I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
Psalm 77:11 NIV
To strengthen our faith …
we are bidden to look back upon the Lord’s wonders of old
and to expect yet greater things,
for God has not changed,
nor are the fountains of his power and grace exhausted.
Charles Spurgeon.
The recent bout of Chronic Fatigue left me unable to function on many levels, and I found myself looking back over my life. The good, the bad, happy, sad. The ones that made me proud, the ones that made me cringe.
And discovered that 2023 is a sort of anniversary year for me.
Ten years ago this August, I retired from full-time employment at the library. With the freed-up time, I have ministered at church and done a little traveling, but mostly I’ve enjoyed my life. I love this season and am grateful for it.
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Twenty years ago, in September, I had my fourth, and final, cancer surgery. Followed by radiation treatments, I have been cancer-free since. A learning experience that I am not eager to repeat, but worth remembering, rejoicing and thanking God.
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And, as of this past February, I have had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, off and on, for 30 years.
Right. Not so much to celebrate, is there? But … maybe there is. Because, when I look back, I realize that never once did God let me down, never once did I go hungry or in real want. And all the time I was learning how to manage an unexpected life. Because, really, who’s life isn’t unexpected? Unexpected by us, that is, but never by God, who is working all things out for our good and His glory. All things.
I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—
plans to take care of you, not abandon you,
plans to give you the future you hope for.
Jeremiah 29:11 The Message
And I wonder: if I hadn’t been too sick to do anything except look back, would I have ever noticed what God has done?
“You’ve been better than good to me.”
(from Todd Galberth, Better Than Good)
Can I get an Amen?