Mangled Oranges...

Don’t you just hate it when you’re attempting to peel a hard-boiled egg and the shell does not want to come cleanly off?  I get frustrated because I feel like I am only getting half the egg when most of it stays connected to the inner shell… and when you’re on a diet… well… every part of that egg counts!  Do you know what I mean?

Today it was an orange that got to me.  After I put the grooves in the peel, I began to slip my thumb under the skin but everything stuck like glue and the more I played with it, the more the flesh stuck to the peel and the stickier my hands became!  And if you know me, then you know that I can’t stand dirty… much less sticky hands!  When I finally sat down at the kitchen table with my mangled orange, I felt like I got robbed!  I definitely was not able to enjoy the fullness of that delicious looking fruit!

When I read my Bible, I can’t help but notice that God also wants you and I to live in the fullness of life that He has planned for us.  That truth popped up in my head out of nowhere early this morning when I couldn’t sleep and peeked at the clock next to me that read 5:08 AM!  I felt led to grab my Passion Translation that was sitting next to me on the bed and the flashlight off the night stand, opened up to Psalm 91:16 and read aloud, “You will be satisfied with a full life and with all that I do for you. For you will enjoy the fullness of my salvation!” 

When I plopped back on my pillow with that verse swirling around in my head and my heart, I began to think about many of the things that the Lord had done for Piper and I throughout the years where He helped us to live in the fullness of His life for us.  Even during the last eight years of Piper’s earthly existence, I can’t help but marvel at all the miracles He provided for us in order for us to enjoy our lives, even in the midst of great trial.

While we had gloom and doom being spoken over us when I quit my job to devote all my time to assisting Piper, God answered our faith-filled prayers by showing me different state and federal benefit programs to assist us, directed us to some of he best medical care that I believe was available in northern California and provided us with sources of income that enabled us to continue living our lives without missing a beat. 

I promised Piper two things at the onset of her diagnosis.  One, that she would never be alone and that I would be with her all the way, and two, that we would continue to live our lives as normal as possible.  Which is the reason I took her with me almost everywhere… custom wheelchair and all, (traded our Mustang in order to get an SUV so we could carry said wheelchair), took daily walks together and enjoyed each other’s company and talked with her like nothing unusual was going on.

And all along the way God met our faith and answered our every request… sometimes whether we knew we needed a particular item or not.  I learned an important fact along the way… that God not only provides our needs, but many times also our desires!  Remember in Mark 11:24 Jesus stated, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” 

I also learned that our active, now faith is the force that enables God to move on our behalf.  Ephesians 3:17 tells us that by “constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life.” (The Passion Translation)  The God’s Word Translation tells us that Christ will live and thrive in us through our personal, active now faith.

We discovered that when our focus, faith, expectancy and love was set on Christ and the truth of His Word, that the fullness of His life was found to be thriving in and around us!  I continue to find myself starting and ending each day by boldly declaring Proverbs 3:5-6 saying that I “trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on my own opinions. (but) With all my heart I continue to rely on Him to guide me, (for I know that) He will lead me in every decision I make.  (for) I choose to be and stay intimate with Him in whatever I do, (for I know that) He will lead me wherever I go.” (The Passion Translation – personalized) 

So therefore… just as I don’t care for eating half a boiled egg or a mangled orange but want the fullness of each… I also want to live in the fullness of life that God has planned for me… and strive to stay strong, current and active in my faith in order to provide Him with an open door into my life, so He has access to perform His will for me and mine!

How about you?

Have a great weekend and as you do, continue to expect God’s fullness for your life!