S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G

From my original blog:
I don't remember the original publish date.
About a year ago?

S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G

The time I spent healing after my emergency open heart surgery was pretty rough.  Looking at my mangled chest was too.  But after some time (months) things got better.  Fast forward two years.  Most things on the outside look okay considering everything my skin went through.  I'm back at work and doing most of the things I did before, save heaving lifting.  For some reason I healed very slowly.  In all that time the thing that aggravated me most was when I woke up in the morning.  sore and stiff was the routine with every sunrise; and I couldn't do the one thing that everyone does when they first wake up...STRETCH.  Stretching brought immense pain to my chest.  Stretching my legs was okay, but the arms were a big NO.  Me being the stubborn, impatient person that I am naturally pushed the limit a little more each morning.  One morning, feeling pathetic thinking it would never happen again, there was a giant stretch!  You know the kind that makes your muscles feel so good leaving you with a smile on you face, wanting to burst into a chorus of "What a beautiful Morning?"  It's corny, I know.  But when you lose something simple like that and then find it again it is pretty awesome

There are times in our faith that parallels this.  Some unbelievable tragedy happens and we are left with a hemorrhaging heart.  God performs His open heart surgery to stop the bleeding but we are not left untouched.  There is a scar and a great amount of healing left to be done.  We try to have faith in Him but are left with so many questions and doubts.  God being the stubborn, infinitely patient being He is methodically pushes the limit of our faith a little more each day.  One day there is a giant stretch!  you know the kind that makes your soul feel so good leaving you with a smile on your face, wanting to burst out into a chorus of "Hallelujah."  It's corny, I know.  But when you are stretched to your limit, thinking your faith can't make anther move, that it's totally gone, and somehow it wells up inside of you filling you up until you burst.  At that moment whatever ugliness going on around you dims as He helps you stretch just a little bit more.

Like the student that spend the whole school year being pushed by the teacher, only to look back on the last day of school to say, "Wow!  Look at all I've learned."  The student then turns their gaze to the next year timid, but very anxious for it.  We know that with each year we are stretched the coming year seems a little less daunting.  That is my hope for those around the and those reading this.  My home is that every time you are stretched you not only see His hand in it all, but you realize that His tug on you is pulling you closer to Him. repost 11/14/13