In the Morning--I Will Look Up! and Mike's Testimony

 I can't stop being grateful for these warm, sunny South Dakota mornings. 

A couple mornings ago, I woke with the verse of a Psalm (KJV) on my mind:

"My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; 

in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up."

That morning l joined the flowers in looking up.

It just seemed that everything was beautiful in the flower garden that morning as the blossoms wanted to tilt toward the light. 

I especially liked the drops of dew on this one--which reminds me of the words of one of my favorite old Quaker poets, John Greenleaf Whittier. 

"Drop Thy still dews of quietness till all our strivings cease;

Take from our souls the strain and stress

And let our ordered lives confess

The beauty of Thy peace."

Sometimes peace seems to be a bit distant for the moment, and we wonder if what we are doing here in South Dakota is worth the strain and stress. 

Then someone posts a clip of a testimony shared today near us in Parmalee at a tent meeting related to the Christian rehab center in Minneapolis. They tag our friend Mike, the mechanic who had helped us some on our vehicles several months ago. After struggling with addictions for 20 years, he came to Hope Family Chapel and worked just a bit for Jonathan before heading to Minneapolis. 

I sat down and typed what Mike said as I listened to the clip more than once. 

His testimony began, "About a year ago, I'd never been to church, never read the Bible, I had no job, nowhere to live.  I was homeless with an addiction to meth and alcohol. 

One morning I woke up mulling over a dream asking, "Isn't there more to life?" That night I went to Hope Family Chapel, where Keith Lavery was who I'd known for years. He always tried to help me but I always had excuses.  A few months fast forward, I found myself in a packed van on a

15 hour trip to Indiana, to Men Arise. I had no idea what was going on. I started asking  about God..

 Going forward with questions, when I got back, I was offered a job with Jonathan Lucas. The first few times I didn't show up, I made excuses, but it was due to alcohol and drugs. The third time I  made it. I want to thank Father God for giving Keith Lavery and Jonathan Lucas patience. Later I volunteered to go to treatment in Metro in Minneapolis where I am learning a lot about the Word and my Savior Jesus Christ. 

While at Men Arise in Rapid City, I experienced the love of Jesus, a feeling I cannot put into words. After completing the classes at Metro (in Minneapolis), people tell me they are proud of me, which inspires me to know there is more to life. I will help spread the word of Jesus to others who like me wanted to give up on life and think we don't have a purpose. It doesn't hurt to ask for help and make a change!"