Thursday, December 19, 2013

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!


BLESSED!  We are SO blessed!  Often it is not until we lose something that we realize how much we miss it!  A few weeks ago, swelling in my one ear had caused me to not be able to hear properly.  For several days I lived in a muffled world where sounds were diminished and I had to strain with all my might to be able to hear even a portion of what I normally hear very clearly every day.  It wasn’t fun, let me tell you!  Thoughts of what life must be like for those who are deaf touched me deeply and my heart resonated with a clearer understanding of their world.  I prayed and prayed, and others prayed over me.  Intermittently my left ear would open up a bit to allow a little more sound to enter, but then it would close up again.  I began to wonder “why” the healing was taking so long … and “what” the purpose of this trial was, but I continued to claim my healing.  In the midst of my “much quieter than usual world” – things were taking shape as God was busily speaking to others in our family about giving His Son gifts for His birthday.  Giving up their own gifts to give to Him.  While my husband and I have been so blessed by giving Jesus gifts for His birthday for many years now, we had never done exactly that.  God was about to put a new twist on “how” we gave!  We had never before asked others to take the gifts they had planned for us and turn them into gifts for Jesus’ birthday.  But doing so was going to be key to what God was asking me to do personally.  When one of our sons asked for ideas from us for Christmas gifts, my mind started scanning the needs-list/wish-list from prior conversations.  As a few items popped into my head, there was that momentary thought, “Oh that would be SO nice!  Yes, that would be GREAT!”  And then … I felt this sudden, uncomfortable tug-of-war in my spirit.  I chided myself for having even thought of taking something for myself when I knew within the depths of my heart that God was asking something different of me.  “Will you give Me what is yours?”  Before opening my lips, I knew what my answer would be.  “Of course, Lord!”  I heard myself telling our son that whatever they were planning to give me – I wanted to have them add it to Jesus’ birthday gifts!  Excitement rose within me that we were going to be able to bless Jesus more than we could have just on our own!  Do you know what happened next?  Amazingly in the very moment that I said “yes” to what God was asking me to do … my closed ear opened.  There was no popping sound, no sensation.  But I immediately could clearly hear sounds around me that for several days had been diffused and distorted.  I was fully aware that a Christmas miracle had just been given to me … and my heart was so moved that I could not speak.  All I could do was whisper to Him through tears … of joy!  For giving me the opportunity to bless Him, to share with others … and as a surprise bonus, to receive my healing.  I had no thought of “giving to get”.  God’s spirit within moved me to obey out of sheer love and a desire to bless.  Amazingly, though, it seems when God gets us where He wants us, then He turns around and blesses us right back!  All I could do was praise Him and thank Him for my restored hearing … over and over and over!  I knew He would not tire of hearing me say “Thank You” again and again!  On that first Christmas so long ago, God gave us what was His.  He could have kept His Son all for Himself.  But He chose to send Him from streets of gold to straw in a manger – to get close to us.  He did not spare His Son from the splintered cross – but chose that hellish death to bring the Gift of Life to us.  His Resurrection power blazed through the wrapping of the linens around His Son’s body and left them laying there on the stone while He breathed Life into the Best Gift we will ever receive!  His Gift says, “Happy Birthday to us!”  This precious Christmas Season, my heart is longing for all of us to say, “Happy Birthday, Jesus ~ we know it’s all about You!  We celebrate the indescribable Gift that You are!  We are truly SO blessed!”


REMEMBER . . . God had already named His Son before He was born!
This is what He had the angel tell Joseph:
“She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,
because He will save His people from their sins.”
~ Matthew 1:21  


Joyfully Serving Christ . . .  


Pastor Doug and Debbie











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