Wanda's Wacky Wonderful World

Reading through the Old Testament each year makes me grateful I was born in this dispensation of Grace. I often feel sorry for the prophets whose lives were directed by God as analogies of His impending judgment upon Israel. However, lately, I have wondered if God may be directing my life as an analogy as well. Recently, at a private retreat - I was doing water aerobics - trying to be healthy and take care of my body. I was feeling good about my commitment to start each day with exercise. I didn’t realize how close to the pool’s edge I had drifted until the cement steps and my right foot connected! I knew by the excruciating pain and the audible crunch, that something was broken! After accessing the situation, I thought, “Thank God it wasn’t one of my important toes!” I felt like it could have been worse - because it wasn’t my big toe - or even my pinky toe... it was the "this little piggy had roast beef" toe. However, the pain from that insignificant broke...

Lamentations 3:21-23 has always been in my Top Ten Favorite scripture passages.  When I read this chapter yesterday in my Daily reading... I heard Jeremiah speaking to me directly! For the first time, I realized just how amazing these three verses are, when you understand the full setting of the entire passage.  Jeremiah laments for 20 verses about his present situation. He is experiencing horrid affliction; he is in a very dark place at this point in his life spiritually and physically.  He believes that God's hand has turned against him; he has multiple broken bones; he's been walled in by bitterness, pain and sorrow as well as literal stone walls; he feels like everyone has ganged up on him - including God; he's bound with heavy chains and shackles; God has obviously shut out his cries and prayers - literally locked him up and thrown away the key; he feels like he's been tracked down and attacked- by God! Like a bear or a lion - he's been mauled and rip...