Prayer Thoughts on a Snowy Morning

As the snow falls softly down and the furnace hums its quiet, warming tune, I thank the Lord for a day off from work and for the fact that I woke up this morning and have use of all my faculties.  Still reading from the book of Mark, the account today (from chapter 9) was that of the man with the son with a "dumb spirit".  The Lord's disciples could not cast out the evil spirit.  Jesus told the boy's father, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible."  As you know, the father responded in tears with, "Lord I believe; help thou mine unbelief!" How true this has been so many times in my own life.  I know that the Lord is in control of a particular situation and I believe that He is going to see it all through because He is faithful, but I am so human and shortsighted that there is a measure of "unbelief" there.

I am so thankful that we do not live simply by a black and white "set of rules".  Though the Bible is our standard for life and practice, God looks on our hearts and gives us just what we, individually, need in every circumstance. I have heard it said that some actually believe that Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane was NOT answered as he knelt, sweating as it were great drops of blood, and prayed, "Lord if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will but as thou wilt."  The human side of Jesus had to KNOW and have faith that God could remove him from going to the cross, but I wonder sometimes if Christ prayed this as an example for us!  One thing that we know for sure, Jesus' prayer did not go unanswered!

I have had this similar prayer offered up to the Lord before, and He answered in the same way, according to HIS WILL, not mine.  This morning I turned to the scripture passage in Mark 11:22, 23 where the Lord told his disciples "Have faith in God... whosoever shall say unto this mountain be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." Yet, in my life and yours, we have probably prayed our hearts out about a certain situation, knowing God could do it if He chose, only to see that it did not come out the way we asked.  I'm sure it's true of your life also, our ultimate desire is for the Lord to have HIS will. He knows our hearts and I am just so thankful for a God that is "near at hand" and knows exactly what each individual needs and does not strike us down for having "unbelief" at times.

These thoughts lead me into a day full of vegetables!  We were given bags of beets, very dirty beets. I thought of laying them all out on the hood of the car and letting this wonderful SNOW wash them clean. I might just do that!  I must cut up squash and get it into the oven, then quarter my many apples that are left so I can finish up the applesauce.  It is a nice, snowy day to stay inside and work. I decided to lay a whole bag of beets out on the car to be washed(sorry the picture is so fuzzy).  Ruger looked on and was ready to come in, as the snow rested on his coat.  I believe that even HE was surprised by it this morning!

Two pictures follow; the last of the color here on the hill.  I took them the other day as I drove up our road.  I hope you all have a wonderful day.  We'll all see new leaves in the Spring!