God Sends a Meadowlark to Sing Me "Happy Birthday!"

This late afternoon found me sitting in my warm nook in the sunshine with a little paperback New Testament that isn't too heavy to carry--

my nook where I had come to lay my burdens down again--

sort of like the man who would go to the chapel every noontime and just say, 

"God, it's Andy." (Or whatever his name was.)

Well, "God, it's Anna," I've said more than once.

And this time, God sent a meadowlark.

The day had been good or bad on and off.

 I had gone for a rest--and got up later when Timmy brought me the phone.

It was a friend calling to wish me a happy birthday.

She had caught me almost crying--

praying to God with a jumble of words I can't even remember.

(Does God understand when prayers end up a jumble?)

 And there were just these kind, sweet words from a friend. They were praying for me--

physically, emotionally, just in every way.

Then I really did cry.

Because that is just like God. 

Before we call, He answers. He sends a friend.

And then when we tell Him that we can't seem to come up with words to relieve our spirits by pouring them out to Him,

or have the energy to come up with a good cry that would get rid of pent up hurt,

that we are just taking a walk to a nook since words fail us of bringing ourselves to Him,

He meets us there.

And the meadowlark perches on that fencepost not far away, singing his heart out.

I was sure he was singing happy birthday to me.

 He sang and sang, then flew away, then came back again to another fence post and sang some more.

Some of it was trills and some was chirps.

(God knows I like variety.)

He knows I like birthday songs sung different ways.

And then in between, I was reading my New Testament from Colossians.

This little paperback New Testament I found in the basement ended up being NIV, 

but oh well. It is light enough to carry on my walk.

 There it was, my favorite verse:
"Christ in you, the hope of glory."

We don't understand this mystery, but it is so precious.
He is not just with us but in us.

If we obey and trust Christ, and keep our faith firm in Him, He is in us as well as with us.

 And God said in Colossians 2:4, not to allow ourselves to be deceived by "fine sounding arguments."

He said, "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world, rather than on Christ...

Therefore do not let anyone judge you..."

 "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things...."

And "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts...you were called to peace."

The children are gathering up the chicks to bring indoors for the night, and supper is on, and we need to run to go to church tonight for a special service with much-respected and loved

Bro. Leonard Sankey, who is here for the Rocky Mountain Western District IHC convention

this weekend. 

But I wanted to share this joy on my blog.