A Feathered Pillow for All

As I rose this evening from bed to wander in the nearby bathroom the mirror caught my attention. The two incisions made in my neck and shoulder reminded me of my situation. "You have cancer and your infusions you've been trying to avoid start Monday." "Yeah, yeah I know. I don't need to be reminded," I answered back. 

After going back to bed a piece of paper in my opened Bible caught my attention. It asked the question 'what does having God in your life do for you?' Being a much better thing to dwell on rather than my port catheter in my neck for my chemo treatment, I chose to fall back to sleep on the light feathered comfort of the second pillow. 

With a smile on my face and a song of praise in my heart I told my mind what direction to take and it took it. Like Psalms 103:2 and following, I listed all the benefits of having God in my life. 

1. Strength. If it wasn't for God's strength I would have no strength at all. 

2. Stability. I am anchored on the rock of Jesus that will never move. Therefore I am promised I wont be shaken. 

3. Security. I am not only safe but saved in the arms of Jesus. He is building me a home just for me. I expect lots of Holstein cows and country style decor awaiting me. 

4. Loved. I couldn't feel more loved than I do with God. That seems impossible because of the love I receive from my family and friends is overwhelming. Thanks everyone. 

5. Welcomed. I am welcomed into God's family with open arms. I fit in because of Jesus. 

6. Not lost. Wandering around aimlessly for so long lost in the muck and mire of life's circumstances God found me and found a spot for me in His herd of lost sheep. He never gave up on me. 

7. Belonged. It's a bad feeling, feeling as if you don't belong. No matter what the local church might make you feel, we belong. We belong to God if we so choose to accept His offer to come to Him. I love it. 

8. Cared for. I feel cared for by God in the way He watches over me, talks to me, gives me His spirit to sustain me. 

9. Happy. I couldn't be more happier than I am in Christ. Material possessions don't count because they are not needed to feel a sense of joy and happiness in God. 

10. Blessed. No matter what my situations say out loud, in my heart I know I am blessed because of God. He hasn't chosen me as His favorite and made me rich and famous but its the fact that He has chosen me. I have things like my good health outside of cancer, eyes that see, ears that still hear, a heart that functions well, and a brain that still operates. Somewhat! Ha ha. I have great family and friends. Just recently a friend from over 20 years contacted me on Facebook. Talk about a blessing, it was awesome. Another tool God is using to bless me. 

11. Helped. Cancer and other things can put us in a situation where we feel helpless and often even hopeless. With God I have felt and seen where He has helped me many times. He has never left me stranded along the side of the road of life. He leads me to clear calm water and to other places I need to be. He helps me to cross bridges that appear to be frightening. He holds on tight to my hand and encourages me. 

12. Satisfied. With God in my life He is all I need or really want. I am satisfied in my soul because of Him. I don't have to work my way up some imaginary scale to make myself feel satisfied. I don't need substances such as money, food, alcohol, or drugs to feel satisfied. I am satisfied completely in Christ. 

13. Forgiven. It's a good feeling to know you are forgiven. Too often I have messed up in life and I couldn't have made it without knowing God forgives when I am willing to repent and correct that which is wrong in my life. 

14. Comforted. God knows my circumstances and He comforts me. He gets me through them one at a time. He may not lead me around them but He sees me thru life's storms in a strong comforting way letting me know He is there, with me all the way. That is a big comfort. 

15.  

The list I am sure could go on and on but at last my weary eyes and heart are ready to surrender. Sleep is what my eyes seek while my heart and mind chase after God and that list of what He does for me. 

Snuggled within the reminder of what He does for me I can lay to rest my cancer, the physical pain it creates, the tears shed, the fear felt, the unknown ahead. Instead I lay upon the pillow feathered with God's love and comfort as He tucks His daughter into bed once more. 

Ever so softly and gently I can feel Him leaning down to kiss my forehead as He whispers once again, "I am with you my sweet one. I will never leave you nor forsake you. You can count on that for number 15 on your list. I am not through with you yet." 

The words from God were what I needed to hear. Truly a feathered pillow for all. A comfort list for many. 

Copyright 2015 Karen J Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing 

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The Night I wore Pink

As I lay awake at midnight the clock striking twelve reminded me of the night I learned about my cancer. Two years ago this midnight I was seen in the emergency room where the news was revealed. Who would have thought a simple trip into the local hospital would have turned into this.

I praise the Lord I made the trip that night. My cancer had already taken over my breast, bones, and lungs and it wouldn't have stopped there had I not went.

