I am just so amazed how God can be so good to one person as he has been to me. I mean, I'm so thrilled just to be able to serve the Lord. I'm happier now than I've ever been. What I'm trying to say is that the joy of the Lord is definitely your strength. I thank him for his love. I thank him for his joy. I mean, I still get to do what I've always wanted to do, still living out a dream, still teaching others about Jesus and equipping a new generation of leaders to be all that God is calling them to be. It's still amazing to me that I am able to do that.
I'm overwhelmed with God's healing touch in my life. Some of you know that in 2020 I got deathly ill. Nobody really knew what I had. I couldn't balance myself, couldn't walk, could hardly breath and swallow. It looked like my traveling and teaching days were over. My daughter and grandson came from Alabama to care for me. I confess to you that I didn't think I was ever going to get better. Turns out that my problem was a B12 deficiency. As soon I started getting injections, things gradually returned to normal. Now let me be clear. I'm not doing what I'm doing today because Dave Black had such great stamina and strength or that I told myself, "I'm gonna beat this thing." I am here today, doing what I love to do, because of a touch from the Master.
Thank God for that touch.
Since the day my strength returned, my prayer has been, "Lord lift me up and let me stand, by faith on heaven's tableland; a higher plane than I have found, Lord plant my feet on higher ground." I will not fret about yesterday's failures or tomorrow's challenges. I will discover God's will for my life one day at a time. I will feel free to weep, to doubt, to laugh till I hurt. I will not minimize or justify my wrong. I will take responsibility for my health. I will take time to create memories for my grandchildren. I will make them a birthday card instead of buying one. I will pick a flower, enjoy a sunset, spend an hour reading Latin, fill up a bird bath, feed the donkey a carrot, ask God to lead me every day to a special verse in the Bible, smile at my coworkers, do something nice for my children, be a better listener, and think less about being a people-pleaser and more about pleasing God. I will let go and trust God for such things as my health, coping with the death of a loved one, dealing with temptation, and accepting the inevitability of old age. I'm not just another somebody lost in the rush of life. I'm the unique creation of God whom he will lovingly guide along the path he thinks is best for me.
I've got his Word on it.