No, No , No, It's Amazing Grace!
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
The comments I have received in the last week have been so encouraging, uplifting, loving, and kind. Thank you for taking time to write.
I am NOT an Amazing Woman. God is an Amazing God!
One comment disturbs me. It said “You are such an amazing woman of God.” Sweet Sister, thank you for your kind comment, but please know this is not true. I am not an amazing woman. God is an amazing God!
It is His grace that is amazing. I am a wretched woman He took from the pits and He is creating a work in me in spite of my rebellion. I have a looooong way to go. I have made many, many mistakes in my life. I’m ashamed at the times I have given Satan a foothold. I have walked in pride, judgment, and every sin imaginable. We all do because we are sinners.
I’m not trying to be humble. I don’t have to try. I am easily humbled by some of the sour fruit in my life. I fall so short. What I write here is encouragement for myself and others, in hopes that I grow and in hopes it will encourage others.
The only thing amazing here is that God can use anyone. It’s His amazing grace. When His grace is at work, we can shift our attention from our trials to Him. His grace puts the focus on His sufficiency.
It’s Easy to Have Faith When Things are Going Well.
It’s through the trials faith is needed. God said His grace is sufficient for every trial we will ever encounter. Because of His loving kindness we can withstand discouraging situations because we know He has a bigger and better plan.
The Bible is full of God preparing His servants in ways we don’t always understand. He prepared Joseph for seventeen years for His work in Egypt and He prepared Moses for eighty years before the forty years he led the people of Israel. David had many years of trials before he became King of Israel. Paul and the disciples went through shipwrecks, imprisonments, and beatings.
God is doing a work. I rejoice that God has allowed me these trials to develop a deeper intimacy with Him. The blood infusion I receive weekly makes me stronger physically, but more importantly the infusion of grace I receive spending time in the Word keeps me going spiritually.
My chains are gone, I’ve been set free. My God, my Savior has set me free–unending love, amazing grace.
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
Robin, I think that’s the thing.. When we have come through so many trials and tribulations, and the fruit of our lives shows JOY – people seem to think that it is WE who have this super faith.. but it’s not me, it’s the blessing of God. Brenda and I are having this kind of discussion on her HOW Community blog.. about whether it is where you’re at when the Spirit quickens within you that gives you the ability to walk the walk.. or.. if God leads you to the walk because of the place you were at when your Spirit was quickened.
I think both statements are true.. and NOTHING we do and NO WHERE we go is without God first sifting it through his fingers – God even allows us the freedom to have given Satan that foothold.. because down the line, He knew.. HE KNEW he would draw you out of it, and then you’d be able to share how He drew you out, and encourage others.
Yes Robin, You are an Amazing Woman, because the Amazing God Shines through the work He Has Done In YOU. Someone once used the analogy of a glove. When you first meet the Lord, it’s like wearing a big mitten – the presence of the Lord is there, inside you, but the details are not so evident. Later, as you grow in maturity, that glove becomes thin and tight, you’re FILLED with the presence of the Holy Spirit alive in you.. But the ultimate goal, is to be like one of those fingerless gloves, that the Father SHINES OUT THROUGH YOU for the testimony of your life to be evident to those around you.
Robin, you’re wearing a fingerless glove.
This is a re-posting from the health update post just before this one, because I wanted to make sure you saw this, Robin! http://heartofwisdom.com/blog/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif
Robin, I am a family physician and am horrified at what has been happening to you. You desperately need an endometrial ablation, in which the GYN “fries” the lining of your uterus (under general anesthesia) so that the tissue is killed and cannot grow, and therefore cannot bleed anymore. No more periods! And more importantly for you, no more hemorrhaging!
This procedure is very safe and very low-risk. The lining of the uterus that is “fried” is thin, but the thick muscle wall of the uterus is left intact, so there is almost no chance of going through and puncturing the uterus. The anesthesia is the risky part of the procedure, but for you it would obviously be worth it, and the GYN might be able to do it under a spinal or epidural, with less stress for your heart. Endometrial ablation would be tremendously safer for you than a hysterectomy, and you are back to your normal activities the next day. Very seldom does anyone even need any pain medicine afterwards.
So I strongly encourage you to call your GYN and demand that he do this for you. If ever there was a patient who needs this procedure, it is you! If he seems reluctant, or does not do this procedure fairly often(2-4 times a month or more) then ask for a referral to a GYN who does do this procedure. The thermal balloon ablation has a better success rate than the laser type, so I would go with it.
