Mission Impossible

One million one, one million two, one million three…

Photo credit:  123rf.com

As I counted I surveyed the area around me.  The beautiful sandy beach stretched on for miles and miles.  Then I looked at the little pile of sand in front of me, it could barely fill a sandwich bag.

It was at this point in the face of my insurmountable task that I finally threw my hands in the air and shouted “I give up!!!”

I knew then as I knew when I began that my mission was impossible, not Tom Cruise impossible but really impossible.  There were not hours enough in the day or days enough in my remaining time on earth to count the grains of sand on this one beach in the Bahamas so the world…? I think not.  

I'm at Laced With Grace today.  I hope you'll stop by and read the rest of my post Mission Impossible

Trusting Him,
~Bernadine~

Forever Home

The photos in this post were taken by me as I approached home after being away on vacation.

I love to travel when I have an opportunity.  However, there is always something exciting about returning home.  I have a sense of anticipation because I know I’m going to be back to a place and a people that I love.  But as much as I love my home, as excited as I always am to return I’m happy that this is not my forever home.

I’ve just finished reading Max Lucado’s book Traveling Light.  The chapter before the end was titled  Almost Heaven.  In this chapter he talks about longing for home.  I love the way he puts it so eloquently.

Would you treat this world like home?  It isn’t.  The greatest calamity is not to feel far from home when you are, but to feel right at home when you are not.   Don’t quench but rather stir this longing for heaven.  God’s home is a forever home. “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6 NKJV) Traveling Light, Max Lucado pg154

I’m so glad that there’s nothing wrong with me feeling like a sojourner here because I am.  This is not my forever home.  This is just my temporary home and my forever home with Jesus is being prepared.

Trusting Him,
 ~Bernadine~

Almost

Almost

I almost gave up Lord

I almost let you go

For I couldn’t hear your voice

When I felt I needed you most

I had devised my plan

And how to follow through

I was going to pack it in

I’d decided I was through

But with one simple act

You’ve shown yourself to me

To let me know that

You had never forsaken me

I realize now Father

You were speaking all along

But I was too angry, bitter and hurt

To pay attention to your voice

For I knew if I had listened

You’d have said to let it go

For bitterness has no place

Within a Christian’s soul

You’d have told me, I’m sure,

That I was fighting without cause

For the battle is not mine

Jesus had already won it at the cross

But Lord I’m listening now

With a contrite and broken heart

Secured in the knowledge that

you’ll never give up

on this wayward child of yours

(2001)

Backstory

photo credit:  fotosearch.com

Have you experienced times in your Christian walk where it seems if you were the very last item on God’s agenda and he had barely started His list?  (Please let me know I’m not the only one). 

I was quite a few years into my walk with God when I was hurt to the point that I felt broken, bruised and quite forsaken by God.  So in my humanistic way of thinking I thought well if God doesn’t care why should I…?  Thankfully He didn’t give up on me and out of that experience I wrote the above poem.  I'm so glad that almost, doesn't count..

Trusting Him, 
~Bernadine~

Because he Lives

It was Friday evening. Heads were hung low. Unanswered questions echoed through troubled minds.

“Did we make a mistake in following this man?” Is he really the one prophesized about by the prophets of old?” “What is he doing hanging on a cross?”

I can only imagine the questions of the disciples as they watched the events that took place unable to intervene. I’m sure Peter wanted to take on everyone on Jesus’ behalf and he did try;

10Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear.

However,

11Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" John 18:10-11

Whenever I read the Easter story I am always in awe of the depth of God’s love for us. Jesus didn’t want anyone to fight this battle, to step in and be His savior because he was The Savior.

I can picture the disciple that Jesus loved. He must have felt helpless, lost, even forsaken. This man was probably a big brother, maybe even father figure to him and now there he hung beaten, bleeding and seemingly defeated on the cross. Probably knowing his sense of helplessness Jesus gave him an assignment, one that He would only give to someone He trusted completely.

26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home John 19:26-27

That beloved disciple must have held his new mother close and comforted her as Jesus cried It is finished." then bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Darkness, despair, discouragement, total hopelessness… this is how that moment must have seemed to those who loved Jesus, the moment where all hopes, dreams and expectations came crashing down. We’ve all experienced those moments in life. But I am so thankful that moment on the cross was not the end of the story. I’m so thankful for resurrection Sunday, that an empty tomb stands testament to the fact that He rose again, that my Jesus lives.

photo credit:  Photobucket.com

10Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"
"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there… John 20:13-14

Oh the joy of that moment when a ray of hope cuts through the darkness, when the impossible becomes possible, when hope springs anew…

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth a living, just because He lives
Bill Gaither

Trusting Him,
~Bernadine~

Re-posted from my teen girl blog.