PRAISE AND GLORY TO GOD!!!!

When faced with the tedium and longevity of a chronic illness, disability, or disorder, life can go on in a painful condition for such a long time that one doesn't always stop to recognize and give thanks for a good day when it comes.

After many months of headaches which can immobilize me and send me to bed for days at a time... the discomfort of side effects from prescription medications, and the fatigue and chronic neuralgia associated with other conditions, I awoke three mornings last week feeling like a different person.

To be honest, it felt unusual. I was amazed. My head didn't throb. There was no "buzz-ing" sound in my head, my pain level was manageable, and the internal chills weren't there, leaving me feeling almost "normal". I walked in the front door at work and told the first person I saw that I felt good. It had been a while since I had been able to do that, and I enjoyed it.

(There was no explanation. I had no particular changes in medications, diet, or lifestyle. This was a gift of "wellness"... "out of the blue"... straight from the Lord, the "giver of life".)

On top of my body feeling well, my mind was clear, focused, and I felt energized. Within those three days, I was able to complete more work than I had been able to accomplish in the previous month. I felt so good that I went from task to task. I did several monthly jobs ahead of time, plus catching up on all the little things that had slipped by me. Maybe I did a bit too much.

**Alas, by the time Friday arrived, the pain was back... the fatigue had returned, and the focus was gone... but I had been gifted with three perfect days ... the best I had in a long time. What a blessing! I had intended to blog during those days and thank the Lord for them ... but I didn't.

**So now... the purpose of this blog is to praise God that He is with me EVERY DAY. He truly blessed me with three days of ease, strength, focus, and comfort. They were very fruitful days.

I felt accomplished because of my amount of work done during that time... but I also desire to praise God because He is with me all the other days. He is with me on the days when I can't make it out of bed. He is with me when I am forced to take the "heavy duty"meds and sleep for several days at a time.

He gives me the strength that enables me to crawl out of bed, go to work, and do as much as I can... even when I am weak and in pain. God is faithful. He has proven himself faithful time and again... day after day... year after year... and so my faith grows.

**The Lord never promised us a problem-free or pain-free life... but He promised that He would always be with us.

**He has promised to send us a comforter, the Holy Spirit, Who comes along side us to comfort, lead, guide, and teach us.

**The Lord promised to strengthen us when we are weak. All we have to do is turn to Him in our weakness and find strength in Him.

**It helps me to remember that He does indeed have a plan for me. Even if I can't see how the days of my life fit in with His "big plan", I have put my trust completely in Him. I know that He has my best interest at heart... NO MATTER WHAT... as He has with All His Children. Thus... I can safely put myself in His hands, confident of His love, grace, and mercy.

"I CAN do ALL THINGS through Jesus Christ who strengths me."

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord... for He is greatly to be praised."

I praise Him for the Good days... and I praise Him for the "less good"ones.... because He walks me through each day, and never leaves me to struggle through in my own strength. He uses the more difficult days to draw me closer to Him, and to teach me to trust Him more.

Thank you, Lord Jesus!

THE CRACKED POT

A water bearer in a distant land had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck.

One of the pots had a crack on it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For two whole years, this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master’s house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments…perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor, cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

"Why?" asked the bearer. "Of what are you ashamed?"

"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old, cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old, cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wildflowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again, the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and everyday while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have had this beauty to grace his house.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weaknesses." Therefore… I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me...for when I am weak, then I am strong. 1 Corinthians 12: 9-10

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God can take the weaknesses and flaws that we see in ourselves

and use them in ways we would never imagine.

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Our limitations become tools in His hands if we will only submit them to Him for His use.

Each of us has our own unique flaw.

We must accept each person for who they are and search for the good in them.

**~**~**~**~

Remember to "smell the flowers" on your side of the path...

FROM ONE "CRACKED POT" TO ANOTHER ------- and have a great day!!