matter how different the plans from our own; we need to yield to His.

Until next time, God bless.

~Brenda

Photo Credit: Elora Allen @unsplash.com