Count Your Blessings

"Count your blessings one by one, count your blessings see what God has done".  We (I) don't do this enough.  As I was reading through the last few months and processing where we've been, I was amazed at how intense this has been - reading through this, I'm amazed we are still here. I'm not going to apologize because frankly things are still intense.

Reading though all that warfare made me want to glorify the High King.  Want to know why?  He's been faithful.  He's been our strong tower when we have had enemies on every side.  He's been the one to break through when we are surrounded and relieve us.  Do you want to know how?

You.  His church, his bride.  His people.  I would be blogging 2000 years post rapture if I tried to quantify all of the things people have done for us. People that don't know us, people that do. People from literally all over the world.  The goal here is to try to convey both a universal THANK YOU and more importantly give you a chance to understand what happens to people when they surrender their lives to this man, this God, this Jesus we love.  In fact he loves us so much that the God of the Universe, the maker of us all includes you and I in what he is doing.

"My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."

-Jesus of Nazareth

Like our Dad you have been working:

-Meals:  Since March, at least twice a week people have brought us meals. With parents splitting time between Children's Hospital, work and home this has been one way in which god has sustained us  kind of like the Ravens fed Elijah (Thank you for being a raven)

-Cards, letters, visits:  We have been showered with well wishes, letters of encouragement, written about in blogs (not this one - right Adeye?) which spurred a no kidding deluge of mail to Jacob from people from all over the globe. Each word written by you was used by our King to say "Never will I leave you, Never will I Forsake You to Jacob and to us. This is like having personal messages of encouragement from the High King delivered by the King's personal emissary (Thank you for being the Kings Presence)

- Support for Gas:  You have sent us to be with Jacob.  He lights up.  The floor full of suffering - lights up.  Lorrie comforts other Moms.  Nurses smell Jesus in that room.  The gospel is lived out.  You sending us not only comforts us and Jacob but people feel the hope that comes with your sending. As I type this I am starting to realize that this is a mission field - it is.  And you are sending us.  (Thank you for sending us)

- Shoulders:  Back to those intense blog entries. Lorrie and I have used many of your shoulders. You let us be a mess and you love us anyway. You told us its ok to be ok.  You carry our 90 lb ruck sack.  You don't get all churchy on us when we tell you that this sucks.  You cry with us.   You rejoice with us.  You comfort us in this trial we are in.  (Thank you for being our Comforter and bearer of our burden like our Father is - you are starting to look just like him you know...)

-Warriors:  I related to a friend a month or two ago that dealing with all of this is kind of like that first horrific scene in Saving Private Ryan.  We've been in the enemy's kill sack.  He was and still is intent on taking us all out to sow despair, to steal kill and destroy.  We've been down. Wounded. Bleeding out.  And out of nowhere - there you all are.   You drag us to cover, sprinkle scripture sulfa on our wound and bind us up. You are fearless. And the part I love is the enemy fears...you.  (Thank you for being warriors like our High King)

-Servants: A family just left my house and I am 40% sure (you know who you are) they just walked our dogs. My goodness people you have walked dogs, toilet paper and paper towels mysteriously appeared at our home yesterday. You have sat with our Son, given up your time so Lorrie and I could have time. You have washed our feet. (Thank your for doing what Jesus does)

-Gift Givers:  Jacob now has more legos than any kid in Colorado I think. Someone sent him the coolest globe ever. T Shirts, hats have appeared to many other things to mention - all with one goal: Ease Jacob's Suffering. People have slipped us checks, paid more than what I asked for when selling a tent and then told us "we want to help."  (Thank you all for being a lavish Giver like Dad)

So many people, so many "Statues of God walking about in the Garden" as one theologian put it. You all remind me of my Abba. All of this also reminds me of this:

As it is, there are many parts, but one body

                                                          -Paul to the Corinthian Church

Each of you acting through the Spirit has been part of that body, that beautiful bride that our Jesus is madly in love with and no small wonder why he is. He's jealous for me, for you, for us.  

I want you to see in this post what I see.  The church is not a building. Christianity is not Religion.  It is the power of Jesus to transform you and I into what we were meant to be, a reflection of him and my friends you certianly do look and act like my Jesus.  

We will never ever be able to buy enough thank you cards for each of you who has prayed and acted on our behalf, so I wanted to give you all the highest compliment any person could get outside of a card.  You look like Jesus to me.

Glory, Honor, Strength and Power be to Jesus the One Who Was, Who Is and Is to Come.