Forever Daddy’s Girl

 When did it start, Abba? This precious renewal of our Covenant?

On my side, that is. Your side of our Covenant never wavers. If I ever feel far from You, it is because I have moved. And even if I have, You move with me. So You are always closer than my next breath, ready to invade my awareness whenever I turn once again to You.

A glorious invasion, indeed!

I hadn’t written or posted anything here for a month. A tough month, as it turned out. Unexpected home repair projects. Then my husband’s  unexpected bicycle accident.

Excuciating pain reduced to tolerable pain. At least another month of healing ahead. But also… Life! It could have been so much worse. What we love to say is so true and shouldn’t ever be just an empty slogan: 

You are good… All the time!

It wasn’t just the people or the circumstances around me that needed help. It was me, Lord. Somewhere between the busyness and the battlefields, I felt distant from You. And since You are (as that beautiful song says) “the air I breathe,” I felt like I was slowly suffocating.

“And with that He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  (John 20:22)

So it was that my latest Grace-filled renewal began on December 24. Our pastor had asked for help in staffing our prayer room leading up to Christmas. Although it is available 24/7,  he wanted each day in December staffed during one particular hour, beginning at 12:25 PM. 

In honor of December 25. No. In honor of You, Lord… the focus of our Joy.

By the time I saw the sign-up sheet, the only day left was December 24. The day You had chosen for me.

I arrived that day to find another woman in the room. A woman I didn’t recognize. Ordinarily, we staff the room with one prayer warrior, not two. She said as much when I entered, in the form of a question: “Don’t we usually…?”

I agreed, but encouraged that we both stay anyway, and pray as You had prepared us. Turned out she had signed up for the previous day and got the days mixed up. Said she wasn’t “supposed” to be there on the 24th.

I knew better. You had sent her there… hadn’t You, Lord? Not just for Your sake, but for mine. We had the most precious time in Your Presence. Unmistakably on Holy Ground with You. I no longer felt distant.

There’s nothing in the Universe like being in Your Presence, Lord! Loving You and receiving Your Love. Lifting our failings, in deep repentance. Listening with Unquenchable Joy as You lavish us with Unshakable Grace.

Then, my newly-found Forever Sister said to me exactly what I needed to hear. Exactly what You gave her to say to me.

“The Word of Christ dwells richly in you. When He sees you coming, He laughs with joy and says: “There’s My girl!”

[Sigh.]  Isn’t that Your heart for all of us, Lord?  🙂 

Abba’s Girl

 

2 Comments

  • Carolyn Van Ooteghem/ The Houston C12 Group says:

    What a sweet post, as always pointing to God’s unchanging love and presence! Thank you! I am so sorry to hear about Bud’s accident. So glad he is improving! God Bless you, dear sister! I agree with your prayer partner’s description of God’s joy when he sees you! xooxxo

    • Diana Furr says:

      Thank you, dear sister. You always fill my cup to overflowing! Because He fills you up… and splashes His Living Water onto (and into) others through you! xoxoxo

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