We all have life connections, but how are we using them? Do we avoid those we love the most to make other connections? Kerryn explains what recently happened at her home.
“He who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 13:9).
Everyone in my house has been incredibly frustrated today!
There are frayed edges around our patience, communication, and moods. This has been intensifying, until today when tempers were lost. The problem is not life-threatening or endangering our lives, but one would think so, with how it’s impacted on us all.
Put simply, our internet has been cutting in and out! These internet interruptions have been occurring a few times every hour, over the past few days, with increasing regularity.
Not a big deal, except that my husband’s livelihood is down. Not a big deal, except that my middle son and I don’t have access to our cyber worlds, that keep us connected to the world and entertained during illnesses. Not a big deal, except that our eldest techno-whizz son is running between each of us, and the modem, trying to sort out all of the problems.
I finally gave up in disgust this afternoon and took a “time out.” As I breathed and calmed I reflected on what was happening and asked God what He wanted to say about this. Immediately, a few things clarified in my mind.
I realized how often the Lord must be connecting with me when I suddenly cut out, as some other thought takes my attention. I sure do that, and with increasing regularity lately! My mind wanders to some worry or concern, rather than staying with the One that can deal with those worries and concerns. How frustrated must God feel? “He who has ears, let him hear.”
Sorry, Lord!
Then I reflected on whether I do that with others too. I realized, sadly, that I do, particularly with my family. They’re chatting away to me and I’m listening intently. Then all of a sudden my mind wanders off.
Yes, I have brain fog, from chronic fatigue syndrome, that is real and impacts heavily on discussions. However, there are many times where I just wander off in my thoughts, while they’re talking. How sad!
I wouldn’t be this rude to my friends, so why do I do it with God and with my family? It’s sad, but it seems that those closest to me miss out on my best. I could easily say, it’s a normal human behavior and let this go, but how sad if I miss this growth opportunity.
“He who has ears, let him hear.” This verse is written between parables in Matthew 13. The internet cutting out was a parable for me today, about listening to my Lord and my family.
Prayer: Lord, I’m sorry for disconnecting with You. Please help me to hear You and listen more intently. I want to grow deeper and stronger connections with You and my family. Amen.
About the Author:
Kerryn Wright lives with her family amongst the gum trees in South Australia. She was a special education teacher prior to chronic illnesses. Her husband is carer for three of their family, who have chronic illnesses and disabilities. God has always guided them through life’s challenges, often in surprising ways.
Are there any people that you’re disconnecting with during discussions? What helps you to enjoy deeper connections with God? What parables speak deeply into your life?
Take 90 seconds to watch this upbeat video about why Jesus came to earth and what He wants from you (hint, hint–it has to do with a connection!) -Lisa
Kerryn, I could relate to your great message here as I am very dependent on my computer for many things – the writing and for being connected to the outside world. I even use it for Bible studies as looking up Scriptures is easy via some sites, read blogs that are uplifting.
But none of these means should take the place of my time with the Lord. Yes, the computer can be used to enhance some time and inspiration but I know He wants my undivided attention with the computer shut off.
I had a similar experience some years ago when my battery was running low even with my laptop cord plugged in to the wall outlet. It turned out that my power cord was not receiving from its power source. That got remedied but as I walked out of the computer store, the spiritual analogy hit me hard.
I need to receive first of all from my Power Source and let Him keep my batteries charged.
Thanks for sharing your story with us!
Love, Lynn
Well said Kerryn. Don’t know what I’d do without an Internet connection, might have to read a book or something 🙂 But ‘cutting out’ with God is definitely not a good thing, especially as he is our source of power.
Blessings.
Karlton
Kerryn, I’ve been there today with my hubby. Tensions high. Not a good place to be to put it mildly. But I went to the Lord using my journal, asking him to purify my heart and control my thoughts, words and body language. Also that he would show me when to speak and when to be quiet.
Thank you for being so open and for using this computer illustration. Good to know I’m not alone.
Thanks Lynn. 🙂
Actually when the Lord was speaking to me about this, He brought to mind your past devotional about the power cord too. So, I remember it well! In fact, I nearly didn’t send in this devotional, as it was kinda similar to that one. However, it takes a different slant.
