Stove-up

by Macy Johnson

“My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.”

(Psalm 73:26 NIV)

 

I chatted with a friend after playing Bridge one afternoon. She told me her daughter had visited and helped with chores around her house. Thankful for the encouragement after her accident, my friend graciously was able to back away from opportunities to physically move and stay active. Unfortunately, as a result, she was stove-up. The dear friend standing before me struggled to move, even to take simple steps.   

Love's Power

 by Macy Johnson

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity,

but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

(2 Timothy 1:7 NIV)

 

I asked my daughter to complete a “Grandparent Medical Consent” form. We planned to take our granddaughter camping with us and I wanted to be prepared for any potential emergency. I never dreamed I would be the one rushed to the hospital.

Out of the Blue

by Macy Johnson

“At this, she (Mary) turned around

and saw Jesus standing there,

but she did not realize that it was Jesus.”

(John 20:14 NIV)

 

I recently traded my ten-year-old Toyota for a two-year-old Chevrolet. I enjoyed driving the same model many years ago and am thrilled with my “new” one. It was on our bucket list and the timing was right.

Medical Emergency

 by Macy Johnson

“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,

for in you my soul takes refuge.

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings

until the disaster has passed.”

(Psalm 57:1 NIV)

 

I woke up Monday morning in the campground with cramps in my abdomen. My inflamed appendix did not put a damper on my day with my husband and granddaughter. We kayaked and swam on Clarks Hill Lake. I woke up at midnight in pain. We arrived at the emergency room near my home at 3 am, and I was transported six hours later to a hospital ninety minutes away. My thoughts were, “Lord, if it is your will, please help me get through this.”

New Life

by Macy Johnson

“There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies;

but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind,

and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another.”

(1 Corinthians 15:40 NIV)

 

A fuzzy caterpillar crossed my path one morning. Later in my walk, a butterfly landed on my shoulder. God doubly reminded me of the passage I had read that morning during my devotions. Paul told the new church about the resurrection of the dead in the book of 1 Corinthians. New life springs from death, like a tree grows from a single seed.

The Habit of Worship

by Macy Johnson

“All the angels were standing around the throne

and around the elders and the four living creatures.

They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God.”

(Revelation 7:11 NIV)

 

A young woman climbed on board a train and sat next to an elderly woman. “Where are you going?” she asked. I tossed that visual in my mind for several minutes before I asked myself the same question, “Where am I going? Where is the Holy Spirit leading me?”

My Cup

 by Macy Johnson

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

(Psalm 23:5 NIV)

 

“Nana, what does that mean?” my granddaughter asked as she pointed to the imprinting across my green shirt. “My cup runneth over means I have more than enough. God blesses me with more than I want.” I replied. “It is from the Psalm about a shepherd who provides for his sheep.”