A FIXED HEART

Shortly after my husband's cancer diagnosis I came across this verse: "My heart is fixed, oh God, my heart is fixed. I will sing and give praise." (PS. 57:7.) We have been asked many times how we deal with all that cancer dishes out. If we didn't have the assurance that God was in control, we couldn't bear it.

There have been many times when I sat by and watched him suffer unable to do anything except pray. I wanted to do something else, but what? These are the times when we realize just what our faith really means. If my heart were not "fixed" on the one that I have been trusting in all these years, I couldn't do it.

No one knows what will happen in the next minute. We literally walk on "fragile ground" so to speak, leaning on the Lord for grace to handle what comes. There is no need to live in dread of what tomorrow holds when our hearts are fixed on Him. "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord." (PS 112:7.)

Can you offer anything else to your children other than this in the face of life's difficulties? All the money you can come up with nor the best doctors in the world can fill that void. When life gets very difficult, as it does for everyone, be sure that your heart is fixed on the Lord. Remember to sing and give praise to Him! This song is coming to mind now: "Stayed upon Jehovah."

GOD GIVES ME A SONG

Today is my sixtieth birthday! I cannot begin to tell you how blessed I am. I have never had a birthday impact me this way before. It has been an emotional week for me. We heard of the home going of a pastor our son served under in Florida. He was "only" 56. I have also been impacted by news of great heartache in a church in our country that has impacted so many.

I began this day by writing down 60 things that I am grateful for. When I finished my gratitude list God immediately gave me the song "Great is Thy Faithfulness." That song alone was my birthday gift from the heart of my Lord! Listen to this list of things we are blessed with when we know the Lord:

Pardon for sin
A peace that endureth
His presence to cheer and guide us
Strength for today
Bright hope for tomorrow
More than ten thousand blessings
All my needs provided
Great faithfulness
New mercies every morning
His compassions never cease
He never changes

Can you sing with me "Great is Thy Faithfulness?" I am singing it loud and clear in my study right now and if you see me around town today you may hear that song coming from my heart. What a blessed person I am, to receive a birthday song from the Lord to me! Sixty may be my best birthday yet!

THE FRAGRANCE OF FORGIVENESS

I love this quote by Mark Twain: "Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that crushed it." If you are like me, you have many opportunities to practice forgiveness throughout an average day, be it in traffic, the checkout line or just around the home. Some things seem easier to forgive than others, but however trite it may seem, a small root of bitterness can bring great trouble to our lives.

Just last week I was pulling out of a parking lot and a man came around the corner facing me head on. The problem was he was looking down at something, a phone or some other distraction. I cried out to God for help and turned the car so as to avoid a crash. The man looked up at the last second and hit the brake about an inch from my car! I was so shaken that I just drove off and he looked shocked to say the least. I easily forgave that because I know how such things can happen if you look away from the dash for even a moment.

I have also faced larger things in life that are much harder to forgive. Especially when it involves a child or other loved one. I have had experiences that seemed impossible to put behind me. I am sure that you have as well. Unforgiveness comes at a high price. It can cost us our most valued assets such as: relationships, reputation and even our health.

There is much more to be said but not enough space to say it. Bottom line is that forgiveness is a choice like most other things in life. The Bible gives us this admonition: "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Eph. 4:32.)