I actually needed to re-read my devotional today, as I’ve been slipping back into bad habits! God is good in the ways He speaks to us through everyday situations. Gentle hugs. Lotsoluv Kerryn
Thanks Karlton. 🙂
We sure do become dependent upon the internet don’t we!! Thank God that He doesn’t disconnect with us. God bless. Lotsoluv Kerryn
Dear Beth, thank you. 🙂
You are certainly not alone, though I’m sorry to hear you’ve had “tensions high!” Those times sure don’t help our illnesses either, well I find that with me anyway. How special that you were able to journal with the Lord. I pray that there is a renewed peace from God for you both now. What would we do without Him in our lives?! Take care. Gentle hugs. Lotsoluv Kerryn
Kerryn, are you sure you read a devotional by me with a related topic? It was so long ago – way before you were “here”!
I think that the two, whether or not we are in sync with what you read, are very different in how we approached our individual messages.
Yes, I recently had a similar run to the computer store with a split section of the cord ( now power loss), which kind of set another scene of how we need to catch flaws in our spiritual life quickly so that our relationship with the Lord stays intact.
Blessings – Love – Lynn
“no power loss”
Yes, Lynn! You mentioned it once in an email, so I looked it up!! My hubby often says I’d make a good detective!! LOL! 🙂 Lotsoluv Kerryn
Ah – now the truth is revealed!
How flattering that you would go snooping around to find that devotional.
Yes, you are quite the detective and friend!
🙂 <3 Lotsoluv Kerryn
My husband has been unemployed for over a year now. He’s been catching freelance jobs in the television production industry that has been keeping our heads above water. Needless to say that when the only show he had scheduled for the next two weeks was canceled; stung with realities of our lack of income. Since my illness, we are a one income family. I awoke early the morning after the cancelation and used the time for devotions and heartfelt praise and worship. That same morning, he got a call from a company up north that asked if he could fill in for someone at the last minute. Turns out this freelance job pays about twice as much as the one that was canceled! It also holds the possibility of future full time employment. I just wanted to say that no one or nothing can take away our power and ability to pray and cause events and circumstances to change. We may be sick, we may feel times of defeat, but as long as there is breath in our bodies, we hold a major key to heaven thru our prayers. Hang in there friends and keep praying.
Kerryn, not to get technical with you, but have you had your internet provider check to make sure you don’t have an outside wiring problem? We had similar problems with our wireless router (also sometimes called a modem) and eventually had a technician come out. We have DSL (internet from the phone company) and he found a broken wire outside where the wiring comes into the house.
I pray you are able to get your internet stabilized and peace restored to your household.
Anita Lynn, what a wonderful testimony of God’s working in your family. Thanks so much for sharing. Isn’t that God…..we come to our knees to worship & seek Him & He comes to our rescue in ways that are far greater than we could possible imagine! Our God makes all things possible. You wrote it so beautifully with:
“I just wanted to say that no one or nothing can take away our power and ability to pray and cause events and circumstances to change. We may be sick, we may feel times of defeat, but as long as there is breath in our bodies, we hold a major key to heaven thru our prayers.” Amen & amen!! 🙂 God bless. Lotsoluv Kerryn
Becky, how thoughtful of you to come up with solutions. Thank you! 🙂 As it happens I wrote this a long time ago & it all became sorted after many calls to our internet provider & them monitoring to “prove” that it actually was cutting in & out. They sorted it & all is good. It was God’s special moment of speaking to me through it all that made the frustrations all worth while. I love that the Lord uses every opportunity to speak into our lives the lessons that we need to hear. Thanks again for caring. God bless. Lotsoluv Kerryn
Anita: Thanks so much for sharing your present situation with us. I am praising God for this new opportunity.
We had a prayer day on Monday focused on our little rural church and its need of a permanent pastor. (My hubby is “the filler-in” – his description of his role, and he also has health issues.) So prayer has been especially on our minds lately. I believe God delights to answer prayer. But sometimes he says, “No” or “Wait” for our good and his glory.
Thanks for your encouraging words. Keep your eyes on Him. His compassions don’t fail; they are new every morning.
Grace & peace,
Beth
Oh Beth, praying for you & your dear hubby now. Praying for His will in your lives & the lives of all in the little church you’re in. God bless. Lotsoluv Kerryn
Beth,
I would be very interested in hearing more about your church, the area and its needs. I’m not so sure that we haven’t made a God connection. You know how something that you are reading just kinda jumps out at you? That’s what happened when I read your reply. If you want to email me directly, it’s anitalynn@carolina.rr.com. Looking forward to it. God bless.
Praying with you and your husband.
