Rosebuds of Faith Series: I Can Still Learn!

'May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,
so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.'
- - Romans 15:13

It amazes me how I can still, at my ripe old age, LEARN!

Sometimes I think we get to the point where we feel like we
have had every experience, learned every fine point, and
explored every possibility that was ever available in our
limited lifetimes. But upon reflection...I think God thinks
very differently than I do!

For instance, this week I have had to once again deal with
my husband deserting me for a whole week. Yes, can you even
imagine that? He chose to go to a far away country rather
than spend the week with me. Well, I guess I should be fair
and tell you why! He is on a mission trip to Guatemala. He
didn't go just to get away from me! And even though I now
have the privilege of controlling the remote control, there
is a distinct sense of something 'missing' in our home. Even
the dogs notice it. And while my friends from Ohio came to
visit with me for most of this week, that sense is still
with me.

Now, I can be selfish at times. I know, you don't believe it!
But let me tell you, when I get in the flesh, it's all or nothing!
However, once I've cooled down, and repented, and said my 'I'm
sorry's' to whoever may have witnessed my breakdown, I can see
that God has once again surprised me with some tidbit of knowledge
or insight that had previously escaped me. And that is awesome
in itself.

So here I am, feeling sorry for myself, just a wee bit, and
just another wee bit resentful of the Mayan Indians hubby is
ministering to this week. Isn't that disgraceful??? Oh, it's
not as bad as I am making it seem. But still, it is another
opportunity for the Lord to show me something, to refine my
attitude, to break open the hardness of my heart, once again.
I find I have time to think. I can take a moment to meditate.
I will read the Word, and I will listen to His voice. And in
the end, I will realize that He has sent my hubby away, not
to punish me, not to give him a vacation, nor to scare the
Mayans. He has sent him to do His will..to show Jesus to those
who do not know Him, or who do not understand Who He IS!

He is I AM. He is the greatest influence ever to be in this
world. He is the One and the Only. He is the beginning and
the end. He is everything.

Now, I am feeling JOY! I am experiencing HOPE! I am ecstatically
enthusiastic about the future, about ministering to others, and
about simply enjoying the gift of life that has been given to me
and mine. And while I wander about my home searching for that
elusive last bit of dust, I am waiting, and watching, and preparing
for the return of the man God gave to me. For I know that upon his
arrival, I will see that same JOY on his face, I will hear that
HOPE in his voice, and I will see that extra little bounce in his
step, that jovial manner he will have about him, and the peace that
shall invade his person, me, and our home.

Yes, I CAN learn! God is not through with me yet. And while I am
not the one who went away to a foreign land, I am the recipient of
a great gift from Him, and He has used this space in time to enlarge
MY territory, to fulfill MY sense of adventure, and to enrich MY life
in a way it has never been enriched before.

Joy and Hope come by the hand of the LORD our God. He uses His Holy
Spirit to bring power upon our lives, to quicken us by events and
experiences, and He humbles us by the wonderful mercy He presents
to us each and every day. This power is meant to lift us up, to
open our eyes, and to propel us into action for the glory of our
LORD.

My prayer for you this day is that you will open yourself up and allow
God to work within you. Give Him full and complete access to your heart,
your soul, your mind. Tell Him that you want to learn, to know the
Joy, the Hope, the Power of the Holy Spirit, and all that He has for
you. And trust Him....He has MUCH for you!

Blessings!