Children, dedicated to the Lord

There is still no word from anyone regarding Daniel's case. I didn't expect any word over the weekend, but several friends contacted me to say that God had awakened them during the night or early this morning to pray for Daniel. A friend from church sensed that too, and she prayed a prayer for him this morning in church as heart felt as if it had been me: myself. Several other people have shared our prayer request in their blogs and I am so humbly grateful to know that hundreds of people I don't know and a few that I do, are lifting up my sweet son and our waiting family, before the throne. THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As I sang "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" this morning in worship, I knew so very well, that was exactly where I was leaning and where I had placed Baby Daniel. Many contemporary songs are perhaps "more fun" to sing than some of the classic hymns ,but in my spirit, when I need a musical boost, a lot of the time God will minister that boost to me through hymns. To remind me that He has gifted many new musicians, God also impressed upon my heart that I lead "Awesome God", "I Will Rise" and "Blessed Be Your Name" which NEVER fails to minister to me. The words to that whole song, but so often the chorus "...my heart will choose to say 'Lord blessed be Your Name'" have come to be a frequent prayer/praise/committment hymn to remind me of God's never EVER failing love and that I DO choose how I will respond to Him in and through all of life's circumstances. I've mentiond it here several times. My Mamma heart -cry situation for Daniel is no different. I can choose to stand on God's promises and know He loves Daniel way more than I ever could, and in that, to know that God is God to Daniel whether I SEE HIM DOING IT OR NOT. AS I trust God for my two sons who are both in Iraq right now, and I pray for Daniel, one truth is certain. Either I truly meant it when I dedicated those boys to the Lord when I was pregnant with them, and again publically after they were born, and repeatedly as they grew up, and I know that God's plan is in action for their lives, that I have meant every prayer I have prayed over Daniel in dedicating his life to the Lord and his future to God's glory, or I need to retract those earlier prayers and feel free to worry about my sons in a war zone and fret about all the "what-ifs". I can continue to trust God for Daniel's health and future or I can ask y'all to pray so I can go around fretting about him. I can tell you : God has brought me too far and done far too much in my life and in the lives of my children for me to back step into worry and fearing! (for very long any how. ) God lifts me up and reminds me very quickly that He "has not given us (inserting ME: Linda) a spirit of fear, but of power, and love and a sound mind "( 2 Tim 1:7)
To remind me how He answers prayer, God blessed me with a wonderful sight this morning. Today was a Sunday to celebrate Communion, and our elders organized the celebration a bit differently than we usually observe so rather than being served the elements while sitting in place, we were called to the front. Our elders served each person, reminding us of Jesus' body broken for us and His blood shed for each one of us. WHAT A BLESSING to watch my children filing up, one after another, to receive their own Communion! Having prayed with each of them when they asked the Lord to come into their lives, and forgive their sins, and make them new creatures, this precious sight filled my heart with such joy! Adding an extra tier to my joy was that Hannah and Jon had Blake and Mady with them and they too were able to partake for themselves...... a new generation of believers being raised up to love and serve Jesus! As I thought about these children, teens, yong adults, the words of another old hymn of committment stirred in my heart for my children and grandchildren. "Here's my heart oh take and seal it Seal it for Thy courts above"
Does your heart belong to Almighty God? Is it sealed for eternity, is your trust in God alone? Do you know Jesus as you personal savior? Have you asked Him to forgive your sin? Do you posess the perfect peace He promsies when you've given your life to Him? Are you sharing that perfect peace with others? If you are not sure, PLEASE ask me what I'm talking about? I'd love to pray with you, show you how you can be sure or how you can share with others what God has given to you!