Month: May 2025

Posted on

Good. Perfect.

Previously, I shared some of what’s been going on . .   around me, that is. Today I’d like to share some of what has been going on in my heart. 

By now you know that songs are my go-to when I need encouragement. And you’ll be pleasantly surprised to hear that the song I have on repeat isn’t a hymn! 😃 I’m listening to Sinach’s “Final Word.” It’s the first time I’ve listened to it and I love it! 

But what does “Final Word” have to do with where my heart is at the moment? 

To answer this, I’d have to take you back about a decade ago, when a friend gave me a cute Bible as a gift. To make the gift extra special, she wrote her favourite verse below my name. I excitedly turned to the verse and my excitement quickly faded and gave way to disappointment. You see, the verse was Psalm 115:3 which says,

“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.“

My outlook dimmed because the thought that God does what He wants was the least comforting thing for me to hear. Due to the depth of pain from my childhood, and seemingly endless waiting for many prayers to be answered, it felt as though God’s will was to cause me pain. To make life as difficult for me as possible. I don’t know if you can relate. 

Needless to say, I made sure not to look at the “special verse” again!

And that’s generally been my attitude regarding God’s will until yesterday. Which is when I heard a sermon that linked Psalm 115:3 to a verse I love in the book of Romans. 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.” 
Romans 12:2 NIV

During the sermon, it instantly clicked that what God is pleased to do is always what is good for me; what will bring perfection in me. Even when it doesn’t seem glaringly obvious. So take for instance my current situation where I am waiting on God to fulfil His word to both heal and save my dad . . . what I see at present has me strongly discouraged, but despite the emotional rollercoaster, I can be confident that if this is God’s will, then this is what is good for me at the moment. God is not out to punish me. He wants what is good for me. (Though I deeply yearn for Him to act quicker!) 

And, if the only reason that I’m having to go through this emotional rollercoaster is so I can come to this place — where I don’t see God as out to cause me pain, but rather view Him as a loving God who wants the absolute best for me — then the many tears and sleepless nights will be worth it. (Much as I really don’t like or enjoy this rollercoaster.)

So, as Sinach sings, “everything You do is good. You are God alone.” 

I suppose what’s actually unfolding in me is a step away from fear, and deeper into the knowledge of God’s love. 

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”  
1 John 4:18 NIV

Finally, I must say I do not think this renewal of my mind would have happened if I had not accepted the Lord’s Triple the Word challenge. 

Glory be to God for the work He is doing, through His word, to transform me!  

Posted on

Every. Day.

Hello! It’s been quite a while since I was on these streets. How have you been?

I have had a lot going on with me and around me.

Please share, I hear you say! Okay, okay, here goes . . . 

I’ll start with what has been going on around me. And by around me I mean mostly not in my heart or mind.

My father retired. Rather, he was unwillingly retired because he had hit the mandatory retirement age. And with that came depression. He had gone from being a workaholic to waking up and having nowhere to go, and nothing to do. Then the depression turned into memory lapses, and rapidly deteriorated into dementia. So my siblings and I moved him so he could live closer to us. Being the only one who can be easily uprooted, I moved into the new flat with him (thanks to having no family of my own! I never thought that the day would come when that was an advantage. Ha!).

Meanwhile, as I prayed concerning my father, I so clearly sensed the Lord say that my dad’s issue wasn’t dementia but sadness/depression. And prior to retirement or dad’s issues manifesting, I had received a vision of my dad speaking at a church. Now — my dad is opposed to all things religion or God . . . and even more opposed to the fake “born-again types” (how he refers to us believers!). So to see him in church, speaking, was to me absolute confirmation that the day would come when he would say yes to Jesus. And when the dementia symptoms started to show up, it was an indication to me that the symptoms would be reversed because to accept Jesus, he would need to have a sound mind. 

Yet, knowing all this, it’s been really difficult handling the symptoms. I’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster since day 1 of moving in with him. Every day I wake up hoping that today is the day I see dad restored, and as at last evening, that day hadn’t come. (I will add yet because I am certain the day will come!)  

Every morning as I wonder how I will handle the day’s disappointment if there is no change in dad, I am discovering that the Lord is faithful even when He seems to be far off. Every day He has given me a word or a song that keeps me going for the day. 

The song that is on repeat in my mind currently is the great old hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness!” If you’ve read The Forgotten Day, you know how I love those old-time hymns. 

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

The part that’s really struck a chord with me this week is “morning by morning new mercies I see.” Which of course is taken from:

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
For his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22–23 NIV

Nobody warns you of the challenges that come with caring for an ailing/ageing parent, or the valleys that one must go through before God’s promise is fulfilled. Not even reading about Joseph & his prison adventures is preparation enough! . . . But this one thing is for sure — God is faithful and He supplies the comfort, mercy, encouragement, peace, or grace that you need for that day. Because He alone knows where your heart is at, or what the day will bring. So when you find yourself on an emotional rollercoaster, that’s the time to cling to Him even more.

Every. Day.