A Three for One Special

Have you read any good books this summer? Looking for something a little lighter to read as we head into the busy autumn season? I started writing reviews on the following three books, but I continue to struggle with that particular assignment so felt that I wasn't saying anything of merit. I decided to clump all three of these books together. Then, imagine that, by the grace of God, I was able to find the common thread in these books. Maybe it is just what I am drawn to reading.  

“His Grace is Sufficient: Decaf is Not (A Devo for Women on the Go)” by

SandraD. Bricker, Loree Lough, Trish Perry, and Cynthia Ruchti

Just like its sister devotion, "Be Still and Let Your Nail Polish Dry", "His Grace is Sufficient" speaks to women everywhere. Women who are not perfect, women who may have messed up big-time, but as we learn, God forgives us for all of our messes. His grace will smooth over all our wrinkles and settle all our crinkles. All we need to do is keep plowing through life, with as much caffeine as we need, and God will take care of the rest.

“TheRepurposed & Upcycled Life: When God Turns Trash to Treasure” by MichelleRayburn

 

Michelle takes the messes we have made in our lives and shows us how they can be turned around for the good. Not only things like discarded objects we pull from the garbage, but mistakes we have made in our lives. She shares stories from her own experiences and shows us how to recycle and repurpose even the sorriest incidents.

“AllThat You Can't Leave Behind: A Rookie Missionary's Life In Africa” by Ryan J.Murphy

I can relate to so much about this book, because I have been there, not only physically been to Kenya, but emotionally and spiritually been to a place where I knew I was called but woke up some mornings wondering what was going on. I loved Ryan's honesty and sincerity in his memoir. Things aren't perfect, he has problems with things that an outsider wouldn't imagine should be a problem. Yet, Ryan perseveres.  Whether you're considering short-term or long-term missions or just wonder what life is like in a third world country, you have to read this book.

So see, in all three books, we are handed messes or we make messes of our own, but God is the ultimate janitor. He cleans them all up for us.

In pain

Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer. Psalm 4:1-3 New International Version

My back went out yesterday morning. This usually happens every spring, so it was not unexpected.

Sometimes it is the spring chores – too much lifting and raking and general yard work. One year it was hoisting a hundred pound carpet into the back of my cousin’s Jeep. Most often however, it is nothing dramatic, it is simply bending down to tie my shoe. Or like this time, when honestly, I wasn’t doing anything that should traumatize my vertebrae. I was washing dishes and next thing I knew my back was cinched up like a bronco’s saddle.

I used to run to the chiropractor and after several “crackings”, my back was fine. But I have found that over the years, the stupid thing goes back into place on its own in about the same amount of time. On average I can expect to be in pain for three or four days, while walking around with my right hip a few inches out of alignment.

It’s been the few occasions where this back pain has dragged on for over a week that I lose my sense of humor. What if the pain doesn’t go away? What if I can never straighten up again? What if I end up addicted to pain pills that make me goofy (goofier)?

When my brain takes off like that, I take a deep breath, say a prayer and turn it over to God. Just like everything else in this world, it is going to turn out the way it is supposed to.

Dear Lord, thank you for the beautiful weekend which you have given to me. You know what is best for me, and if that meant this was the weekend I was going to be laid up with a bad back so that I was forced to neglect the housework and get some reading and TV watching done, thank you for that opportunity. And whatever the coming days bring, I will accept it as Your will. Amen

This would be how my back feels. This picture was taken last Sunday at the ruins of Plummer Mine in northern Wisconsin. See? God let my back be good last weekend.