Anita
WOW! This gave me “goosebumps” Anita Lynn!! Praying that some special “God connection” does occur between you & Beth. What a blessing. Thank You Father in advance for Your ways & will here. God bless. Lotsoluv Kerryn
Kerryn,
You are such a blessing on this website. You are an encourager sent here directly from God. Thank you for allowing him to use you in this way. The word tells us that David encouraged himself in The Lord. I have found that to be an interesting passage of scripture (1 Sam 30:6). Not long ago I found an old card in my desk that I had bought with no one in mind to send. When I read it, it turned out it was to be a blessing and and an encouragement to me! That’s when I thought….was this one of the ways of “encouraging” myself. I’m finding that the more I try to be a blessing to others the more it comes back to me. Isn’t it the little things that can make your day! The more that you look for God the more things you see Him in.
May you feel a warmth of Gods love and a release of His healing on you today.
With love and prayers,
Anita
It’s a thrill that goes to my innermost feelings, to read of the faith of the previous posters, who no matter what the struggle, they stick with it , remain dedicated to their life’s partner & most of all to God. These words we write is our public testimony, they will remain in ours & God’s heart for eternity…….Can it be said: “Heaven & Earth will pass away but all the above posted testimonies will not”?
Thank you above posters for the encouragement you give me……keep posting, it encourages me & maybe more people than you know.
Paul,
Thanks for letting me know that perhaps something has been said was a blessing. My platform has been taken away to minister and I miss it dearly. I was an adult Sunday School teacher. Now I mostly post things on Facebook and a few times here…but it’s nothing like seeing a light come on in someone’s eyes. It’s nice to know someone is reading out there. May God’s blessings be on you in this journey we call life.
Anita
Oh Anita! Your very beautiful words for me brought me to tears. Thank you soooooo much for these precious words that were like honey today. You have no idea how much you have blessed & encouraged me. I love the story of the card…..isn’t that like God to send it back to you when you needed it! God’s ways aren’t our ways, but I sure love His ways. 🙂 Gentle hugs. Lotsoluv Kerryn
Paul, thanks for your encouragement to all here. RM is a special place indeed, where people can share their hearts & lives with each other to bless & encourage each other. I praise God that His love, through all here, has blessed you. I love your beautiful words: “These words we write is our public testimony, they will remain in ours & God’s heart for eternity.” HOW TRUE! 🙂 Lotsoluv Kerryn
Paul, do stop by ANYtime and share more of your words – they do inspire, as well.
You are ever as much of this team and your words of encouragement have breathed life into my sagging soul – an uplift to keep on writing here, “there”, or wherever God leads.
Bless you here, “there”, or wherever God leads! 🙂
Lynn
Of all the hymns of my Christian faith, this is the one I most enjoy, I strum it frequently on my guitar, especially at times when I feel in need of encouragement, often late at night just before going to bed. Sometimes I put my guitar aside & just like to listen to the group or sing along with them, over & over again, I’ve gotten so much encouragement from it, especially since learning of the history & how this hymn by George Bliss came into existence to find a little known place in our songbooks.
Anita, Lynn, Kerryn, et al, please listen to the exuberance of the Gaither group as they sing this exquisite song of faith, I guarantee you will play it over & over & over………Paul
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p8THfJihuc
Very thoughtful Paul. Thank you. Since being ill music overloads my body & I become quite ill & nauseous. Apparently my sensory system goes into overload. However, before being ill I listened to the Gaithers. So, I can remember & sing in my heart & soul. Thanks again. 🙂 God bless. Lotsoluv Kerryn
Oh Kerryn,
I’m so sad to hear that music cannot be a part of your listening right now. Reminds me of how much we need to put in our memory bank. The Word, music, flowers..the beauty of God’s creation…a baby smile. Sure sounds like you are drawing from that source. Gods blessings for you today.
Prayers,
Anita
Paul,
Thanks for the song. I thought I had heard about all of the Gaither songs but I seemed to have missed this one. I love their music . Hope you’ve had a blessed day in The Lord and a day of no pain.
Blessings,
Anita
Paul, I enjoyed the Gaither song – and their enthusiasm. Is there a way you can briefly share of the song’s background as if it inspired you, I’ll bet it would inspire us?
I used to play the guitar, used it in my classroom with my students for many years. Even after my vertigo condition hit, I was able to continue working for some years before I needed to take an early retirement. When I’d play – after the vertigo came to make me dizzy full time – I would feel a bit more dizzy when playing but was able to push through.
That is no longer true and I miss being able to pick up the guitar, and as you experience, just pray and praise through the music. There is now a further neurological disconnect that makes all the wires in my head and balance system put me to spinning and nausea – too much stimulation for it to process.
