Obtaining Mercy

November 21, 2010

Yesterday I was Thankful…

…for the kindness of strangers.

 

Last night I had the privilege to interpret the sermon at church for the deaf ministry. 

Please don't be under the assumption that I am a great interpreter…or even an adequate one.  That is simply not the case.

I did do interpretting in my church for about 1 year, but that was over 10 years ago!

Now I am in a different church, and our regular interpreter, Christine IS a great interpreter.  In fact, she is absolutely brilliant, if you ask me!

About 2 months ago, I felt the Lord impressing me to begin sitting in the deaf section and brushing up on my sign language.  I couldn't believe how "rusty" I was at reading it, and even more "rusty" at signing it. 

It is amazing what you can forget in 10 years' time – particularly when you became a first-time adoptive parent to a special needs child during those years. 

 

(You know, I'm a firm believer that after a certain age, when I learn something "new", it pushes out something "old"!!!)

So after a few weeks of waking my brain up, and reminding it that it did indeed know an entirely different language at another point in time, I am "reading" the signs a bit easier and "seeing" the signs in my brain as I hear the words spoken.  (If you've ever learned a second language, you know what I mean.)

Recently, our main interpreter informed me that she needed to be gone for a service and so she needed to see me sign a sermon.  That was 2 weeks ago, and believe me, it was not pretty.  She had to repeatedly give me a sign that I couldn't remember, and to periodically take over the signing to get me "caught up" with our preacher (who preaches at the speed of a machine gun, God bless him!!! 😉

Yesterday, I learned that I needed to interpret for the evening service and that Christine would not be there at all.

I determined not to panic, and prayed (really! a lot!) as the time approached for the service to start.

Then, just before the service,  it was pointed out to me that we had a visitor in the deaf section.  Good heavens!!!  I felt my stomach hit the floor and my blood pressure hit the ceiling.

As I sat down to sign, I made eye contact with our the 2 young deaf men, cried out to God for help, and began to interpret.

Imagine my delight when, as I spelled out the word for which I did not know a sign, this visitor signed the word to me!!!  Then he gave me a smile and a nod as I repeated the sign back to him!

The three of us (our regularly-attending deaf member included) worked in tandem throughout the sermon.  If I didn't know the sign, I spelled it, and they signed it back to me.

Wasn't that kind?  A perfect stranger went out of his way to help me, to encourage me, to allow me to use his language properly.  It was wonderful!

It is so often overlooked, but so often a tremendous blessing, when we are the recipients of a stranger's kindness.

November 21, 2010

Yesterday I was Thankful…

…for the kindness of strangers.

 

Last night I had the privilege to interpret the sermon at church for the deaf ministry. 

Please don't be under the assumption that I am a great interpreter…or even an adequate one.  That is simply not the case.

I did do interpretting in my church for about 1 year, but that was over 10 years ago!

Now I am in a different church, and our regular interpreter, Christine IS a great interpreter.  In fact, she is absolutely brilliant, if you ask me!

About 2 months ago, I felt the Lord impressing me to begin sitting in the deaf section and brushing up on my sign language.  I couldn't believe how "rusty" I was at reading it, and even more "rusty" at signing it. 

It is amazing what you can forget in 10 years' time – particularly when you became a first-time adoptive parent to a special needs child during those years. 

 

(You know, I'm a firm believer that after a certain age, when I learn something "new", it pushes out something "old"!!!)

So after a few weeks of waking my brain up, and reminding it that it did indeed know an entirely different language at another point in time, I am "reading" the signs a bit easier and "seeing" the signs in my brain as I hear the words spoken.  (If you've ever learned a second language, you know what I mean.)

Recently, our main interpreter informed me that she needed to be gone for a service and so she needed to see me sign a sermon.  That was 2 weeks ago, and believe me, it was not pretty.  She had to repeatedly give me a sign that I couldn't remember, and to periodically take over the signing to get me "caught up" with our preacher (who preaches at the speed of a machine gun, God bless him!!! 😉

Yesterday, I learned that I needed to interpret for the evening service and that Christine would not be there at all.

