Psalm 37 To-Do List

The other morning I was making a to-do list. I had just read Psalm 37, and found myself making my to-do list from instructions in that chapter. Here is what I jotted in my journal:

Don’t be agitated by evildoers
Trust in the Lord
Do what is good
Dwell in the land
Live securely
Delight in the Lord
Commit your way to the Lord
Trust in Him (and He will act!)
Be silent before the Lord
Wait expectantly for Him
Don’t be agitated (that’s twice!)
Refrain from anger
Give up rage
Put your hope in the Lord
Turn from evil
Do what is good
Wait for the Lord (that’s twice, too!)
Keep His way
Watch the blameless
Observe the upright

Wow, these things stir in my heart again as I type them.

Verses 39 & 40 are especially cool:
“The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, their refuge in a time of distress. The Lord helps and delivers them from the wicked and will save them because they take refuge in Him.”

I also listed the promises in my journal, but I have a to-do list waiting for me right now! I’d better get on it.

Please Pray for D.A.

Yesterday the Lord jarred me out of my self-absorbed world for a moment.

Recently we have needed some maintenance on the locks in our house, so we’ve had a locksmith here a few times. In the few short conversations with him, I learned that he was engaged, but the wedding had been postponed because Togo, his fiancé, was fighting cancer. “It’s looking positive,” he said. I promised to pray for her.

When he came again a couple weeks later, I asked about her. He was surprised but pleased that I’d remembered her name. “I promised to pray for her,” I replied simply. He talked a little about his Togo’s faith, and how he didn’t have as much as her.

Well, yesterday he suddenly showed up with red eyes and dark clothes on. His fiancé had suddenly passed away. UGH. He’d lost his first wife in a car accident 11 years ago. He himself was in a terrible wreck one year ago, and it took him months to recover. Now this!

How much can someone suffer?

Oh Lord, please comfort our new friend as he grieves yet another loss. Please may he discover You, Your love, Your awesome soothing Presence! May he embrace You and live for You all of his life, gushing Your love to others! And comfort the children she left behind. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Please will you pray for him, too? I hope one day he comes again to our house and says, “I’ve found Jesus!”

Take All of Me

Lord, please take these hands
Lifted up to You
Use them for Your glory
Your wonderful will to do

Take these eyes
No evil set before them
Seeing others through Your filter
Alert to what You are doing

Take these ears
Also must be protected
Quick to hear and listen
Your voice accurately selected

Take this nose
Enjoying Your world of fragrance
May I please Your nose, too
Worship: a sweet-smelling incense

Take these lips
Expressing, kissing, living
May they smile most of all
Your joy in me overflowing

Take my teeth and tongue
Guard them closely I pray
The input (food) and output (words)
All controlled by You everyday

Take this countenance
May it reflect Your beauty
Susan simply transparent
Jesus seen completely

Take this shoulder
Even now it is hurting
Somehow please work it for good
While I wait for healing

Take these hands again
May they give, provide, attend
Doing Your work cheerfully
Please love people through them

Take these feet
Walking this Swazi mountain
As they go where You lead
To enable Your Gospel’s proclamation

Take this skin
Pale, freckled, and bumpy
Please protect me from cancer
Help me to treat it wisely

Take this mind
Oh, how I’m thirsty to learn
Scriptures, languages, new skills
And a medical degree to earn

Train my thoughts
Please help me stay them on Jesus
Keep them from the gutter
On You and Your Word to focus

Take this heart
Beating strong and steady
May every pulse be for Your glory
Stopping only when You’re ready

Take this spirit
It’s sore today, I’m afraid
Please, Lord, come and sooth it
You know about this pain

Protect me from getting bitter
May I know Your unfailing love
Is this love the River
My brother was speaking of?

Help me to receive
All You have to offer
I empty my cup of gods
Making room for You, Father

Take All of Me, my God
Here I lay on the altar
Please help me to stay here
To You I totally surrender

Adventures in Grocery Shopping

Okay, I’m going to try writing more. I’ll start with an event from today.

Kayla is now 8, Levi is 5½ , and Trinity is 2. I took them, along with Joelle Rehmeyer (8), to the grocery store today. Each of the girls got a little kid-sized grocery cart while Levi hopped (head first—seriously!) into my big cart. Here they call the carts “trolleys.”

We made a “trolley train” through the store so we didn’t barricade the aisles, and gradually filled up on stuff. It was an adventure, especially with Trinity easily getting side-tracked. (No, kiddo, we don’t need that!) The kids were good help. Trinity loves to put bananas in bags. We often end up making banana bread because of our banana surplus.

Right before we got out of the car today to begin our shopping adventure, we prayed together. We then filled our pockets with little tracts and index cards with scriptures written on them, ready to share the Word. The employees at the store know us and are eager for the “Good News” or “Truth” as we call it. One man today pulled out a little scripture booklet we’d given to him a while back. He said he often reads it and is very happy to have it. Another person was excited about the index card handed to him and said, “I need this!”

Wow, people are so hungry for Truth! And the Bible says that God’s Word will not return void!

So, we are training little soldiers to help advance God’s kingdom by telling others about Jesus. Sometimes we tell them, "Jesu yakhu tandza," which means, "Jesus loves you." It is fun. It is an honor, really. Thank You, Lord, for this privilege!