Friday, July 26, 2013

Fresh Every Morning





Sunrise in Rockies Photo by Dee Kamp

 
Fresh Every Morning

I stepped out onto our deck and felt the fresh cool breeze of the morning. The days had been unusually dry and hot. Oh how we love things fresh every day, I thought to myself.  In this season of the year one can expect fresh. But to find fresh in a dry and hard place in one’s personal life can come at a most unexpected place and time from God.  

“…There is one ray of hope: his compassion never ends.
It is only the Lord’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction.
Great is his faithfulness; his loving kindness begins afresh each day…
I will hope in him.”
Lamentations 3:21-24 TLB.

I smiled remembering that one unforgettable day nearly twenty years ago when God changed me forever with the promise of fresh.

 It was just days after my son had died a sudden and unexpected death. I had to get out of the house to breathe; too much had happened too fast for me.  So I called out to my faithful dog Rosie and led her for her favorite walk down our little country road.

I wept so hard I could barely see through my tears and finally I simply slumped to my knees right in the middle of the dusty road.

That’s when God met me right there in my greatest despair. I heard in my heart a choir singing the old sweet hymn, Great is His Faithfulness. I felt in the company of angels! Not a line or two did I hear, but to my amazement the whole thing, verse after verse. I could hardly breathe; I was very still and didn’t move as I listened and soaked up each word. Oh how it soothed my aching heart.
To this day I still don’t understand it; I had never memorized all those verses.

After a time, I was able to stand back up. I dusted myself off and said out loud in great wonder, “Lord, do you mean your compassion is new, fresh every day?”

The thought of God’s compassion fresh every day, that I could depend on Him for strength to face the future, astounded me. Had I been wondering in my heart that I was the one who had to keep going on in my own strength? I felt so abandoned until this moment. A fresh thought, a fresh new and unexpected promise had just been give to me at that moment and it changed everything for me in an instant—I had hope.

I knew then God would never abandon me-ever.  He understood my heart and sadness like no one could. This side of heaven, who but our Mighty God can possibly endure and understand one’s deep, deep sorrow? 

One song, one Scripture gave me fresh strength for each day. It was a pivotal point in my life.  I would never be the same for the sorrow I endured, but I would be forever changed by God’s love and faithfulness— fresh every morning

 “Fresh Every Morning” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© July 26, 2013

No comments:

Post a Comment