This morning I was in search of comforting words. I pulled out a favorite Bible and opened to an old marker that brought a smile to my face. I looked across the page at the highlighted words that stood out.
"For You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory."
Psalm 32:7
That's pretty comforting isn't it? When the heart is anxious the mind cannot focus. All we see in sight is the fear of what we are facing. But if we can take our eyes off that shouting anxiety and focus on Jesus, wow, does He always bring us through. He never fails us. He never leaves us to face things alone. He is there before we ever see the fear. He knows what we are about to face and He too knows just what we need to bring us through to victory.
I continued to follow through my Bible and stop at all the markers I have placed. Don't you just love how God gives us the Word we need exactly when we need it?
"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he had done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7
Just the words this anxious girl needed. See, tomorrow at 9:15 I will be in surgery. This will be the third surgery I have had on my right hand. This one is a bit more detailed and will take a bit more time of recovery. I have a collapsed thumb. Oh, there's a fancy name for it, but you get the picture. My thumb is no longer where it's suppose to be. It's about a half an inch shorter than my other thumb now. It has been quite painful. So, it's time to get it taken care of. It's not a surgery I'm looking forward to. I suppose that's a silly statement. Who actually looks forward to surgery? I am though looking forward to healing.
About a month ago I made my appointment for surgery. Funny how that date seems to sneak up on you. Almost as if to shout, "Surprise!!". I think more than anything I'm nervous about the block. Yep, that big horse needle that goes in right under my collar bone hurts like...well..you can very well imagine how it hurts. But at least after the surgery I won't feel anything at all for a while. That is until my fingers begin to tingle and it's then you know that pretty soon your going to feel your entire hand and arm. Yikes! Lol
So, as you can see I have been catching up on book reviews. That's about all I've been posting lately. If you have time, check a few of them out. You are sure to find a terrific book to enjoy for an afternoon. Take a look back at my older posts. Just maybe you will find something new you have yet to read and find it to be a blessing.
This will be my last post for a while. I'm not sure how long, but at least two-three weeks. I will then be hen pecking with my left hand. After a few weeks I will be facing quite a bit of therapy. I hope you'll stick with me. I am sure to have LOTS to share. A writer will always find a way to write!! Hopefully I will have a few guest posts from friends to share with you too. That's always a treat. You too can visit my favorite sites. You can see them listed at the side of my blog.
As I pour over scripture I am finding more and more verses to quiet my nervousness. I imagine it will spring up once again in the morning as I ready to leave for the hospital. But the Lord is quick to remind me that I'm not alone and I too have my ever amazing husband at my side.
It's important to keep a good perspective. Even on my worst day there is one who is facing much more. My worst day is someone else's best day. Think about that? Tomorrow morning could hold so much more for me. Things that would make my surgery look like baking a cake.
Friends, there will be times in our journey where we must face our fears. We simply have to do things we don't want to do. This is where faith is made. This is where we see Jesus do His thing. The thing that only He can do. He quiets us and washes us in calm. As we look to Him, He grows our trust moment by moment.
One way Jesus is quieting this nervous Nelly is to remind me to be thankful. In fact, throughout the day I will be penning my thankful list. How about you? Have you thought about all that you are thankful for? It is a wondrous way to remain focused on what is important. Tomorrow morning will pass. There will be a time where I look back and see just how God was preparing me for another chapter to my journey. One thing is for sure. I will look back and see that He was there with me every step of the way.
Until we meet again I pray you all enjoy the arrival of spring and may blessings be around every corner for you.
"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18
