"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters," says the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6 : 18
Do you see that? He will be our Father! I am HIS daughter. Unbelievable. It's not conditional. He doesn't say, "if you do this and this, then I will treat you like my child". Yes, I need to receive His gift of salvation. But then that's it, He is my Father. He is your Father. He is also the Father of my children.
As many of you know, my son David has been gone on a mission trip. I heard from him last night. Hadn't spoken with him in a week. What a sweet gift to hear the voice of my son so on fire, so filled with passion and compassion. They built the house for the family working alongside of them. When it came time to hand over the keys, you can imagine there was not a dry eye. David had become very close with the family and the surrounding town people. He cried. My 15 year old "very cool" son has had his heart changed forever. I prayed that he would come back looking more like God's son and I believe he will. Still praying that his heart will come back softened toward his earthly father also. David may be the one who God uses to speak to his dad. But for now David knows the love of his Heavenly Father like never before!! Praise Him.
Lately, God has overwhelmed me with the burdens of others. Since my ministry has to be from home now, He has given me plenty of ways to still serve Him. I am so grateful for that. But there are so many hurting people. Illness. Marriages falling apart. Parents losing children. Abuse. Addiction. Loneliness. Rejection. Financial struggles. Job loss. Questions. Unsaved family. The list is endless. I have learned to pray in a way I never have before. It's as if their burden literally becomes mine. It hurts to carry burdens, it's heavy. But we are all in this together, helping to lighten the load for others by going to the cross on their behalf. As I know so many of you are doing for me and my children and my husband.
Learning and growing. Letting go and picking up. Striving and being still. Crying and praising. God is doing a work in me and I know in so many of you. It's so fun to visit with you and see how God is molding and using each one of you. May we each do what we're called to do. Wanting to please our Father. Just as children want to please their parents. After all we are His sons and daughters.
- Sheryl
- I am a mom to 2 great kids. I am a child of God who is pursuing after Him as I learn to live in my "new normal". Diagnosed with a life altering illness in June of 2007 and the end of my marriage less than a year later, life has taken a new path. One that I am learning to accept and appreciate. As my illness caused me to be basically home bound, my family named the living room couch "my perch". Thus the title of this blog.
23 comments:
HI Sheryl,
Here, I'm finally posting a comment! => I'm so glad to hear that David is looking more like his Father. Isn't that what we all want to do? Thanks for the ways that you help others to do that and for showing us how you are growing through your circumstances. I continue to keep you and your family in prayer. Love ya, friend.
Juliekg122
Hi Sheryl,
As David did in the bible , he became a man after God's heart. It seems your David is beginning a journey in that direction, having the Love and compassion for others. When I think of our heavenly Father three words cone to mind.. Love, Compassion, and prayer. Joy is established in our hearts J. O. Y. Putting Jesus first, Others, then you. David will know the true Love of his Father in heaven and oneday be able to be such a witness to his earthly Father. I know what you mean Sheryl about taking on others burden in prayer, just know releasing them all to the Father is just as inportant as well, I can tell you have been such a mighty prayer warrior for others, your heart for people shows. Just think as you are praying for others Jesus is taking care of your spiritual needs as well and filling you with his strength each day.
Hugz Lorie
what a tremendous work God is doing in your children and in you! thanks for taking us along the path with you
What a wonderful view to see your son growing more in the image of The Son. As a mother, I can only imagine how that blesses your heart so deeply. Just as it blesses our Father's heart to see each of His children growing more to the character of Christ.
Thanks for Sheryl your beautiful heart. I am glad to call you friend.
Love,
Paula
Thanks for visiting my blog. This is my first time visiting yours too and I was so filled with joy reading about your son's journey with building a home. What a wonderful blessing for the family and for him! I noticed you mentioned his father, my husband is also unsaved and I too hope the Lord will use us to reach him. I'm adding your blog to my roll and I'll be a regular reader, so great to meet you!
Hi Sheryl,
I am so happy your son is getting to experience the love of Christ this way.Getting to help someone else and being able to set aside your own problems for awhile is such a blessing. I believe thats one of the reasons God wants us to carry others burdens, so we won't be so focused on ours all the time.
Love your Blog and I am keepng you lifted in prayer as I know you are me and many others. Love ya my new friend. Karen
Hi Karen-
So, so sweet that your son is out in the mission field serving at such a tender age. God bless him!
So interesting that you talked about unconditional love - as I was having my hair done today, I was thinking about whether I have been truly loved because they were so performance based. As long as I acted right - it was ok but the moment the expectations weren't met then I wasn't so good after all.
Thank you for reminding me that God's love is unconditional.
Blessings on your family.
Myriam.
Hey Sheryl,
I'm so glad you heard from David. Thank you for taking the time to visit me and let me know.
God is working in David, as well as so many other people today. Yes, I believe David will return "changed."
This truly is an experience for David. I pray he continues to follow after the Lord as he becomes a young adult.
Our world needs to be "on fire" for Christ.
