My Cup Runs Over

Sunday was a challenging day. Insomnia decided to come for a visit. Sometime after 2 a.m., I fell into a restless slumber. I was awaken multiple times with fevers, night sweats and shaking chills. At 5 a.m., I was awaken by vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps. I tried not to be despaired and tried to be passive, letting the GI flare-up run its course. I was a bummed because it was Sunday morning. I patiently wait each week for Sunday. It is the day I go to church. I love to hear the Word of God and see all the friendly folks at church. The encouragement and joy I experience at church helps renew my strength and recharges me for another week ahead.

Now that I was in the grips of a GI flare, I had a brief conversation with God. "Ok, Lord. You know the desires of my heart. You know I need to feel better soon or I will not be able to go to church." In His abundant grace, at the time I needed to get ready to leave for church, my intense GI symptoms disappeared. I was so grateful for I knew, although I was weak with fatigue and dehydration, I could endure the adventure to church.

When I got to church, the Pastor (as he often does), took control of my wheelchair and whisked me into the sanctuary. This saves me a tremendous amount of energy. Instantly, the music in the church overwhelmed my senses. I started getting lost in worshipping God and being grateful for Jesus' blood which takes away the sin of the world. (I also had to chuckle a bit. One song talked about Jesus' blood washing me clean. I deeply love that Jesus' blood washes away my sins to allow me to stand blameless before God in the time of judgment. But I thought, oh, how I could really use a shower! If only Jesus' blood could actually wash me and make my dirty hair look clean. I still was fighting through a fever, was sweaty and felt quite "gross" in the overall state of my appearance.) Today, the Pastor preached on Psalm 23, specifically, on the last sentence of verse 5, "my cup runs over". As Pastor was going through Scripture, emphasizing all the ways God's love and mercy is abundant, I could not help but be grateful for being able to attend service and thinking about all the ways God richly blesses me. He gives me more than I need.

When it was time to go home, my friend Michelle pushed me out to the parking lot and loaded up my wheelchair into the van. She gave me a hug and told me how pretty I looked today. She also told me how good I looked and that I must be having a really good health day. Upon hearing these words, my heart swelled with joy and gratitude. I had asked God to get me well enough to attend church. He decided to overflow my cup--He gave me the health to get to church and clothed me in an appearance of good health. (I think God was also humoring me. "See, my cynical child, my Son Jesus' blood does wash you clean! No one noticed you have not showered. Please, dirty hair is nothing. I do much greater miracles all the time.") I was so joyful that my outward appearance matched the joy I was feeling on the inside--the joy to be out of bed, the joy to be at church, the joy to see so many people I love. This love and joy carried me home and will continue to carry me through the days and weeks ahead. I was tremendously grateful to have been able to enjoy a grand adventure to church and was overwhelmed (almost to tears) at having been the recipient of God's great overflowing grace.

Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.