This year I chose to read five chapters of the Bible each day. I am currently in the middle of the Psalms, and I am amazed at how fast I plowed through the first half of the Bible. It’s only the middle of April!!
Today my reading was Psalms 76 to 86, as some of these chapters are pretty brief.
It was Psalm 77 that spoke to me in a deep way. It is a word of grief, of outcry to God. It is a cry of being overwhelmed.
Yesterday I was able to attend a wedding shower for my beautiful niece, Brian’s brother’s daughter. She was an Iowa State Fair Queen several years back, and now she is a gorgeous red haired nurse, successful, sweet and marrying a fine young soldier!
They love Jesus.
I don’t know why, but I was so blue driving the three hours home from the shower. I guess it was the end of another era. I still have one niece on that side that isn’t married yet, but she has been in a relationship for many years, and since her boyfriend is from an African culture the rules and customs are somewhat different for them. I’m not sure when their wedding will happen, but she has been a couple with him for quite some time already.
They all grow and establish their own lives.
Getting married and having a family, kids, is more important than ever. I saw an article in the current World Magazine about demography. The birth rate is abysmal. Some countries are in serious decline, the USA included. Japan, China, and Korea are in big trouble.
Young folk just aren’t into getting married anymore.
Perhaps this era of tech saturation has filled the yen to marry and have human relationship. I know that I often turn to my social media to assuage the loneliness of being single. I do have a legitimate ministry with “influencers” and I keep abreast of their comings and goings. I have the time to do that, and to pray for them. I need to be careful to avoid replacing real relationships with my work and calling.
Isn’t that true for everyone? Once I had a coworker that was so engrossed in his work that he neglected his family. It became almost an obsession. This was a huge warning given to me, and I remember it well. Workaholic was a well known word. Now it might be “techaholic.”
We need to guard against this.
We need to seek out relationships, and like the dad in the classic old movie “Big Fat Greek Wedding” said, “GET MARRIED!” —-have kids!!!
Stop wasting time looking for that perfect person. You may have guidelines (like I have!) but be flexible and forgiving. God can bless even the most difficult relationships.
So, yesterday, when I was feeling blue, and even somewhat overwhelmed, I went out to the hay field with Corwyn and Yukichan and enjoyed the late sunset, praised God for everything I could think of, including my own three married children and their families.
I thank God for Ed and Cheri and their futures. I thank God that He is letting them be in my life right now.
I called Margaret and we chatted about the shower and upcoming things.
My spirit was comforted.
Today I read Psalm 77 and was in awe of God’s own personal word to me: I felt this psalm was a cry from my own heart. Even a blue sorrow and grief the size of an ocean cannot compare to the power and grace of God, our Father in heaven!
Sometimes our depression can seem incredibly powerful. Overwhelming. At times like this we need to cry out to God for His grace and mercy. Yes, do all the physical things that battle depression. That is the way God made us: we need sunshine, exercise, healthy food, and an attitude of praise! PRAISE GOD! Count your blessings!
As the ocean of depression or grief seems to be all around you, seek the Lord. He understands that depression! I bet David, the writer of so many psalms, understood it too. CRY OUT! God understands.
As His children He gives us special spiritual power to fight the forces of darkness. Humbling ourselves before Him and seeking His healing power is the most effective way to access spiritual healing.
Mental health problems are as real as cancer. Our brains and minds are part of our fallen bodies, and we struggle with disease. Thank the Lord for good medical treatments, but also for His supernatural power to address these things.
The complication with mental health issues is that it is so wholly spiritual and physical.
Both must be treated.
I recommend the Psalms to treat the blues, the darkness, the depression. It’s part of the cure.
I chose to stay home from teaching today. The porch is open and cleaned for coffee. (Julie and Mary Kaye, Becky, Carol, Anne, Claudia, Caroline, ,,, and all of my regular coffee buddies, get out here! 🙂 YOU TOO, my dear reader! ) I wrenched my back while cleaning the other day and I admit to being a bit in pain today. The plan is to swim later today.
Temps were in the 60’s and 70’s over the weekend, but today it feels like 24 degrees. (It’s 50) The wind is making it cold. I will attempt to get some more stuff done around the house with my back pain.
It is “Holy Week” and I want to make some plans for Resurrection Sunday, too. Two of my Chinese friends are planning to join us Corgi Hollows People for dinner.
Some meal prep will be in order. Lemon curd is always on the menu, and it’s tricky for me to make. So delicious, though.
Ed turned over the soil in one of the raised beds Saturday. He’s promised to come back and continue working on the Kitchen Garden this week. It’s too early to plant seeds or plants. It has been a really cold spring.
Just very little snow, little moisture. I always love seeing the fields being readied for planting across southwestern Minnesota this time of year. Green is starting to appear, and the views are spectacular because the land is bare. The trees are also still bare. Many, many farmers were busy tilling yesterday.
The cranes and the geese are here at Corgi Hollows, the ducks and the frogs are noisy.
I have a little bird, a house finch, that has built a nest in my fake forsythia, right outside the front door! (The real forsythia behind the garage is in full bloom today.)
Now, we will have to see fake forsythia as decoration for some time because of this little bird. It is such a cute nest, but in such a bad place. Cats, dogs, humans constantly passing by !
This bird is not wise. The container she built in often blows down in a strong wind.
Nature will take its course, of course.
There’s the report from Corgi Hollows. Let me encourage you to plow through Scripture five chapters a day from Resurrection Sunday, on. You will definitely finish the whole Bible by Christmas!
What a blessing!
MARANATHA