I determined not to panic, and prayed (really! a lot!) as the time approached for the service to start.

Then, just before the service,  it was pointed out to me that we had a visitor in the deaf section.  Good heavens!!!  I felt my stomach hit the floor and my blood pressure hit the ceiling.

As I sat down to sign, I made eye contact with our the 2 young deaf men, cried out to God for help, and began to interpret.

Imagine my delight when, as I spelled out the word for which I did not know a sign, this visitor signed the word to me!!!  Then he gave me a smile and a nod as I repeated the sign back to him!

The three of us (our regularly-attending deaf member included) worked in tandem throughout the sermon.  If I didn't know the sign, I spelled it, and they signed it back to me.

Wasn't that kind?  A perfect stranger went out of his way to help me, to encourage me, to allow me to use his language properly.  It was wonderful!

It is so often overlooked, but so often a tremendous blessing, when we are the recipients of a stranger's kindness.

November 20, 2010

Today I am Thankful…

…for Laughter.

 

Psalm 126:2 – Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.

Proverbs 15:13 – A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Laughter is so good for us. 

Smiling is contagious. 

A joyful spirit shares itself to others. 

Our bodies were not meant to be sorrowful all the time.  Physically, we begin to break down when our hearts are full of grief with no happiness to release the stress and tension.

You may find this video a little bit strange, but I thought it was very interesting.*

 

 

(*Disclaimer:  I am not advocating this type of activity, but am merely acknowledging that even those who do not know what God says about joy are attempting to use laughter as a means of finding inner peace.)

 

There are days that we feel like we may never laugh again; and sometimes, we feel that if we do laugh, it is somehow disrespectful to those around us who are hurting.

However, pain and sorrow cannot be our continual companions.  We must allow God's joy to fill us again, when our sorrowing is past.

Psalm 126:5-6 – They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

November 20, 2010

Today I am Thankful…

…for Laughter.

 

Psalm 126:2 – Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.

Proverbs 15:13 – A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Laughter is so good for us. 

Smiling is contagious. 

A joyful spirit shares itself to others. 

Our bodies were not meant to be sorrowful all the time.  Physically, we begin to break down when our hearts are full of grief with no happiness to release the stress and tension.

You may find this video a little bit strange, but I thought it was very interesting.*

 

 

(*Disclaimer:  I am not advocating this type of activity, but am merely acknowledging that even those who do not know what God says about joy are attempting to use laughter as a means of finding inner peace.)

 

There are days that we feel like we may never laugh again; and sometimes, we feel that if we do laugh, it is somehow disrespectful to those around us who are hurting.

However, pain and sorrow cannot be our continual companions.  We must allow God's joy to fill us again, when our sorrowing is past.

Psalm 126:5-6 – They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

November 19, 2010

Today I am Thankful…

…for missionaries.

 

Matthew 28:18-20 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

 

There are many missionaries that I have met over the years, and I thank God for their sacrificial lives of service to the work of Christ.

They are living out the Scripture in a way that some of us never surrender to do.

Our precious missionary friends, the Goungampos, visited our church this week.  They are missionaries to their home country of Togo, West Africa.  Bro. Emmanuel and Sister Bella were both saved in their villages in Africa, then God led them to each other, and eventually to our college here in Florida.

We got to know them on a more personal level when they lived with our friends, Bro. Homer and Sister Patricia in Brevard county, where we also lived at that time. 

In fact, when we had Isaac's "baby" shower after his placement with us (at 18 months), the Goungampo's youngest child, Galan, was the real "baby" who was passed from lap to lap by all the ladies of the church during the shower! :)  It is such a special memory for me that Bella and the children were there for that fun time!

