Hebrews 10:32-34 ~ recall the former days

What we pray for others.

The Shelters filled with Guests.

Hebrews 10:32-34

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened,
you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,
sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction,
and sometimes being partners with those so treated.

For you had compassion on those in prison,
and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property,
since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.






Lanterns on the Levee: Recollections of a Planter's Son  by William Alexander Percy.  This is  a History of life being rearranged and transformed from Acts of God. Well worth reading.

One man was carried from Mississippi down to the bottom of Louisiana and had to walk for two months home as he tried to work to get food. His family had given him up for dead.




Our personal experience 'Real Life',  this is what my family saw as part of life. They lived beside the Mississippi River.

Before there was radio, television, satellite or telephone, floods came and wiped people out. My Grandmother talked about a series of floods along the Mississippi River when she was a teen about 1920. These floods came as a series and were the beginning of the Mississippi River Levy. I've seen the photographs of the floods from their old Brownie camera.

The people swept along the Mississippi River lived on frame house supported by major stilts. Things like hand-crank washers were downstairs. Equipment. A garage, if you'd like to compare eras. They had high ceilings, old houses do and large permanent S hooks from the ceiling to lift furniture and things to the ceiling. And they had rowboats and went to look and help each other.






I've talked to Ministers in the past who feel overwhelmed to talk to people experiencing tragedy. And real grief is enormous work for at least two years. No one really can carry the load - lessons are learned on basics of that soul.  We should never forget the resilience of doing God's Plan. To encourage each other to find how God will renew His mercies each day. Praying for each other helps us all.




Life is stirred up, now, after Hurricane Harvey.

I saw a baby deer run down. And felt sad for the months the mother deer had worked for that baby.  A friend mowed his lawn and found a catfish. 

And something really odd happened in the worst of the flood neighborhoods.  I saw a tragic pile of a household put out. And as I passed by again,  I saw a young family digging through the tragic flow of many things. With a vehicle. When we returned again, the pile was much smaller - many, many, many wooden things had been removed. In fact, as all that block waits for the trash truck - - - the piles are at least half as large.


So what happened to the desk, the wooden shelf, the beautifully carved legs on the huge coffee table?

Maybe it went to a store to be refurbished. Or started a dream store with free trash pile beginnings. Or maybe the young couple had less and now they have more. I wondered what the owner would say to the young woman lifting and examining. She came out with a laundry basket of overflow and waved for them to continue. She did not care. Why? Maybe she has flooded too many times. Maybe she has flood insurance. Maybe she is tired of the antique look.

One thing is for sure. I know people in college who took in wet upholstered furniture and found it hit the dump again the next week. Houston flooded twice last year - where is the person who learns how to deal with wet furniture for big profit???




What we pray for others.

Our Church started praying and fasting in mid August for some rain and for people of the USA to Awaken to the Goodness of the Holy Spirit. I'd say we won the Lottery. Of answered prayers, that is. Houston was a USA leader last year in unemployment. Oil per barrel is pretty low. And we discovered the basic goodness of these smart people. Tonight as we prayed, someone repeated what was said from this Harvey Disaster and the outcome of an outpouring of love to all economic, racial, age and education free burdens,

"I feel such hope for us all, like I have not felt in so very long."

In fact, as we suffer through this loss and bring clothes and diapers and Church and Red Cross donations. And ask to help other Churches - than our own - and applaud the Shelters becoming a little more empty. And Alexander helps a homeowner survive. And we attend prayer meetings - we see on Facebook the plea not to enter into the pundits of hate again. To stop. We see on Facebook people changing their anger away from Joel Olsteen as they see how very flooded his area was. This could have been a disaster as a shelter. And people apologize for going off on Joel Olsteen. Reasonableness. Really Reasonable.





What we pray for others.

God sometimes gives us repeat experiences to learn a little better from them. Sometimes what we hold up to others, we need to see.


We went to pray and were given a prayer card of a child badly brain injured. Edward said he couldn't believe the coincidence. I can. God hopes we really exert effort in our prayers for others and in doing so - are healed ourselves.

Hearing loss? Pray for others with hearing loss.

I prayed for two people I love who now feel the Church just uses people and  they refuse to attend. The prayer card I received said please pray for the people who don't know the joy of a Church Family. For those who are trying to go alone and feel alone in crowds. Like the Shelter.

I was asked today, what has "God" done for you??? I received a prayer card to pray for someone who has had such severe back injury she no longer walks and is wheelchair bound and refuses to speak of Jesus to anyone. I had such bad back pain - for about 5 years I wept and now have been mostly free - ok, about 98% free of back pain for - nine years. I thanked God again and prayed for this person to have this experience. God gave me the card - so He might just do something for her.

I've had eye trauma from a tennis ball. I am thinking I have some severe dry eye since the cataract was removed. And the prayer card said pray for the recovery of eye surgery.





Our prayers for others - bless us.


Sometimes we avoid praying to avoid feeling pain. We all have enough pain.

God wants us to Expect Him to have a Plan. To Trust His Mercy and His willingness to Love and Bless. To Teach. To lift up. To uphold.


I agree. God does NOT want us telling Him how this life is so very terrible. God is the God who said 11 times in Genesis 1 and 2 "Life is Good." God does not want to hear us moan and whine when we are telling a merciful God who is merciful to be merciful. Just like the Mother of three kids who has to spank her kids for making prayer torturous regarding the sins of the siblings.






People, the Lord's Beloved - cry their prayers. Did Father God want that? Sure, you bet. God is for compassionate hearts. He just wants us to EXPECT HE IS GOING TO BE MERCIFUL AND HAS A PLAN.



OUR GOOD ABBA,

We bless You for Your Willingness.

We Bless You for new Life.

We Bless You for Strength for Today.

We Bless You for Strength tomorrow.




We Bless You for the Personal history of pain. We learned and found depths within us. To help others.

We Bless You for the History of national failure. We learned and found depths within us. To help others.

We Bless You for this repeat flooding hardship. We will learn and have found depths within us. To help others.

We Bless You for the Houston Reporters. Their goal is to help us help each other and help ourselves to accept help. And Bless God!




We Bless You for the people who pray with grim resolution to be Strong. They will be. They will be with Your Help.

We Bless You for the people who pray with real tears. To be Compassionate. They will be with Your Help.

Your Willing Help.




We bless those who know to look in the rubbish. They find treasure.

We bless those who do not mind seeing others prosper from their loss. We see in them Treasure.



We Bless You, Abba, You hear our prayers. And You answer. Thank You.



We bless those who are sad to run over Catfish in the grass while mowing after a week of digging other's out and crying. We pray a blessing on the Momma Dear who lost her fawn. We pray New Life. We pray for those in so much pain cut off from Jesus to be brought to Him through the ceiling of these prayers.


We Bless You Father God to bless our Nation in our time of trouble.
We will remember our Blessings. Thank You Boston. Thank You for making this Hurricane less horrible. Thank You Boston.

Father God, thousands held up Kindness in Boston. Making us believe this kindness is not a floating fancy.
Boston You have enlightened us with just former weeks.

And in this rising Hope, we believe You are what You say.

Jesus is Working. Abba is still working.

The work You have given us is to Believe in the One You sent. Jesus Christ is Lord of All.

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †