Why Should I think about dying??

I know this sounds like a really morbid question, but truly it is not. It is a question we all need to consider and the sooner the better.

We hear a lot about people dying all over the world these days and it is indeed heartbreaking. Yet, I want to take a few moments to encourage you to think about the days you have before you which is a gift we call life? What do you want to leave behind you when you are finished all your days? No one knows how many days or years we have left.

Ask yourself what do you want to have left in the hearts and minds of people? What truths do you want to make sure the ones you love, fully understand are most dear to you? That you love them? Perhaps that sounds crazy, but many people struggle to say those words. I have not one memory of my father ever telling me he loves me. I know he did because my mom told me he did. He showed me he loved me in his own way, but words… no.

What is most dear to you? What are you doing to make sure the ones you want to know are actually hearing what is on your heart? You might think “but I am so young”. These questions are important because they inform us about how we should spend our time and how we speak.

For me, I like to keep things simple. I want my family to know that I love them with every fiber of my being and that Jesus really is exactly who He said He is. I want them to live their lives in such a way that they reflect His love and presence in their lives .

Psalm 90:12 says it perfectly “ Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Taking these moments to consider this one question is wise and is especially beneficial if we act on our response.

The One Question I Believe God Asked me Today

I love when God speaks to me clearly. I wish I could say it is every day, but I would be lying. I believe God is always speaking, however, in my life, I think I just get too distracted to hear His voice.

Today I was making supper and listening to a podcast. I was thinking about my blog and how I had not gotten to it today. In a simple prayer, I asked Him, what is on Your heart today?

Then, I heard His still quiet voice amidst much talk about COVID, “do you think I am big enough? Do you think I Am big enough to walk with you through this valley of the shadow of death? Am I big enough to calm your fears to care for you or your loved ones contract COVID 19?

“Do you think I am big enough to direct the scientists as they look for a vaccine? Am I big enough to walk through this valley? For you, it is the first time you have seen something like this. For Me, there have been others. “

This is the simple question for today, do you think that God is big enough? Psalm 46 says this “ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the sea…”.

I have never lived through anything to this extent but I have walked through many valleys and I can tell you that I have found God nothing but faithful and more than big enough for the greatest challenges life has brought my way. If God is not big enough for this current crisis, then I think we are really in trouble! God who hung the stars and formed the earth and gives us breath to breathe moment by moment is indeed more than able to walk with us through this valley, wherever it may lead.

Happy Coincidences or Answers to Prayer

I have had many people ask me over the years “ Donna why do you believe in God?” The first reason is because of the resting peace He gives me regardless of what is going on and the wisdom He offers me. He also provides me with His love to share with others when mine has run dry. And then … there are all the cool things I have seen him do.

I want to take the next few weeks or months and simply tell you some of the great things He has done. Some might say that is just a happy coincidence, I call them all answers to prayer. I think that during uncertain times it is nice to know that prayer is still powerful and God is still in the business of answering prayers. He does not always answer the way I have been hoping, sometimes He says “No” sometimes it is “ not right now, you have to wait” and then there are times when it is amazing. I want to talk about the amazing today. Here is this week’s story.

One of the greatest fears as a parent is when your child becomes lost. When we lived in Fort St. John my husband was the Youth Pastor. We were doing some kind of a youth event at this park. There was a large open field in the middle with a road on one side and a forest on the other. It was about 4 kilometers across ( I am just guessing) if you walked straight through you would hit another park road BUT if you turned and walked to the right- the forest does not end. If you have seen the virgin forests of Northern B.C. you know what I mean by a dense forest. That was where the problem began.

I was watching the teens as they were playing soccer. I was sitting at a picnic table rather than playing as I was keeping an eye on 3-year-old Martin. I noticed that my daughter Lisa was nowhere in sight. She was with her dad the last time I looked. She was about 4 or 5 at the time. I asked Bill” where is Lisa?”. He told me she was with some girls who were from about Grade 3 and they wanted to show her a hut they had built in the forest. It was just barely in the forest. I was alarmed, to say the least. I asked Bill how long ago was this? He said ‘maybe 20 minutes ago”. I told Bill you better start looking, He did. He went in the direction he had seen the girls go and there was no sign of them anywhere.

I was in my first trimester with our 3rd child and not feeling well. I panic I felt was great indeed and the prayers that followed were fervent, to say the least. Bill and the youth leaders all split off and were off running and calling for the girls. Bill ran around to the other side of the forest along the road, and prayed, “ Father my little girl is in there somewhere, please help me find her”.

In a moment, Bill said it was like someone shone a flashlight into the depths of the forest and he followed it. After about 15-20 minutes of walking, Bill could hear little girls singing a song they had learned in Sunday school. They stood in a circle holding hands and were singing and crying.

I know that it does not always work out this neat and tidy, but this time it did! I thank God for how He helped Bill to find our little girl and her friends.

Psalm 77: 2-4 “ I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, from of old, what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide from our children; the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His powers and wonders He has done.”