Please feel free to e-mail me at hsmomof3blessings@comcast.net if you would like. I wish I lived closer and could help intercede for you with the doctors there. You need a good family doctor or internist who is willing to look at and manage your whole health picture, rather than just “treat and street” as is so unfortunately common these days.
By the way, it makes me furious that your potassium level was not checked when you had those hours of excruciating leg cramps. These were an obvious sign of low potassium, which will kill you through heart rhythm disturbances if it gets severe enough. It sounds like you were getting dangerously close to this! And your suffering was COMPLETELY preventable, and should never have been allowed to happen. (BTW, it is rare for anyone’s potassium to get so low that they have agonizing muscle cramps and heart rate arrhythmias like you did, so they should have been suspicious up front that your leg cramps indicated a serious potassium deficiency!)
Oh, Robin! My heart aches for you. You need a friend or family member with a little bit of medical knowledge to stay with you at the hospital. But you need one who is not afraid to make a scene, even yelling in the hallway if needed to get an answer or get something done. The residents can ALWAYS call the attending physician at any hour of the night, but seldom do because it makes them look bad, but if they are forced to do so they will. Or at least an intern can be forced to call the resident who is supervising him/her, or the nurses can be forced to call the intern, if a family member or friend is screaming in the hallway that the patient is not getting the care she needs.
This is outside the comfort zone of proper behavior for most of us, but unfortunately is needed all too often for patients in the hospital, so get someone who is not afraid to make a scene on your behalf. I hate the shortcomings of our medical system also; it is tragically ironic that you had state-of-the-art angioplasty that saved your life one month, then nearly die the next for want of a potassium infusion!!!
Anyway, my prayers are with you. Do write me and I will give you my phone number and we can talk, if you would like. Take care!
Oh, how we ALL need His grace! I am so thankful that His lovingkindess is new EVERY morning…
Lamentations 3:19-24
Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have HOPE.
The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is your faithfulness!
Bless you, sweet Robin…
P*
Robin,
I just wanted to stop in and let you know that the prayers we have been saying are being heard. You are a testimony to what God can do when we surrender to Him completely….
Press on…in faith girlfriend…
You are faithful and you are real….clinging to the HOPE that is in HIM….
HUgs and praying that the peace that transcends ALL understanding COVER you….
lori
i too wish for a miracle for you. I pray for your healing.
Even my children are praying for you to be healed. Thank you for sharing your suffering. Thank you for sharing so much of your life even before your trials became so agonizing. Love in Christ, the Taylor family
this is great site! first time i have been here. bless you dear!
Post Post Reviews’s last blog post..The Quiver Family Blog
indeed God is gracious. i bless you and encourage you dear sister in Christ.
Robin, you are so dear. I, too, feel like a failure that God picked up out of the trash heap and miraculously saved by His amazing grace. God is so good. We are sooo blessed. Praise His holy name. You are such a dear friend. Kathleen
What a beautiful post. Robin, I love to read the comments on your posts because I have never seen on any other blog what you have here.
Your sweet readers truly love you! I have seen lovely comments on other’s blogs, to be sure, but not to the degree on this one.
You have taken the time through the years to educate us, inspire and encourage us and to share your life with us. Even recovering from your hospitalization ordeal, you teach and encourage us.
Thank you Robin. I pray Yahweh will soon heal you of your infirmities.
Still praying for you pretty lady! Hope that you are able to stop the weekly transfusions soon and that God heals you thoroughly. Much love!
Angela’s last blog post..The Power of Now: What the Bible Says, Part 1
Hi Robin, I am new to this site and appreciate your heart to share and encourage the Body of Christ. As I read your articles and comments one thing stands out to me, it seems that everyone is waiting for God to heal you, even you. The reality of the scriptures is that you are already healed. By His stripes you were healed. God already healed you, it is part of the salvation package. I would encourage you to stop relating yourself to the woman with the issue of blood and start relating yourself to Jesus the one with the power and authority to heal. We have been given that same power and authority by faith in His Name. Take authority over that sickness in the Name of Jesus and once and for all receive your healing. Then stop talking the problem and let only praises and thanksgiving that you are healed come from your mouth. Speak the truth, that you are already healed, and the truth will set you free. We are not the sick trying to get healed, we are the healed. You are healed precious woman of the Most High God. See yourself healed. By His stripes you were.