Praise God! I was able to do preparation for, oversight of, and teach at our annual Prayer Retreat at Westside. Last year every major commitment I made at Westside, beginning with the annual Prayer Retreat, I was in the hospital. As the days approached for the Retreat, God gave me a peace that I would indeed be there. What was surprising was the return of a greater strength and energy beginning last Wednesday. I was actually back to a strength and energy level that I had not had since before the Little Rock treatment. I think I was healing well after surgery and the adjustments made to the pace maker the week before were finally allowing the heart to give me the oxygen I needed. I also had the energy and air I needed to be in choir and ensemble rehearsal last Wednesday evening. Before then I had not even had air and strength to sing in our worship services.
The myeloma markers are remaining stable, maybe even a slight movement in the right direction. My body is handling the continued chemo and side effects at a manageable level. I am scheduled to return to Little Rock the week of March 2nd for a fuller evaluation.
As I awakened about 4:00 this morning (some of the Monday medications affect my sleep) I thought of my returning strength and energy, I realized I did not know how physically weak I had become. Of course this led me to think in spiritual realms because as I prepared for the Prayer Retreat, I realized I was spiritually weaker than I had been at times in the past. How easily that can happen. It makes me think of an illustration we used in teaching science. If you put a frog in boiling water, he senses the danger and jumps out. If you put him in room temperature water and gradually heat it up he will sit there and boil to death. The change is so gradual that he just adapts until the water is boiling and then it is too late.
Isn’t that what happens to us spiritually? We see certain situations and know they are dangerous—boiling water. Other times the change in our thinking, heart, and attitudes is so gradual we are in dangerous water and do not sense it. We are desensitized as we are bombarded through movies, TV, and our non-Christian associations. Our subconscious takes it in and we eventually stop sensing the danger.
But, we are not frogs. We can put spiritual thermostats and thermometers in place to keep us aware and to help control the dangers. Thermostats include beginning our focus on God every day through prayer and Bible study. “In the morning Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation” (Psalm 5:3). “Oh, how I love your law; I meditate on it all day long” (Psalm 119:92). They also include our continued prayer through the day, our scheduled times of worship and Bible study, our fellowship time with Christian friends, and our personal reading and Bible study. These same things can also serve as thermometers that tell us when we are slipping. God’s Word, prayer, and Christian friends will confront us and the Holy Spirit will convict us of needed changes. Aren’t you glad our God is a personal God who is personally concerned about us and has given us many ways to stay in a close relationship with Him, continues to grow us, and helps us live out His purpose for our life? I was convicted last week as I spent additional time with Him and recommitted to become closer to Him than ever through increased Bible study and prayer. I want to live His will for my life each day.
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