Happy Saturday! 

God was gracious and I did not flub any words or slip and fall during the Hooding Service at Brite today.  The service gave thanks to God for raising up those who were graduating and going on to serve in positions of congregational leadership, overseas mission work, children and family ministries and a variety of other callings into the anointed service of God.  Give thanks to these extraordinary people who are willing to accept the calling of ministry on their lives and pray for them as they begin this portion of their new lives.

Prayer:  “Father, thank You for my health.  Help me today to show my gratitude.  May I be sensitive to those around me who do not enjoy good health.  Help me to be a blessing to those who are physically handicapped and those who are sick.  Let someone cross my path today who needs a word of encouragement so I can share this prayer.  I make this prayer in faith, believing that what I have asked will come about. Amen.” 

“And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”

James 5: 15a

This prayer, scripture passage and meditation tonight are somewhat difficult for me.  We lost our son and my mother within the last three years to disease and even thought there were thousands upon thousands of prayers said for them, they were unable to sustain life here on earth. 

This is a really difficult text as are many texts of the book of James.  James is pretty cut and dried in his writing with very little tact and a lot of straight talk.  First of all I know that restored health does not always happen just because a prayer is prayed.  I also know that there are those who have been prayed over and anointed with oil whose health has been restored as well as those who were prayed over and anointed with oil but did not survive.

So here are some thoughts…even those who are committed to Jesus are going to die.  Sometimes those folks die of disease and that is how God receives them into heaven.  But here is the cool thing, the disease is left here on hearth and the one who was ill is received into heaven disease free, perfect, fully restored with a new and heavenly body and mind.  And even though we will all die by some fashion, God, through His Word, still calls us to pray for and encourage those who are sick. 

The most we can do is exercise the gift of faith given to us by God and pray in that faith to God for healing and restoration of the one who is ill, even if that is ourselves.  When we pray this prayer of faith, we must pray believing that God will hear our prayers and temporarily restore the one who is sick on this earth or make them perfect with eternal healing in heaven.  When we pray a faithful prayer believing in God and His healing grace, always trust that our prayers stem from our relationship with God.  I have shared this before, “Casey never did get well, but he was most assuredly healed.”

I ask a special prayer for today.  I need extra strength to get through the day. This is my first Mother’s Day without my mother.  It is a very strange feeling to know that I won’t get to see her tomorrow, present her with a gift, sit under the tree in the front yard of their house and be part the cheering section along with her for the family softball game.  I miss her so very much, but I know that heaven is a much happier place with Mom and Casey there.  Travis prayed tonight about how much he missed Mom, but talked about her being “the short little bag of fun,” keeping the party going.  And I am sure she and Casey are doing just that.

Take joy in the journey.  Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep.  God does not sleep so there is no use in both of us being awake.  Count your blessings and say your prayers.  Love you all so very much and if you are so blessed as to have your mother here on earth, give her a call and just tell her she did a good job.  Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com     

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am only moved by what I believe and I believe God.