my christmas miracle

I entered into the Christmas season bruised, worn and weary.  To be perfectly honest with you guys I just wasn't feeling it this year.   (anyone else able to relate?)  

I just simply didn't have the energy for it.  In years past we make a family day out of decorating the tree....this year I put the stuff out and let the kids go to town.  (I was dealing with a bad back, could hardly stand up with out crying and just was not in the mood)

November and December are crazy busy for us typically......two of my kids and my husbands have their birthdays in December.....ministry is busy .....plus all we have been dealing with internally and physically.......well, Im sure you get the picture.....Where was the energy to make eggnog from scratch in 95 degree weather while trying to muster up that "christmas smell" wearing a tank top and shorts listening to Michael Buble' sing about White Christmas going to come from? 

Christmas eve dawned rainy and muggy.  We had plans to go to a friends house and I made my traditional pot of chili.  (I grew up eating chili on Christmas eve).  So I made a nice meal and we got dressed and went over to our friends house.  It was a nice time of fellowship and we all enjoyed the company.  (My chili was a hit!)  After we ate we all gathered in the living room to sing some Christmas carols.  And thats when my Christmas miracle hit!  

As we sat in the living room we were able to watch the most glorious lighting storm roll in....it was majestic!  It was like it was scripted....as the storm rolled in we were singing the following lyrics.......

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;

Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv'n!

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing! 

It was as if the angels were dancing in remembering the glory and majesty of the most beautifully significant moment in history.  Jesus Christ, Lord of heaven and earth was born as a small and helpless baby to be able to identify with all things that make us weak and frail.....he set an example of HOW to live in victory and THEN PURCHASED our freedom from sin and death on the cross of calvary!  Everything he did, everything he said, everything that motivated him was FOR US to have the opportunity to walk with Him and be free from our sin.  

In that moment of awestruck wonder at the beauty of Jesus and his amazing sacrifice he made FOR ME AND YOU I felt his gentle voice tug at my bruised and exhausted heart.....Myranda, I have been with you every step of the way....when you have felt lonely and desperate, when you have felt desperate and hopeless, exhausted and weary, I have held your hand and covered you through it all! And I am here now! It is going to be ok!  

I sat there with silent tears of gratitude as I felt the loving and gracious hand of Jesus sooth me and gently hold me.  (I am crying as I write this)  

That the God of heaven and earth would CHOOSE to humble himself and make himself NOTHING, to be born in the lowiliest and basest of ways.....to DIE A HORRIBLE AND TERRIBLE DEATH SO THAT I CAN LIVE......and for no other reason other than the fact that he loves me......WOW!  He expects NOTHING but my love and my faith in return!  

In the end it turned out to be one of the more beautiful Christmases I have celebrated because I was reminded of WHY.....truly WHY!   

Jesus Christ LOVES YOU and LONGS for you!  Why are you running?  Aren't you tired of running?  

Jesus said this.....

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30

Let Him be your burden bearer!  Let me take your sins from you so that you can walk light and free in Jesus!!  TRUST ME, YOU WON'T REGRET IT!!  I PROMISE!  

My Musonda Experience

I was talking to a friend the other day and we were talking about how 2017 started with a bang and seems to be ending with a boom.   Some of us have dealt with health issues, some have dealt with marriage problems, some financial, some its been a bit of all of the above and then some.  I think it is safe to assume that across the board it has been rough!   Why!?

Well.......allow me to share my experiences with Musonda to illustrate.

A couple of weeks ago ......to top it all off ......I threw out my back.....second time this year.  And it was bad.  I was crying every time I stood up.  This came on the heels of my daughter needing an emergency appendectomy and other personal stuff that was taking my breath away.   GOD NO!  Like SERIOUSLY GOD!?  I can't work, I can't walk, I can't move!  NO!

So, I went to visit Musonda.  Musonda is a brilliant physical therapist here in Lusaka who has done wonders for friends of mine, so I decided to go check her out.  I limped into her office on a Monday morning in serious pain barely able to stand up straight.  Musonda MAYBE comes to my shoulder .  She is a little spunky ball of energy and strength.   She had me lay down on her table and she immediately pinpointed the problem.  She put her finger right in the center of the pain and asked if it hurt......after I peeled myself off the ceiling and affirmed her diagnoses, she began working.  AND IT FRIGGIN HURT!