It is akin to what Kerryn described – how the senses get overloaded – and I do pray that in time Kerryn will be able to listen to music without crashing so badly.
I feel privileged that music remains one of the deepest resources God uses to inspire and uplift me.
And, as Anita Lynn said, we have so much stored within us that we can bring to recall and revisit to help us stay encouraged, even if there are beloved involvements no longer possible for us.
Anita Lynn, your reply to me are intriguing. I’m pondering and praying about this.
Frankly, I’m nervous about e-mailing someone I hardly know. I hope you understand. That’s why I haven’t responded sooner.
As far as our church goes, we’ve been collaborating with Village Missions, whose purpose is to help small rural evangelical churches.
I have enjoyed reading your comments here.
Blessings, Beth
Thanks Anita Lynn.
Gentle hugs to you Lynn.
I think we all understand about being careful, Beth. Lotsoluv Kerryn
Beth,
I understand about having to be careful. I have quite a few connections and just wondered what state, etc. you were in. I was raised as a pastors daughter. My dad is 89 and retired but I have 2 brothers that pastor. They are not looking for change but I understand a little about that world.
I will pray God sends help your way.
God bless,
Anita
Hi Anita Lynn,
Yes, you would be very familiar with the pastoral challenges (and the role of pastors’ wives). An experienced pastor’s wife here in Canada, one I respect a lot, once said that trying to define the role of a pastor’s wife is like nailing jello to the wall. 😉 I couldn’t agree more.
I appreciate your concern and prayers so much. Thank you.
Grace & peace to you,
Beth
Lynn:
“Paul, I enjoyed the Gaither song – and their enthusiasm. Is there a way you can briefly share of the song’s background as if it inspired you, I’ll bet it would inspire us?”
The writer was Philip Bliss, not George. He & his wife Lucy, both about 30 years of age, were returning from Chicago by train where they participated organizing a Dwight Moody crusade about 1880 . When they reached Ashtabula, Ohio, the train wrecked & caught fire. Philip became separated from his wife & got out of the wreckage but could not locate his beloved Lucy, she was still inside the burning wreckage, against all odds & restraints of other survivors he went back to search for his wife, insisting he could not live without her, he did not survive the rescue attempt.
Days later while sifting through what little remained of the passengers personal effects & luggage, they found the words of “I Will Sing of My Redeemer” inside the Bliss’s personal baggage in what little remained of the baggage car. All the words were there & apparently he was still in the process of setting it to a musical score, it was finished by a couple of his friends. It was published in 1880 I believe was the year.
Try to imagine if you will, how one human being can love another one so much, that he would so unselfishly risk & lose his life to save another no matter the intensity of the pain in the effort to do so………..We have a Brother like that…..now I have some guitar work to do……..Lots of Love.
WOW Paul!! What an incredible story….I have goosebumps! Thanks so much for using your energy in writing that down to share with us. WOW….again! Lotsoluv Kerryn
Paul, what a depth of meaning this adds to that amazing song. I’ll never hear it again in quite the same way – will hear it with pure admiration of what it took to bring it to our ears.
And yes, continue to love with depth the One who the song reflects, our mutual Brother.
Isn’t it stirring to the innermost depths of your heart that there are those who have so immersed themselves in another person’s life……that they cannot live without that person? Every time I sit down with my guitar & sing that song, two very unselfish individuals weigh heavily on my mind, I only wished I could stand up & be counted by the standard they set, one went to a Roman torture stake & the other into a fire, both lost their lives & became an example to us, they loved with perfect love.
Philip & Lucy Bliss left behind two young boys, 1& 4 years old as I recall. I have no idea how they lived out their lives.Their parents left them a legacy…………
Beautiful words, thoughts & sentiments Paul. May your singing, with the guitar, bring you continued joy, inspiration & encouragement. Thanks for sharing. God bless you. Lotsoluv Kerryn
Kerryn Wright says:
March 14, 2013 at 12:18 AM
“Beautiful words, thoughts & sentiments Paul. May your singing, with the guitar, bring you continued joy, inspiration & encouragement. Thanks for sharing. God bless you. Lotsoluv Kerryn”
Isn’t it so heartwarming to see the tears of joy streaming from the eyes & down the faces of so many of those singing with the Gaither group? Shane McConnell, Larry Ford, & David Phelps are among the best tenors I’ve ever heard. What is such a nice touch in the video, is that just as you think Shane & Larry are about to wrap up the song, out of nowhere Dave Phelps abruptly pitches in & brings it up to a new level of intensity, “God’s three tenors”, my nickname for them.