Psalm 41 in My Dreams (INTEGRITY)

Wednesday night as I was sleeping, I had a very vivid dream about Psalm 41. I must say I never recall specifically dreaming about a certain Scripture. In the dream, I was trying to get men to read Psalm 41. Interestingly enough, I had told a friend of mine earlier in the week that in an upcoming men's praise gathering, I sensed the Lord wanted our focus to be on "integrity".

Well, when I awoke on Thursday morning, I looked up Psalm 41, because I had no idea what the Scripture had to say, only that I had dreamed about the Scripture reference -- Psalm 41. Wouldn't you know one of the final verses, verse 12 says:

"You defend my INTEGRITY, and set me in Your presence forever."

God is good. And other than sharing Psalm 41 with you, as a friend of mine often says, "I have no words..." (Yep, I'm speechless with amazement.)

Psalm 41 GW

For the choir director; a psalm by David.

1 Blessed is the one who has concern for helpless people.
    The Lord will rescue him in times of trouble.
2     The Lord will protect him and keep him alive.
        He will be blessed in the land.
            Do not place him at the mercy of his enemies.
3     The Lord will support him on his sickbed.
        You will restore this person to health when he is ill.

4 I said, “O Lord, have pity on me!
    Heal my soul because I have sinned against you.”
5 My enemies say terrible things about me:
    “When will he die, and when will his family name disappear?”
6 When one of them comes to visit me, he speaks foolishly.
    His heart collects gossip.
        Then he leaves to tell others.
7 Everyone who hates me whispers about me.
They think evil things about me and say,
8     “A devilish disease has attached itself to him.
    He will never leave his sickbed.”
9 Even my closest friend whom I trusted,
    the one who ate my bread,
        has lifted his heel against me.
10 Have pity on me, O Lord!
Raise me up so that I can pay them back
11     and my enemy cannot shout in triumph over me.
        When you do this, I know that you are pleased with me.
12 You defend my INTEGRITY,
    and you set me in your presence forever.

            13 Thank the Lord God of Israel through all eternity!

                                Amen and amen! 

Give away your life... to His Presence Forever!

Grateful  

Volume 17: "Christmases Past"

Well, let me assure you that my Holy Days reflection time has been enhanced these past few days during December of 2013. As I sit in the hospital beside my sleeping Dad, Captain Billy, my heart is strangely warmed.

One day ago we learned that my Dad has non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Yes, cancer. He has a golfball-sized tumor at the base of his spine and chemotherapy begins this evening. Surely, Dad is very tender in his spirit, but has inner peace that is even more undeniable. He also has a deep joy that even the devil or cancer cannot put the brakes on.

In other words, "ALL IS WELL! GO AND TELL! EMMANUEL -- GOD IS WITH US AND WITHIN US!" Dad wins either way.

Spending these quiet days of waiting alongside my Dad has increased my memory. When it comes to "What I Miss Most About Christmases Past", I must admit, today especially, it's not about "WHAT I MISS MOST" but about "WHO I MISS MOST!" This will not be a surprise to most of my readers, but I really miss my grandparents. Their presence was such a comfort to my mind and such a refreshment to my soul while they were still here on Planet Earth.

My Dad thinks I look like his Dad, my Granddaddy, Captain Gray. Sometimes when I wear a cap in Dad's presence, he cries and often with trembling lips tenderly tells me, "You look so much like my dad." Resembling my Granddady Gray touches me deeply, because my Granddaddy Gray was a hero in my life. I named my only son after him.

At Granddaddy Gray's funeral in 1974, men told me that if I grew up to be half the man that Gray Willis was, I'd be a wonderful man. His integrity was on illustration to one and all.

So you guessed it. I especially miss my Granddaddy Gray at Christmastime. He was a quiet, humorous, and pleasant man. If he was in the room, everyone gravitated to him. When he left the room, everyone knew there was a sudden loss to the conversation, but especially a loss to the atmosphere, because he was a man of subtle but certain presence.

I remember one Christmas when my Granny gift-wrapped him a new CB radio for his shrimp trawler communication. After he opened it, she went over and passionately kissed my shy Granddaddy in front of the whole family. She laughed wondrously as he blushed almost to tears. We have a photo of that beautiful exchange.

I also recall the first Christmas after my granddaddy had passed on to Heaven. It was December 1974. My Dad (who surely is his mother's son) who had therefore always been the life of our parties, especially our Christmas get-togethers, was on this particular Chrostmas so broken-hearted that he could hardly get through the Holy Day season. The loss of his beloved Father was unfamiliar territory for his soul to travel. We all suffered with him. We all missed Granddaddy, a sanctuary of the the Presence of Holy God, but Dad was without doubt the most broken-hearted.    

As much as I miss Granddaddy Gray at Christmastime, I am still presently grateful that I still have my own Dad. Yes, he's seen better days, physically, but with each passing Christmas Season our whole family gets closer to our goal -- a grand reunion day with our loved ones and celebrating Christmas with the One called Wonderful, Jesus Himself. What a day that will be. He'll be waiting for our coming. Yes, both my Granddaddy Gray and our Lord Jesus.

Prayers deeply appreciated. You can find "US" right in the middle of J"US"T TR"US"TING!

Grateful

What I Want (Deo Volente)

Lord help me to live with little, even no pretense...

I want integrity through and through...

Let me be characterized by unconditional love and loyalty to You, my God, and to my family, and to my friends...

I want to live with invisible faith proven by my visible actions and responses to whatever life throws my way...

Let me be loved, appreciated and respected most by the one who calls me "husband" and the ones who call me "daddy"...

I long to be real and vulnerable in the midst of uncertain times...

Always trusting You, my God, when it seems You are silent...

Let "Deo Volente -- Whatever God Wants" -- be the cry of my heart.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

Grateful