Good morning all-
Have you ever made a promise? I bet you have. I've made a few significant ones in my life. For example, I promised to love and cherish my husband till death due us part. I promised the day I conceived that I would love and raise my children to be good men. Most importantly, I promised Jesus that although I was a sinner, I would be with Him forever.
These are very significant promises. None of them can be taken lightly and oh yes, I promised my mom I would take care of the family she took such good care of. Guess what, that promise is yet to be fulfilled, like so many of my promises. A promise is a step by step, day by day fulfillment. A promise kept is a work earned. Right? Think about it this way, if you make a promise shouldn't you fulfill it? Of course you should but that's not always as easy as it sounds.
During practice Friday night, I was talking to a few of the parents that take their kids 45 minutes away for an hour and a half practice. It's my time with my teenager and to top it off, I get to talk to some pretty amazing adults. We were all talking when Dale confesses he was going to put his mom in a nursing home. It's not one of the low end, not very nice ones. It sounds really nice and the word expensive came up multiple times. He was struggling because he made a promise to his dad to take care of his mom. She has had four strokes and Dale's wife has had to be nurse to her for the last 3 years. The burden has been great but that's not really it, they would have continued but she needs more care than his wife can give. So, he felt like he had let down his dad and mom.
I think the conversation was difficult but mom's know when sons are struggling. So like a parent, she said she understood. This facility will have only 20 people in it. It's definitely on the high end of care facilities and I think she probably will meet people and have fun. He, on the other hand, almost broke down in tears. He kept saying, "I made a promise." As I was sitting there, I could really relate. When my dad got really sick and I didn't know if he would need to live with me, thoughts of fulfilling my promise came to mind too. I was turning over every option and the one option I chose, my dad refused. He would not come live with me. Great! Now, how was I going to fulfill my promise?
I didn't have to after all, Christ called him home and he was exactly where he wanted to be. My promise was to care for him and I did until he died. I spoke some of these same words to Dale, hoping that he would realize that Christ would help him through this. Christ opened that door to the care facility. She was on a waiting list and then they opened a new facility. That's not luck, that's Christ!
I found Scripture to comfort him and steered him toward looking for God in this situation. As long as he goes and sees his mom, he will be fulfilling his promise. We must always concentrate on the relationship. As long as we do that, all things will work for good. No one wants to see an older person suffer or be put in an institution but sometimes the care they need is too great for one family member.
After I left that night and even into yesterday, I kept thinking about God's promises to us. He promises never to leave us or forsake us and even gave us a rainbow as his word that he would never again flood the earth. I love rainbows and every time I see one, I'm encouraged. The different colors and the endless stripes always remind me of how much Christ loved us. And of course, there is the cross. One innocent man's blood which promised to save many. Now if that's not a picture of a promise fulfilled, I really don't know what is.
If you haven't thought about the promises you've made, you might want to write them down. Especially, if you're feeling like you've let someone down. Maybe your perception of the situation isn't exactly true. We must always remember that every promise needs Christ. We can do nothing in our own strength but everything in His. I'm no prophet but when you look at Scripture every wise word, every great deed, every letter and every sacrifice came from God. I think it's time we relinquish our control and give it to our Master. He holds all the keys anyway and after all, none of us can make a rainbow.
Take care my sisters and know I love you. I may not know your name but I feel you every time I'm at this keyboard. You live in different places and you speak different languages but through the Holy Spirit we are one. May God bless you and keep you all your days. Pray for one another and pray for the countries that are in turmoil. We are one voice before the Lord, let it be loud, true and full of glory for Jesus Christ.
Luke 1:45 NIV:
Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"
Joshua 21:45 NIV:
Not one of all the Lord's good promises to Israel failed, every one was fulfilled.
2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV:
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so thorough him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.
Genesis 9:13 NIV:
I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, how great You are. Those are the words on my tongue this morning. Without you, I'm dead but with You, I'm alive. Thank You for bringing me into conversations where people need to hear about You. Thank You for allowing me the privilege to pray for the lost, the lonely and the hurting. Thank You for giving me the words to encourage someone and to bring them back to You. Thank You for Scripture because it's the sword that we need to slay our dragons. Thank You for reminding all of us that You made promises and many have been fulfilled and one day, You will return and take us from this earth. Thank You for the cross and for the Holy Spirit that was released upon Your death and thank You for the spectacular array of light from the rainbow that reminds us all that this earth will never flood again. You are mighty in Power and Majesty and with every step I pray I honor You. Women all over the world are making promises, not to men but to You. I pray that You will give them the strength and perseverance to fulfill their promise. That in their actions, they will bow only to You and know You are near. Our lives hold many challenges and one of them is to be entrenched in You. Often the world takes us away, we say we don't have enough time, but we must make time because right here right now is where the rubber meets the road. Our course has been set and the only one that can get us through our obstacles is You. We rely on Your faithfulness to get us through today and by confession we honor You. Our days are numbered but Yours are many. Help us fulfill the promise we made to You; to love, to honor and to obey one God, one Voice, on Savior. We bow down to You and praise Your name among all things here on earth and in heaven. May Your majesty be seen among the nations and may You hear Your women crying with one voice, "HOLY, HOLY IS THE LAMB!" Thank You Lord for giving me life and purpose and for helping me to fulfill my promises. In Jesus name, AMEN.
Can anyone say AMEN???????
Until tomorrow...
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