Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Acceptance and Resignation

'My peace I give you...Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.' JOHN 14:27

Jesus says to us: 'My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.'

The peace Jesus gives is like a magical blanket that wraps around you silencing every unkind word, soothing every out-of joint emotion. This peace comes from knowing you're God's child - that's right God who controls the universe, loves you and always has your best interests at heart. That's why people who've lost everything will often tell you they wouldn't go back because of how precious that peace has become to them.

Joni Erikson Tada discovered this supernatural peace when an accident paralysed her from the neck down, and Corrie Ten Boom found it in a Nazi death camp.

Missionary Elisabeth Elliot found it ministering to the primitive Amazon tribe who'd killed her husband. She wrote, 'Only in acceptance lies peace...not in resignation.' There's a big difference between those two words!

Writer Creath Davis points out that: 'Resignation is surrender to fate; Acceptance is surrender to God. Resignation lies down quietly in an empty universe; Acceptance rises up to meet the God who fills that universe with purpose and destiny. Resignation says, 'I can't'; Acceptance says, 'God can.' Resignation says, 'It's all over for me'; Acceptance says, 'Now that I'm here, what's next, Lord?' Resignation says, 'I'm alone'; Acceptance says, 'I belong to you, Lord.'

A better day?

Today is a better day.

I have pottered around, tidying up. I have spoken to my parents on the phone, to lovely Annilee on the phone, I have thought about the Visit to the Welsh Lands, which I am *so* looking forward to. I've phoned ahead to the ASDA there to tell them to double their Jaffa Cake order for those few days, although apparently there are other supermarkets should we consume everything of a orangey chocolately nature in that particular one.

I have stopped, looked for my sense of peace about the actions of others, found it, and moved on.

The next post is why.

And again....

Again I have slept through the Star Wars IV film. The first one, which stopped being the first one a few years ago.

I've slept through so many films, snuggled up to Rich, warm, safe and loved.

Tonight it was Charlie-Paul though, so I wasn't snuggled up!

Tired though, so going to bed, hopefully to sleep more than 3 hours. A girl can hope...

Rich and I tried to watch a Star Wars film once, and I went to sleep, and got cold. I woke up to find he'd taken his jumper and wrapped it over me, to keep me warm. That's the kind of thing that made me really start to love him, that kind of love and care and consideration for the feelings of others, and the way he thought about my needs.

He's amazing, and I love him.

And I *know* he's not coming home, but I can still wish he would.