Somehow our story is part of HIS plan . . .

"When God allows extraordinary trials for His people, He prepares extraordinary comforts for them!"  Corrie Ten Boom

WOW, THAT is an amazing statement!! :) I think I'm going to make it big and frame it!  It is one of MY favorites in recent days - and there have been so many good ones!  Yes, He does prepare extraordinary comforts.  Sometimes in BIG ways, and sometimes in little ways, that hit you at the oddest times.  Tonight, I was working at the Town Hall.  When I'm there, I MISS Rick popping in to say "hi" and bringing me supper - he did that almost every month while I was there getting ready for the monthly meeting . . . so, another reminder of HOW MUCH is missing in our lives - another of the "little ways" that others would never notice, but has become a HUGE HOLE in my life.  Yet, in the midst of the sadness that Rick won't be popping in to say hi, or bringing supper is encouragement through the radio!  I JUST LOVE WPFF 90.5!  It's amazing how the songs that I NEED to hear come on just when I need to hear them!  More on that in a minute, but first, "little" comforts - again things that others wouldn't see/know/think of . . . two jump out at me when I'm down at the town hall, the first being that I'm glad that only the fire trucks for our area are housed there, not the Rescue Squad.  Though I am IN AWE of the awesome people locally who volunteer their time to this awesome service, I am glad that I don't have to SEE the squad every time I go to work there!  Secondly, and along those same lines, I have been thankful since the day of Rick's accident that I didn't HEAR any sirens that day.  We are close to the highway, we ALWAYS hear sirens.  I was sitting at the computer, passing time until Rick came home when they would have been going by, I SHOULD have heard them, but I never did.  I have always felt that they were a haunting sound anyway, but to NOT have to "connect" them to that day is just a little "blessing", an "extraordinary comfort" that the Lord prepared.

Now, on to music.  I've always wished I could sing.  I can't.  I can't dance either.  I have no rhythm.  I don't play any instruments either.  But, I still LOVE music.  And when I am alone, I sing - sometimes very loudly and always off key!  Anyway, there is a song that I have sung along to many times over the years, yet, when singing, I thought, NO, I DON'T like this song.  I don't like what it says, I like the tune, I like the "idea" - for other people, but not for me.  But tonight, this song IS me.  It HAS been me.  I realized that ALL THAT I HAVE is really HIS and I'm NOT in control . . . This song IS the life we are living RIGHT here and RIGHT now, and you know what, it's true . . . 

I can count a million times

I can count a million times

People asking me how I

Can praise You with all that I've gone through

The question just amazes me

Can circumstances possibly

Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed

Long before these rainy days

It's never really ever crossed my mind

To turn my back on you, oh Lord

My only shelter from the storm

But instead I draw closer through these times

So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace

Bring the chance to be free

Bring me anything that brings You glory

And I know there'll be days

When this life brings me pain

But if that's what it takes to praise You

Jesus, bring the rain

I am Yours regardless of

The dark clouds that may loom above

Because You are much greater than my pain

You who made a way for me

By suffering Your destiny

So tell me what's a little rain

So I pray

Holy, holy, holy

Is the Lord God Almighty

Mercy Me

It's a beautiful song, but HONESTLY, I NEVER wanted to sing/pray "Bring me anything that brings you glory, (really, anything???  anything, Lord?  That might hurt.  You might take someone I LOVE, "yes, child, ANYTHING")  And I know there'll be days, When this life brings me pain (really, pain, I don't want pain, I want fun, carefree, easy living), But if that's what it takes to praise You, Jesus, Bring the rain."  Bring me ANYTHING that brings You glory?  ANYTHING?  That means I have to give over EVERYTHING that I love and hold dear over to HIM, I CANNOT be in control.  NO, NO, NO, my mind screams, I CAN'T do that, I CAN'T give it all to You.  But, He whispers in that still, small voice, "Yes, you can" . . . so I do/did, "I am Yours regardless of the dark clouds that may loom above.  Because You are much greater than my pain.  You who made a way for me.  By suffering Your destiny.  So tell me what's a little rain?  So I pray, bring me joy, bring me peace, bring the chance to be free, bring me anything that brings you glory.  And I know there'll be days when this life brings me pain, but if that's what it takes to praise You, Jesus, bring the rain."  It's true.  He may bring PAIN, dark clouds may loom above, people may wonder HOW I can praise Him after all that I've gone through . . . but, HONESTLY, the thought has NEVER crossed my mind to turn my back on Him!

When setbacks and failures, and upset plans, 

Test my faith and leave me with empty hands, 

Are You not the closest when it's hardest to stand? 

I know that You will finish what You began. 

These broken parts You redeem, 

Become the song, that I can sing

Here I am, Lord send me, 

All of my life, I make an offering, 

Here I am, Lord send me, 

Somehow my story, Is part of Your plan, 

Here I am !!

"Are You not the CLOSEST when it's hardest to stand?  I know that You will finish what You began!"  Yes, He is the closest when it's the hardest to stand - when He has "sent the rain".  That's when HE is there, when HE is the ONLY THING that is there! . . . "These broken parts You REDEEM!" . . . so there IS healing, redemption!  

SOMEHOW MY STORY, IS A PART OF YOUR PLAN!

THAT alone is reason to put one foot in front of the other.  To move on day by day, MY life, MY story is a PART OF HIS PLAN!

And if that were not enough, I look at my beautiful girl's Facebook status', tonight, as I'm writing here . . . 

Tessa: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and sure of what we do not see."  Hebrews 11:1

Taya:  "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes"  Romans 1:16

So, yes, He brought the rain, and boy did it POUR down on us.  Life has brought us PAIN, more than I could ever imagine, there are setbacks and failures and upset plans (to say the least), but He is closest when it's hardest to stand, and SOMEHOW OUR STORY IS A PART OF HIS PLAN.