I love many of the old Puritan Prayers and Devotions…they are always anonymous and heartfelt…

The Valley of Vision

Lord, High and Holy, Meek and Lowly,
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold your glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
And the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty
thy glory in my valley.

We hope that the new nausea medication will give some relief to Irene’s constant distress.  After an early morning dialysis treatment she persevered through an uncomfortable day.  She has such an amazing attitude and yesterday received another gracious comment at the doctor’s office regarding her “signature” smile.  I told her this morning that I think she sleeps with a smile on her face!!!

Irene is also looking forward to having her sisters Carmen and Jane visit over the weekend.

Our prayer is for vision of a tomorrow without the discomfort of today…that His Glory will manifest itself while Irene is still in the “nausea” valley.

Caminando con Fé
Dave

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True or False:

Most people have very strong opinions and want their own way.

My answer would be TRUE …. in large part, because, in my humble opinion, most of us have a personal agenda we’re pursuing with goals we’re trying to attain.  Not that fitting goals and appropriate ambition are necessarily bad.  Rather, God wants us on a “holy ambition” for Him.

And, in many ways, God’s ways are in direct conflict with ours ….

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Is 55:8-9

God longs for us to willingly relinquish our goals and objectives to His agenda and pursue Him with reckless abandon.  Perhaps we’re hesitant to do so because we want to be in control; that perhaps in some way we believe that we know better or that we want to implement our means and our ends …. or we’re somehow convinced that relinquishing control will become a form of bondage.

But in metaphoric language, God longs for us to “hang the white flag” in unqualified surrender to Him ….

If yesterday was a good day for Irene, today was a “not so good” day.  She was plagued with significant lethargy and icky nausea.  Irene saw Dr. Kumar late this afternoon and he prescribed yet another powerful nausea medication.  Please pray for her tummy relief.  Dr. Kumar intends to monitor Irene’s kidney function for the next 60 days to ascertain whether or not she is a candidate for long term dialysis.  If that is the case, she will have another permanent access port placed in her arm.  The existing port in her chest, called a Tesio, will be removed.

On this journey Irene and I are both re-discovering the true definition of SURRENDER at unfathomable depths.  We’re learning that personal opinions are of little importance …. only the perspective that belongs to our Lord is really material …. and we’re realizing that surrendering to Him doesn’t produce bondage but rather FREEDOM …. the capacity to

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