A Branch In the Vine

Have you ever heard the Lord say to your heart, "Enough already...get up and do this...trust Me!"

I have...when we were selling our house in Centerville, Ohio. This is the house where we had raised our kids...all those milestones and memories tucked away in that little house, in that sweet little community!

I had been wallowing in so many conflicting emotions in the whole process of selling that house. In fact, I had nixed the whole thing and then delayed it from going on the market!

But the Lord was carrying us through the whole process (remember "Footprints"?). He provided a buyer quickly...by the end of the first week! But I still wasn't ready...and was going over the edge!

Practically collapsing with grief, I was walking through my beautiful neighborhood (made even more beautiful by the fact that I was soon leaving it)!

I said to the Lord, "I can't do this!"

That's when He said to me, "Enough! Get up and do this! You weren't even acting this way when I carried you through Jeremy's cancer surgery. You did what I gave you to do...and it was good! You can do this! I will bring you to a good place! Trust Me!"

So I turned the corner literally and emotionally, and started walking it out with HIM!

And guess what? He walked me right into the beautiful place where we have lived for the past 12 years...our condo in Beavercreek.

Why do I tell this story? To introduce my next "Finding in the Files." I post this hesitatingly because I hope it's not offensive to anyone. But I do think there's an element of truth here that can't be denied.

I often hear Christians say, "Well, I'm just waiting on the Lord to work it out."

And don't get me wrong, I believe that with my whole heart! However, I've often seen it to be an excuse for inertia, fear of failure, laziness, or believe it or not, even continuing in sin.

So for what it's worth, here's a little piece I found in my file called...

Butt Prints In The Sand

One night I had a wondrous dream,One set of footprints there was seen,The footprints of my precious Lord,But mine were not along the shore.

But then some stranger prints appeared,And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?"Those prints are large and round and neat,"But Lord they are too big for feet."

"My child," He said in somber tones,"For miles I carried you alone.I challenged you to walk in faith,But you refused and made me wait."

"You disobeyed, you would not grow,The walk of faith, you would not know.So I got tired, I got fed up,and there I dropped you on your butt."

"Because in life, there comes a time,when one must fight, and one must climb.When one must rise and take a stand,or leave their butt prints in the sand."

Author unknown

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And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6 NIV

Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works... For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. James 2:18, 26 ESV

God...has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. ...we walk by faith, not by sight... we make it our aim to please him. 2 Cor 5:5-9 ESV

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By faith we see the hand of God In the light of creation's grand design In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness Who walk by faith and not by sight

By faith our fathers roamed the earth With the power of His promise in their hearts Of a holy city built by God's own hand A place where peace and justice reign

We will stand as children of the promise We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward Till the race is finished and the work is done We'll walk by faith and not by sight

By faith the prophets saw a day When the longed-for Messiah would appear With the power to break the chains of sin and death And rise triumphant from the grave

By faith the church was called to go In the power of the Spirit to the lost To deliver captives and to preach good news In every corner of the earth

We will stand as children of the promise We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward Till the race is finished and the work is done We'll walk by faith and not by sight

By faith this mountain shall be moved And the power of the gospel shall prevail For we know in Christ all things are possible For all who call upon His name

We will stand as children of the promise We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward Till the race is finished and the work is done We'll walk by faith and not by sight

Keith and Kristen Getty

This next "finding" is familiar to most of us.

And if you've lived long enough, you have found the message of this familiar poem to be so true. For us it was in 1998 when our then 20 year old son was diagnosed and treated for cancer. The Lord literally carried us!

Have you experienced the carrying of the Lord? When was this true for you?

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord, "You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there have only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied, "The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, is when I carried you."

A Branch in the Vine

Findings in the Files: Get Up and Walk!

Findings in the Files: Carried!

A Branch In the Vine