ME:  Lord, I feel like I’ve followed you out into DEEP and STILL WATERS, and now here I sit … in a teeny little boat, without a paddle, and with absolutely no way to get myself to shore.   If you don’t rescue me somehow, I’m lost!

The above is a quote from my last blog post (Up a creek? No Paddle?), which was way back in April 2020. Doesn’t that seem like a million years ago?

In that post, I shared a little about a health challenge with my oldest granddaughter. Let me give you an update regarding her condition.

By age two, this precious little one was diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis and Autism. And while we stand in faith for her full and complete healing by the Blood of Jesus, we daily celebrate her joyful exuberance and loving heart, every new skill learned, and every new vocalization. She is a marvelous treasure and just turned 10 this summer. During the end of 2019 she began suddenly and unexpectedly began experiencing falling down seizures. Eventually, she was put on a new medication to help with this but the Rx was to be short term as it has some pretty nasty side effects. That proved true, because while the falling down seizures lessened, the Rx altered her personality significantly. Well before the 6-month trial ended, her parents removed her from the Rx and what happened next is (in this Nana’s opinion) nothing short of a miracle.

The falling-down seizures never returned!!!

And the pausing seizures she has been troubled by since age two returned at a much reduced rate …. instead of having multiple pausing seizures a day, she now may only have a few a week!!! Glory to God!

If that weren’t enough, she continues to learn new skills, is more affectionate and demonstrative than ever before, and is one of the happiest little girls I’ve ever met!! Praise God for His goodness and kindness, His faithfulness to bless and protect this little one! All the glory goes to Him alone!!

In truth, 2020 started out hard for me and my family. It’s been a hard year for everyone, and in fact brutally cruel for some!

And while I had been feeling “stuck out in deep waters without a paddle”, in hind sight I can see that through it all, God did not leave me stuck out there in the misty waters with no way of getting to shore. I have remained teathered to hope while He has been breathing on my back the entire time … helping me, calming my fears, moving me closer and closer to shore and to my destiny.

And He will do the same for you my friend, because He loves you!

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All sketches and watercolors posted on this website are the sole property of the author and are for exclusive display on the website PuttingHopeToWork.com.

Friends, it truly was/is my intention to post a minimum of twice a month – but there was a lot going on the beginning of the year and in particular in February.  And by the time I recuperated, well … here we are living through COVID-19.  What a different world it is since my last post!

What was going on, you ask?

One of my precious grandchildren was diagnosed with something as a small child (you can probably tell by the way that I’m writing this, that we are all standing in faith for her healing) and late last year she began to experience a new challenge in her health.  Back and forth for testing, starting new medications and experiencing new complication, then taking her off them again.  All the while fervently praying for God to show Himself strong and deliver her from the sudden attack from an enemy who came out of nowhere.

Take heart – the end of the story (this particular story) is good. Very good, in fact!  But at the time, it was emotionally-spiritually-physically challenging, to put it mildly.

Hmmm.  As I’m writing, something about that sounds very familiar to what we all are experiencing around the globe with the sudden attack from an unexpected enemy – COVID-19.

“I am the BREATH on your back….”

In hind sight, it is easy to see that while things looked chaotic and quite frightening at the time, just out of the range of our eyesight, God was carefully putting all the pieces of the puzzle together – exactly the right piece, at precisely the right time – so that in the end, it all worked together for her (my granddaughter) good as well as the good of her entire family.

But back in January and February, there was some scary stuff going on.  It was heart wrenching to see my granddaughter suffering so.  And as a mom, it pained me to see my daughter and her husband strain under the weight they were carrying as parents, trying to navigate the unknown with faith instead of giving in to the fear that stalked us all daily.

But what comforted me then, and what gives me comfort in this new season of “COVID-19 Chaos” is a word the Lord whispered to me while I was crying out to Him one morning.

ME:  Lord, I feel like I’ve followed you out into DEEP and STILL WATERS, and now here I sit … in a teeny little boat, without a paddle, and with absolutely no way to get myself to shore.   If you don’t rescue me somehow, I’m lost!

HIM:  I am the BREATH on your back, moving you forward.

Isn’t that a powerful word!?!  It strengthens my heart and gives me courage that even though things look bleak at this precise moment in time, He is still moving me forward!  Always!   Even when my senses don’t register the movement or progress being made, He is still moving me forward!!

 

“I am the BREATH on your back, moving you forward into your destiny”

 

I’m working on a new piece of art (I haven’t painted in over a year!!) inspired by this Word.  I hope to have it ready on my next post.    Until then, take courage my friend.  He is present in our times of trial, no matter how lonely we might be feeling.  And He is still breathing!  He will see us through to the other side ❤

 

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All sketches and watercolors posted on this website are the sole property of the author and are for exclusive display on the website PuttingHopeToWork.com.