The sun was rising, the sounds of voices filled the room; sounds of laughter and sounds of sadness. Not an empty seat could be found as people were entering my Mom and Dad’s home. This was the picture of how the day started a year ago today, as my family faced a new day and the realization that my Dad had suddenly passed away. Just a few days before, we were all sitting on the back porch, shucking and cutting off corn for all of those corn puddings that were going to be eaten. I can still hear my Daddy’s voice calling me on my phone and saying…”Wendy “Nae”, “The corn is ready. You and the boy’s coming to help me?” That phone call came about the same time every year for as long as I could remember, but not this year. A different “kinda” year, most definitely! A bad year; definitely NOT!! I began to read this scripture this morning and the words just filled me with such joy.
Psalm 23 (ESV)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
You see… over the last year and a half I like to say that “ lots of life” has occurred in our family… My Nannie passed away, my Mom was diagnosed with cancer, my Dad passed away unexpectedly, my oldest son got engaged, my second oldest is going to college and after 22 years of pastoral ministry my awesome husband has joined the Navy and we are embarking on a new season in the military. You have two choices… you can see it as “my cup overflows” (lowercase and overwhelming) or you can see it as “MY CUP OVERFLOWS” UPPERCASE AND EXCITING with some ANTICIPATION.) If you believe God is who HE says he is… You shall not want, you shall rest, you shall have peace, you shall live in his presence. If you are walking through a tough time, you must remember who is walking with you… and GOODNESS and MERCY are following you…Can I get an AMEN? The road that God has prepared for you may not always be easy but as verse 3 says… Wendy’s Translation…”It’s not about you, It’s for HIS “glory”. Our second day in Texas, we were leaving the High School and after so many God moments already that morning, I could hear my Dad’s voice so clear… “Wendy “Nae”, The Corn is ready”. The field was different this year, but the harvest was ready still the same. There was no corn to pull in Belvidere, but the field in my new home was ready for harvest. Just like my Daddy would check the corn rows everyday, sometimes more than once a day, to see if the corn was ready, we must be spending our time with God so we can recognize those moments when our field is ready. We must be ready when that person at work needs prayer, when God sends someone our way that is ready to hear that He loves them. The harvest is plentiful. We must be willing and alert! No where in this scripture did we read that the psalmist sat in the “Valley”. It says he walked THROUGH. So don’t rest where you were meant to be moving. Your harvest is waiting. God has prepared a table of opportunity for you, and friend, if you are his child, YOUR CUP OVERFLOWS! Take hold of the excitement that a life in Christ produces. Look around you today, expect a miracle, THE CORN IS READY!!
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