She had me twisted like a pretzel, kneaded my muscles like she was preparing bread dough.  I squealed and squirmed and had to force myself to not cry because I knew ultimately it was for my good.  I walked out of her office feeling like crumpled grocery bag and wondering if there was any purpose to the torture.

She gave me instructions to return five more times every other day.  I ended up with bruises on my back that freaked out my husband, and some days I walked out feeling worse than when I went in.  Wondering what the point was I began to see parallels to what I was going through physically to what I was experiencing spiritually.  Because at the same time my heart felt so dry, barren and exhausted. I was feeling stunned and unable to put up any sort of fight.  Just wanting to sit back and let life roll over me.  I was crying a lot and just feeling completely spent and wasted.  

After the fourth visit I came home in SO MUCH pain.  I felt discouraged and frustrated that it felt just as bad and when I began......THEN!!!  THEN!!!!!!  OH WOW....THEN!!!!!!!  I called a friend who is also a physical therapist to find out what was going on and she said this.......when the effected muscles are loosened and realigned there is pain to be expected because they basically have to retrain themselves to do their jobs properly.  THAT WAS WHEN IT STARTED TO SINK IN!!!!!  God was dealing with the knotted up muscles of my heart that needed to be dealt with.  Walls that I have put up or areas that I didn't even know existed were being pulled down and exposed and IT HURT!  It was feeling worse than ever and I hated it.  BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!  After I got off the phone with my friend I felt the gentle tug of Jesus on my heart comforting me and assuring me that it is going to be ok!  To trust him in the process and to believe that he truly and seriously does work all things out for my good and to His glory!  PRAISE GOD!  He has taken what I thought was hopeless pain and failure and has worked a beauty in my heart that causes me to give Him and Him alone Glory!  Jesus saves!  Jesus loves!!  Jesus lives!  HALLELUJAH!  I can say that as I write this my heart feels freer than ever before.  AND I am pain free in my back.   HALLELUJAH

Are you tired and weary?  Its ok!  Go to Jesus and let Him refresh your heart!  One thing I have learned from these experience is its ok that I am tired.  Its ok that I need to take a step back from the front lines for a minute or two.  Just be careful that when you need to rest that you do it in the presence of Jesus and allow him to fill you.  Don't fill you jars with bad oil!

Are you worn out with sin?  Its ok!  Go to Jesus and let Him give you freedom!  He came and died for your freedom!  You don't have to carry the burden of sin on your back any longer!  There is nothing you have done that Jesus hasn't already won the victory over!


"I Am Yours"

I see Your fingerprints
The work of Your hands
It's all in Your hands
I see the evidence
Leaving nothing to chance
The world's in Your hands

So I rest in Your promises
Now I am sure of this
I'm Yours

Let the waters rise
I will stand as the oceans roar
Let the earth shake beneath me
Let the mountains fall
You are God over the storm
And I am Yours

I hear the voice of love
Calling me home
To where I belong
It cripples every fear
And the ones who will kneel
Will walk away healed

So I rest in Your promises
Now I am sure of this
I'm Yours
No power is strong enough
To separate me from Your love
I'm Yours...

So let the waters rise
I will stand as the oceans roar
Let the earth shake beneath me
Let the mountains fall
You are God over the storm
And I am Yours

Even the thunder and the wind obey
At the command of my Father, Father
I set my feet upon Your mighty name
So let the rain fall harder, harder

So take my everything, my flesh and blood
I'll lay me down on the altar, altar
I am forever covered in Your love
So let the rain fall

So let the waters rise
I will stand as the oceans roar
Let the earth shake beneath me
Let the mountains fall
You are God over the storm
And I am Yours

[x2:]
Let the waters rise
I will stand as the oceans roar
Let the earth shake beneath me
Let the mountains fall
You are God over the storm
And I am Yours

You are God over the storm
And I am Yours