Holding On

In the midst of waiting life goes on. Thoughts about Addie don't consume me anymore than other pregnancy yet like with the boys it is always there. This pain, that pain, odd discomfort is it normal? Normal pregnancy thoughts yet life goes on. I am still doing what I do. People bring up the issues more than I think about them on my own because I am so at peace. It almost seems odd. I am trying to do everything physical-wise to be cautious especially about adding to pre-term labor because I had that last time, but I am not worried. We are drawing so much strength and comfort from the promises of God that it doesn't feel odd to carry on like normal. I am not ignoring the issues Addie has but am fully at rest trusting that I serve a God who will do what he has promised to do. A verse that was mentioned twice yesterday really hit me Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." God has started a good work and a healing in Addie and I am expecting Him to finish it. As  I wait to see this fulfillment I am amazed at the other ways I am seeing God in my life. This weekend we really debated our plans. Mike was supposed to go fishing and I was coming home, but for some reason we were really struggling with if we should or not. We decided to go ahead with our original plans knowing we would enjoy them. Since we have done that God has shown us in two distinct ways that this was where we needed to be this weekend. It is awesome how when we are looking for God's work it is so visible. I made another realization this weekend too. I am holding on to James 5:^{14 "}Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven." As I have shared before and I do believe this and that as we call on Him He will and has answered us. Mike and I are expecting and praying for a perfectly healthy little baby come December. I realized though that had it just been clubbed feet I wouldn't have felt the need to pray so desperately for healing, because it is fixable by doctors. But now with everything else the doctors saw we were made desperate and desiring. We desire to see God's glory in her life and we desire to see His promises once again shown true! We have fallen on our knees in front of God begging for the healing of our little girl and we have called on the elders and we have had her anointed for this healing, but as I have said before we can not just believe part of the scriptures. James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." This verse tells us it is the prayer of the righteous that are powerful and effective. Our pastor in Indiana explained the day we got Addie anointed that this means right with God and right with others. If we expect God to do what He has promised to do we must live the life He has called us to live. I will tell you that before Addie was anointed I had to apologize to someone. Matthew 5:24 "First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift." I didn't want anything to stand in the way of God's power. I truly believe in the Word of God. He wants us to call on Him with our whole hearts for every issue. I think we may have missed out on His great power had it just been clubbed feet, but now I am anticipating seeing answers that could only come from Him because that is what He has promised us.The following verse leaves it clear for us. He wants to answer and is waiting to hear all we have to do is call out in faith. Call out in faith for whatever our struggles may be; be it salvation, healing, peace. God is waiting to hear for us so that His mighty power can be displayed and all the nations may see His glory! Isaiah 65: 24 "Before they call^(BS) I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear." Call to Him, bring Him your cares and He will carry them and you as He is doing for us. His love and faithfulness are everlasting. Yesterday at church there were testimonies of a little boy who had been anointed the same day as Addie who was thought to have a brain tumor and after the MRI there was nothing! The doctor was surprised but those who had stood in faith praying with them were not! There was also testimony of a 3 week old baby whose doctor had heard a heart murmur one week they got him anointed and the next week that doctor didn't hear it and the test didn't show it! God wants to heal! As we stand on faith in His word and His promises we are standing on the safest ground! It has nothing to do with us, but only with Him. It is because of His mercy that He cares about us enough to shower us with His love and power in our day-to-day life. So Mike and I will hold on as we go through this, and invite you to do the same. Look for His promises in His word. Turn your hearts to Him, ask any whoever you may need to ask for forgiveness be it God or others! Don't let something silly or petty hold you back from the great love and power of our God. He is our God because He called us and we came and He is calling you! 1 John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." When you take the time to admit the wrongs you through God's grace become the righteous person talked about in James and your prayers are heard. The steps are easy and God is faithful as we have seen already in our lives and in Addie and as we will continue to see.  We are  going to praise for the big things and the little things because our God is worthy of praise! Our Addie is being knit together as we speak and I can't wait to tell of all the great things He has done and will do in her life!