HE is my right hand . .

This is from Girlfriends in God and it was TOO good not to reshare . . . .I had a few insights as well after I read this - thank you Lord! 

Today’s Truth

 

Fear not … I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… (Isaiah 43:1-2)

 

• Friend to Friend
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• While walking into the opening session of a marriage conference that we had been looking forward to, his cellphone rang. He answered the call and we took our seats. As the emcee kicked off the weekend with gracious greetings, my husband, Brad, leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Preston fell on a rock at camp and is on his way to urgent care to get stitches in his chin.” He took my hand and whispered again, knowing from my expression that I was alarmed, “It’s just a few stitches. He’ll be okay, honey.”
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• My stomach flip-flopped. We locked eyes and shared pain – both wounded in the heart for our firstborn son. This was not the way we had imagined that our weekend away would begin. As the session began, my momma-bear instincts kicked in and my mind reeled. Though he was a hundred miles away and though he’s a man-cub teenager, I ached to be by Preston’s side while the doctor stitched up his chin. I am always by his side when he gets hurt. Yet, there was comfort in knowing that this was “just a few stitches.”
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• As that first session came to a close in prayer, Brad’s cell phone invaded the quiet. He leapt up and left the room swiftly to get an update on Preston. Right behind him, I asked repeatedly, “What are they saying? Is everything okay?”
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• “He said that Preston broke his jaw,” Brad said with a tone of disbelief. Again he said, “The x-rays showed that he broke his jaw. I can’t believe this. They need us to come get him and take him to Charlotte. He might need surgery.”
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• Gripped by his words, I struggled to think clearly, “A broken jaw? Surgery? It was just supposed to be a few stitches! Well – it’s probably just a small fracture. I really hate that I’m not with him right now…” Bags were packed quickly and by the time darkness fell on North Carolina, Charlotte was on the horizon.
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• The next several hours were a blur of doctors, x-rays, CAT scans and surgery plans. Bad went to worse as we learned that Preston didn’t just break his jaw… he broke his jaw in three places, and, as the doctor phrased it, “he pretty much broke his jaw as bad as you can break a jaw.” Nice.
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• Surgery began and the wait was on… and on… and on. The heart-distance between the operating room and the waiting room was a thousand miles. It killed me to not hold his hand and stroke his hair while his jaw was reconstructed for seven and a half hours.
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• In the wee hours of the morning, surgery was complete and Preston was wheeled to his room. Brad and I rushed to his side as they brought him to his room and though he was heavily sedated, I reached for his hand and assured him, “Preston! I’m right here! I’m right by your side. I will stay here beside you. I know you’re in pain, buddy, but you’re going to heal well now. I’m right here and I love you.” His eyes flickered open for a split second to let Brad and I know that he heard our love then he drifted back to post-surgical sleep.
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• Several times an hour the nurses came in to check his vitals. I hadn’t slept in nearly a day and was thoroughly exhausted, but each time a nurse entered the room I leapt to his side and whispered to my wounded child, “I’m right here, Preston! I’m right here. You’re not alone.”
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• After the third or fourth time of reassuring Preston of my presence, I lay back down and whispered to God, “Lord, please heal my son! Please heal him.” And in the still of the night, in the quietness of my bleeding momma-heart, my soul sensed Him whispering right back to me, “I’m right here, Gwen! I’m right here. For him. For you. You’re not alone.”

 

Peace. I heard the voice of Peace speak His presence and tenderness into my pain. He heard me. He knew of my plight. He knew I needed a word of encouragement. Not an audible word – just a heart whisper. He was right by my side. I knew it as I remembered His Word, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). Peace.

Michelle - me has to add this:    I have been in situations where I have felt so totally hopeless and felt like I did not deserve God's right hand . . that was a lie from the Enemy.  WE all deserve HIS  love and HIS healing and HE will -- but you must TRUST HIM. 

 

There are times when your heavy heart-burdens cry so loudly that you struggle to hear the voice of Peace. Times when your prayers seem to go unanswered and your broken situations seem unfixable … and painful. Oh, so painful! We all know ache. We can’t get through this life without knowing ache. The Bible says that not a tear falls from your eye that isn’t known to God. (Psalm 56:8)

Michelle - Me has to add this:  I remember back in June of 2010.  The hurt in my family was quite fresh.  As a family we traveled to Lousiana for HP's soccer tourney.  It was going to be a trip for the 3 of us.  HP, TP and I but, as God worked on my heart, I knew that Brendan wanted to come and should be there.  As hard as it was to 'act' as a family for that week, for each hurt and for each happiness -- God was RIGHT there.  HE sustained us all.  HIS word was comfort.   It was one of the most difficult weeks I have ever experienced but it had to be.  It had to be, because God was doing a work.  Trust HIM to know that the hard part is hard . . but it can be  overcome if you will allow God to really work on you and change what needs to be changed.  I look back now -- I have an 'experience' to illustrate how HIS love does heal.  How HE can be our right hand and HOW HE does come close to the broken hearted.  So if you are reading this right now and thinking . . . .just know, DON'T give up.  Fight for your family,  Fight against the Enemy and know that HE  knows every tear and HE catches every tear and holds them.  HE knows. 

 

He knows all about your heart-burdens. He knows that you need a word of encouragement today. Hear His whisper now, friend. Whispers from His Word … from His heart, “I will never leave you or forsake you. I know your name and have engraved it on the palm of my hand. I hold your tears in a bottle and ache with you. My grace is sufficient and I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. I’m right here.” (Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 139, Psalm 56:8, 2 Corinthians 12:9, John 16:33)

Michelle - me has to add this:  HIS word does bring life and it does comfort.  Try it.  Just try it. 

 

Let’s Pray

 

Dear Lord, Thank You for reminding me that You are always with me, that You see me, and that You hear my prayers. Please help me to know deeper levels of peace today.  Lord, thank you for your loving touch and for grabbing each tear.  Lord, I continue to see the work you are doing in the lives of my children and my man and me and the people around us.  You know Lord I want to let your light shine in me.  There is a special young woman within my life that is hurting and is in the middle of an attack.  She loves her family and her man and yet, the Enemy is doing a work.  I pray right now that YOUR wisdom comes all over her.  I pray she will fight for YOU an allow YOU to do the  work and in the meantime, that she would grab ahold of you and allow YOU to comfort every part of her being.  amen. 
Thank you Lord. 

 

In Jesus’ Name,

 

Amen.