Love,
Cheryl
Sheryl,
David sounds like a very special young man with a heart of gold. You must be very proud of him.
Your posts are always so enlightening and they get me thinking and praying. I just love to read what you have to say.
Thank you for all of your prayers as well. I can feel them.
Denise in Texas
Sheryl,
Your blog spoke to my heart again. I pray for you every day. You were on my heart this morning during my quiet time. Just knowing that we are on this journey together oh how good God is.
I can see your heart is for the LORD and his ways, his desires. That is your heart. That is seen by your compassion and friendship that you have shown to me in such a short period of time. I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that this new friendship is a GOD thing and I can tell you it has made a difference in my life.
Love ya
Laura
Hi Sheryl,
This is my first time visiting your blog. I will be back. The few posts that I read really encouraged me and spured me on. I have also had some health "issues" over the last few years, progressively worse the last two. I can definetely relate to not leaving the house. There were several months and even closer to a year where I was camped out at home most of the time. As much as this was not what I would have chosen I am so thankful for my time with the Lord. I honestly would have not traded it for anything in the world!!! I am getting better though. The Lord is my healer. He has been and will continue to be. I am so thankful for that.
You are in my prayers,
Nicole
Praise God!! What an awesome answer to prayer! While I'm so glad to read you've heard from David with such a great report, I'm even more excited for you to SEE him. I'll just bet his countenance has changed as well, and you'll be able to see in his eyes the evidence of God's work in his heart.
You and God are doing a great job!
Blessings, dear one.
I hear in your words a deep love for your son...one that is Jealous For him to walk with the Lord. I also hear a woman after God's heart reflected in your writing. The fruit of your labor is becoming visable in your son's life. I praise God for you and the sacrifices you have made in order to demonstrate the selfless, unconditional love of the Father to your son.
As for His relationship with his earthly father, I will believe God with you for the healing and miraculous demonstration of God's power.
Blessings to you, my sister in Christ.
Sheryl:
If you think about it, would you please pray for me, and my siblings? More importantly, me.
Thanks!
Lovingly,
Yolanda
Sheryl,
Thanks for asking about my health. It really is a long story so I will try to sum it up. About five years ago I was diagnosed with a microadenoma on my pituitary gland and hypoglycemia around the same time, and already having had hypothyroidism before that. I then later was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I continued to get worse fatigue wise and this was difficult because at the time I was our sole income and was needing to work full time. Since conventional medicine had nothing else to offer me I took a different path and that's when the Lord began to speak to my heart regarding the ability that he has given our bodies to heal if given the right building blocks. I sought out some natural health care doctors. It was difficult to know where to turn. I made one bad decision in this process. I went to see a chiropractor out of desperation (I gotten to the point that all I could eat was liquid because each time I ate I would get so dizzy I had to lay down). This chiropractor put me on a machine called the wavemaker and after seeing him for five months and going to the emergency room once and being driven there a few other times I decided that I was getting even worse after seeing him. Come to find out I should of never went on the machine due to the health problems that I had at the time. That chiropractor told me that I had Lymes disease, which I do believe that I did get Lymes disease in 2003 thus the downward spiral of health. Due to the increasing problems with my health and extreme fatigue etc I was unable to keep my full time job outside of the house. At that point the Lord provided a transcription job that I could do out of my home. What a blessing that was!!! So, since then I have been seeking for answers and believing Jesus to bring me to this place of healing. He is doing that! It has been a long haul but I have been on a journey with Him and would not have traded that journey for anything in the world. Thank you for letting me open up and share my story!
~Nicole
Hey Sheryl,
I've come back to tell you to visit my blog. I've left you an award!
Enjoy!
Cheryl
This has nothing to do with this post but when I was doing a bible study this weekend as I read this verse I thought of you.
Isa40:31 KJV " They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and, not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
Hi sweet Sheryl...
You are so right on with these words today. I'm so happy for your son and I'm so thankful for your beautiful heart and compassion.
Life is so hard sometimes. But I am reminded and shown over and over again how our God TRULY cares for the details of our lives. We can pray for those details and know that He takes care of them just as if they are the biggest ones He has ever had.
Much love friend.
Hugs,
Fran
Sheryl,
I haven't forgotten about your comment on my blog about marriage. It's on my mind but I'd rather address it in an email. Can you write me?
Hi Sheryl,
I have a surprise for you on my blog. Hugz Lorie
Hi, I left alittle something for you at my Shore's End blog, under the psot "A Bloggy Blessing".
Hugs!
I found your blog! Yea! Thank you for all you kind words and guidance to me. Thanking you in advance for your prayers also. I will let you know how everything goes tomorrow. Love and Blessings, Debbie in TN
There is nothing like a mission trip to change a heart! I agree with you about the burdens and so many things to pray about. Prayer is a wonderful ministry, I'm so glad you are a prayer warrior! None of us escapes heartache and pain. But we who know Christ as Lord of our lives, have His comfort daily!
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