Here are some pictures of their visit with Bro. Homer and Patricia, and also a couple that Doug was able to get this week, when they dropped in at his workplace.

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What precious friends these dear one are to us!  We are thankful for their life of sacrifice and service to the Lord.  We are grateful that our church can support the work they are doing in their home country of Togo.  Since they returned to their country, 6 years and 8 months ago, Bro. Goungampo reports over 15,000 souls have come to Christ, and 7 churches have been planted!  Amazing, isn't it?

I would be remiss if I did not also mention my precious friend, Laura, who is also a missionary.  She and her husband Jerry are tent-making missionaries in the country of Japan.  I was so amazingly blessed to get to meet Laura in "real life" last December!  What a sweet time of fellowship we had! 

Please pray for Laura, as she is facing some health issues at this time.  I know she would appreciate your prayers for her good health as she and Jerry minister in Japan.

I encourage you to pray for your church's missionaries faithfully.  I also challenge you to get to know them personally, when they stop by your church to visit.  Your life will be incredibly enriched by your friendship with them.

 

November 19, 2010

Today I am Thankful…

…for missionaries.

 

Matthew 28:18-20 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

 

There are many missionaries that I have met over the years, and I thank God for their sacrificial lives of service to the work of Christ.

They are living out the Scripture in a way that some of us never surrender to do.

Our precious missionary friends, the Goungampos, visited our church this week.  They are missionaries to their home country of Togo, West Africa.  Bro. Emmanuel and Sister Bella were both saved in their villages in Africa, then God led them to each other, and eventually to our college here in Florida.

We got to know them on a more personal level when they lived with our friends, Bro. Homer and Sister Patricia in Brevard county, where we also lived at that time. 

In fact, when we had Isaac's "baby" shower after his placement with us (at 18 months), the Goungampo's youngest child, Galan, was the real "baby" who was passed from lap to lap by all the ladies of the church during the shower! :)  It is such a special memory for me that Bella and the children were there for that fun time!

Here are some pictures of their visit with Bro. Homer and Patricia, and also a couple that Doug was able to get this week, when they dropped in at his workplace.

***

***

***

***

What precious friends these dear one are to us!  We are thankful for their life of sacrifice and service to the Lord.  We are grateful that our church can support the work they are doing in their home country of Togo.  Since they returned to their country, 6 years and 8 months ago, Bro. Goungampo reports over 15,000 souls have come to Christ, and 7 churches have been planted!  Amazing, isn't it?

I would be remiss if I did not also mention my precious friend, Laura, who is also a missionary.  She and her husband Jerry are tent-making missionaries in the country of Japan.  I was so amazingly blessed to get to meet Laura in "real life" last December!  What a sweet time of fellowship we had! 

Please pray for Laura, as she is facing some health issues at this time.  I know she would appreciate your prayers for her good health as she and Jerry minister in Japan.

I encourage you to pray for your church's missionaries faithfully.  I also challenge you to get to know them personally, when they stop by your church to visit.  Your life will be incredibly enriched by your friendship with them.

 

November 18, 2010

Today I am Thankful…

…for God's comfort.

 

I realize that I am a day late with this post, but I did want to include it.  Yesterday was a hard day for me.  I couldn't really put my finger on it, but something was bothering me.

This morning, I realized that I had thought about my precious late friend Gail quite often this past week.  I guess because I celebrated a birthday, and because there were some other little, unimportant, everyday life things that I wanted to share with her.

But I couldn't.  She's no longer here.  So I am experiencing again the loss of my friend.

I spent time in the Word yesterday, took a nap, read 3 (small) books, talked with my hubby, hugged my son, laughed with Isaac's caregiver and went to bed.

At some point between last night and this morning, I realized that God's comfort can come in the smallest, most mundane ways. 

Yesterday was a comfort day.  The demands were small, the routine was reassuring and I had time to breathe and think and rest.

Psalm 71:20-21 – Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

He is a God of comfort, and I am very thankful!