I'll never forget the sound of Don's cry from the corner of the room nor Nycol's from the echo of the phone. It was time for a group hug as we met at the bed where I laid. Life had put up a detour sign and we were only beginning to see where it would lead us.

There would never be too many hugs nor would the tears ever completely run dry. We were in this together and it was best we walked in harmony with each other. Little did we know there would be times I couldn't walk on my own I would need help. A shoulder not only to lean upon but one to cry upon as well.

 Our journey has been rough and tough at times but thanks to God we have survived. The grand kids have been wonderful through all of this. My support group continues to grow. This certainly wasn't my choice of adventures but I am thankful for what I have learned during it, the love I have been given, the blessings God has bestowed upon me.

Yes it has done us well to walk in harmony for when one of us is weak the others can be strong and we can travel ahead leaning and supporting one another.

"Thank you Lord once again for seeing me through and walking me out of life's difficulties one step at a time. I may walk in physical pain but I don't in spiritual pain thanks to You, Lord. So for now it's time to close my eyes and count my blessings. "

 1. My relationship with Jesus
2. Don and Nycol and my grand kids
3. My family and friends
4. My work and those I work with
5. My church and the strength I receive from them
6. I can walk on my own no matter how slow
7. My cancer remains in control
8. I get to see my grand kids grow up
9. I grow stronger spiritually day by day
10. I get the opportunity to write God's blessings for others to read
11. Pink isn't a bad color after all
12. For tonight as it is 12-12-12 still, oops I forgot it struck midnight already. Anyway my twelfth blessing is the blessing that I am not alone in my journey.

Praise the Lord the blessings will continue to flow. Thanks everyone for the parts you each play. Stay focused on God and together we will walk in harmony one step at a time, no matter how slow or wobbly that step may be. To God be the glory.

Blessings Galore

God can pour on the blessingsin astonishing ways. 2 Corinthians 9:9 (MSG)

Whether we believe it or not, God is able to pour on His blessings in astonishing ways far more than we could ever imagine. The part we play in this is learning to recognize what those blessings are. Instead of looking for God’s blessings in every nook and cranny we spend our time either complaining about what we didn’t get or why the gal in the next pew got more than us.

There was a time in my life, as I suppose is true for most people, I thought I was at the short end of God’s stick. By the looks of my life and the things going on it appeared to me by the time God got around to me He was all “blessing’d out.” He was either out of blessings to give or I was doing something wrong to not receive them.

Being at a spiritual weakness unfortunately I didn’t do what I should have done and that was to stand up in Satan’s face and say, “Get ye behind me Satan you’re a jerk and a stumbling block to me.” Blinded by his lies I needed to get him out of the way in order to see God was blessing my life in unbelievable ways. They were the kind of blessings that often require the use of hindsight in order to be able to recognize then for what they are.

How foolish we are to think that God operates like Isaac did with his two boys Esau and Jacob. It’s not who gets there first gets the best blessing or if we don’t get there soon enough He will run out. God will never run out of blessings for us. Some of them are continuous in length. Others may only be a flash in a fraction of time. The thing is we need to go out on a blessing hunt and look for the things God is doing for us moment by moment. The blessing of the air we breathe the gravity that keeps us from floating off into air, the brightness of the sun, the awesome feeling of His love, and so much more.

The blessing Paul was talking to the Corinthians about was because of the generous gift they promised to give to his cause. As Paul told the Corinthians God loves a cheerful giver and that is what we need to be. A cheerful giver of all we have to offer whether it be our money, time, comfort, love, talent, or anything else.

We shouldn’t always think we belong on the receiving end of blessings when often we belong on the giving part as well. Blessing our children, church, family, co-workers, country simply by the attitude we carry, the joy we have to give, the witness we have to share as the spill over of Christ’s love works in our lives.

What the Corinthians was going to give not only would supply the needs of the saints but Paul said it was abounding in thanksgiving to God as well. Evidently already blessed by God they were willing to give back what they themselves had received. We too have already been blessed in many ways and what we do with those blessings will demonstrate the abundance of our thanksgiving towards God and what He has done for us.

Instead of getting behind Satan’s lies we need to get out in the open and go on that “blessing hunt” and look for all that God is doing. Often it requires looking forward, looking back, looking all around to catch them in their abundance. Don’t leave a nook or cranny unexplored because God’s blessings galore are there if only we would look. Don’t wait for the UPS man to come knocking on your door to deliver a box marked “Blessings from God,” go looking yourself, you’d be surprised.

© 2010 Karen J Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing