It is hard to believe that we are in the final week of 2010!! Where did the year go? It seems that the older I get the faster time flies even though I know that is an impossibility. I have been thinking back about the year and all the ups and downs and I just feel a sense of awe at how God has worked in the lives of the Weaks' family over the past 12 months.
The first part of the year held a trial that I'd never experienced before. One that put my daughter in danger and one that really tested my faith. A relationship gone in a direction I never dreamed it would and a feeling of betrayal unlike any I've ever experienced. I found myself having no comfort outside of Psalm 55. I want to share it with you.
Psalm 55 v1-2Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help. Please listen and answer me for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.
v5-7 Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can't stop shaking. Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness.
v9 Confuse them Lord, and frustrate their plans.
v12-14 It is not an enemy who taunts me, I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me, I could have hidden from them. Instead it is you- my equal, my companion, my close friend. What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God.
v16 But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me.
v20 As for my companion, he betrayed his friends; he broke his promises.
v21 His words are as smooth as butter, but in his heart is war. His words are as soothing as lotion but underneath are daggers!
v22 Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
dear friends...those are verses you can bank on. Call on God...he'll rescue you. Give your burdens to him....He will take care of you. When you feel fear because of the enemy...tell Him. The Savior loves you, and is watching those who hurt his children. My heart was so heavy and so filled with fear at times for my daughter that I would physically be sick to my stomach. I have spent many nights in tears over the whole situation...my heart in anguish. But throughout the whole 6 to 7 months of this trial I never once doubted God. I never once was mad at him and for that I am thankful. I know he is my Father and that he is the King of kings and he loves this little princess. :) And I KNOW that ALL things work together for good to those who love God ..who are called according to his purpose. ...His Word..is TRUTH! I also saw a prayer I had prayed for almost a year concerning this situation be answered just a few weeks ago...I still want to shout when I think about it. God showed me in his timing that he did hear my prayer...he always hears....don't ever give up!
Doug, Hannah and I had the privilege of going on a cruise this year to the Bahamas with our dear friends Wade, Danita, Kaylea and Riley Breeden from GA. What a blessing to be with them. Danita has always been like a balm for my soul and I really needed that time with her. It was precious! The beauty of God's creation we beheld was amazing!
Doug and I celebrated another anniversary making this our 23rd year of marraige. I love him more every day and we seem to make a better team with each passing day. He treats me like a queen and I certainly hope he knows he is the king of our home.
I have beheld our church grow and had the honor of participating in our bread delivery for new visitors. What a neat idea that is. When people visit our church and fill out a visitor's card they will receive some home baked goodies at their doorstep the following week just to let them know their visit was important to us at Gospel Baptist and we'd love for them to come again. I've met some dear people through that ministry. I've also become an active member of the shut-in ministry....OH MY!! What treasures these dear saints of God are! I love to visit them. Without fail they always have a word of praise on their lips for the Lord....wow...I am learning so much from them!
I am super excited to include my very first overseas mission trip in this annual wrap-up. Thanksgiving week 19 of us embarked on a missions trip in Montego Bay, Jamaica in a small community called Cantebury. I know that lives were changed that week but I sometimes wonder if it were not mine that was changed the most. God convicted me of my ungrateful attitude for the simple things in life and for the luxuries that we as Americans have on a daily basis. The greatest gift of all is that we have Bible believing and teaching churches at our access. The people of Jamaica are terribly poor but they are absolutely destitute spirtually in many cases. They are so confused and have been led astray by satan. Thank you Lord, that I got to be a small part of telling them about the one who died for their sins and that can change their life her and for all eternity!
I came back home from the missions trip to be thrust into dress rehearsals of our Christmas Drama....wow!...that was something else!! I didn't have even half of my lines memorized when we got back but somehow God miracuously helped me and come Dec. 10th...I was ready! We had over 950 people see the Christmas play that weekend and close to 30 people saved!! It was AMAZING how God worked through each of us. Simple vessels of clay that he used to help hurting people. Praise your name Lord...you are worthy.
The the very next weekend was the live nativity. I was a greeter for 2 of the 3 nights and I loved every (cold...very cold) second of it! We had hundreds of people drive thru that I had the honor of welcoming, extending some warm apple cider and cookies and candy canes to and just to make that human contact of Jesus loving them through me. What an honor that job is. For some Christmas is a very sad and lonely time. People are hurting all around us and my prayer was that if any of those people came through our nativity that night they felt joy and was reminded of the gift of Christmas....Jesus Christ!
This was also my last Christmas with Hope at home. She will be married in 2011 and will start her life with the one God created for her. So it was a time of tears for Doug and I...this year has held lots of "last times". The last time she'll wake up on Christmas morning as Hope Weaks...next year it will be Hope Minter. The last time she'll help me fix our Christmas candies...next year she'll be in a kitchen of her own fixing them for her friends and neighbors. Oh my...I've got to stop...I'm crying again. But any mother who's been through this can relate I know...so I'll just say..pray for us. We love Ben and are so happy for them but it is a big change for us.
Well...those are the highlights...I couldn't possibly tell all the year has held. I am excited to see what 2011 going to hold. There will be blessings, and great joys, adventures and trials but the one thing that matters is that the same God who carried me through 2010...will be there for every second and his grace will be there at the very second I need it! I told someone that I loved last year that 2010 was like a clean slate...every new day you woke up you had the opportunity to be better than you were the year before. So with that in mind...I want to serve God more...better...with vigor and excitement and with great faithfulness in 2011. I want to love my family and serve them...make each of their days fun and full of joy..be kind..not critical...encouraging...not a party pooper. I want to be a godly friend to those around me. I want to be a person of thankfulness. To sum it all up....I just want to be what God wants me to be....how about you?
