Day 101 - September 24 - Midnight Oil
Briefly. Connor's bleeding from his trach has seemingly stopped, and the procedures to swap out his trach etc. went much better than he had expected, so there are two answers to prayer. I was particularly blessed tonight to spend some really good time with each of my kids in turn - first with Connor, watching movies, reading together, talking about the T-words and praying; then from 10:45 or so to midnight chatting with Joélle, which explains why I am burning the midnight oil to blog something up.
I wanted to take a second to say thanks to all you who posted today - your words were a particular encouragement to me. I'm glad somebody's ready for "X"! Extra points for all words that actually begin with "X" instead of just sounding like they do... 8-)
It warms my heart to hear of how people's perceptions of God are expanding through this - I honestly believe that God is so much more than I can imagine, and more capable even than I want Him to be. In fact, a god who isn't like that, in my mind at least, isn't a god at all. As far as I can tell from the scripture, God commands us to bring our requests to Him as our Father, and no father gets angry with his children for doing what he tells them to do. I never worry that God might get upset with me about that - He has every right to be angry with me for other reasons than what I ask for, and only His grace and the righteousness of Jesus avert that from me.
That's why I would not use words like "what I expect from God" or "what I deserve from God". I don't deserve or expect anything. God desires us to be in relationship with Him, not in a hierarchy. Hierarchies are where you find things like expectations - relationships transcend that into a sense of expectancy. What I mean is that if you have a friend, and that friend starts "expecting" you to act a certain way, or do (or not do) certain things, then your friendship is devolving into an institution rather than a relationship. Friends don't have expectations of each other - instead they expectantly look forward to being in each other's company; they have a sense of expectancy about the relationship.
I'm not explaining it well, but I believe God desires us to live in our relationship with Him, rather than fulfill a role built from His "expectations" of us and ours of Him. He is living and loves us - and as soon as we start institutionalizing our connection to Him, it ceases to be that relationship. So, when I go before my God with my request for 100% restoration, I do that because it's my heart's desire, and God wants me to do so. I don't do it because I expect Him to perform to my requirements (which would be pretty silly anyway).
I'll tell you how I see my boy in my mind's eye, right this minute - I see him walking up the walk to the door of his house, and stooping down to pick up his children and tossing them in the air while his wife looks on from the doorway. No, he doesn't (currently) have a wife or children - but I believe this will happen someday.
Am I crazy? I don't think so, although you would probably be better served to ask someone besides me! Do I have an unrealistic concept of God my Father? Again, I don't think so - He is able to do more than I can ask or even imagine. Am I demonstrating inordinate chutzpah by asking for Connor's complete restoration? No. I am boldly approaching the throne of grace as an heir of God and fellow heir with Christ. Will I accept less than a complete restoration for Connor? Yes, as soon as I perceive that God is telling me "No". Until then, or until Connor walks again, I'll keep asking.
Isn't that much more difficult than just saying "this must be Your will for us, Lord" and packing it up? Of course it is. But it's all I can find that's consistent with the Bible, and it's the only thing I can do to help my son. Would you give up?
Tomorrow, 9/25/08, is "U". We have two words for you tonight - Connor wants to praise God for being Unchanging, and I want to praise Him for being Unfathomable. If there is one thing I'm glad for right now, it is that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. And if there's one thing I know from firsthand experience about God, it's that we cannot figure Him out. He is both unchanging and unfathomable. Praise the Lord!
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posted by Eric Williamson @ 12:08 AM
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UNITY- a relation of all the parts or elements of a work constituting a harmonious whole and producing a single general effect.
He is our Unifier,He brings us all together as one body creating a harmonious whole producing a single general effect. That single thing is bringing glory to the Father.
I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!
For me it was in the garden
He prayed: “Not My will, but Thine.”
He had no tears for His own griefs,
But sweat drops of blood for mine.
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!
In pity angels beheld Him,
And came from the world of light
To comfort Him in the sorrows
He bore for my soul that night.
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!
He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone.
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!
When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
’Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me.
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!
Be blessed today and know that the desires of your heart are ours as well. We all need a prayer warriors who loves us so much that they continually pray no matter what. Remember those "Side Arms"? Love you,
Martha in Fl.
Amen to that, Eric!!! (All of it, in case you were wondering what I was "amening.") Somewhere round about week 2ish (cuz you know..."2ish" is a word), you had cried out to God that He would increase your faith. Well, I have seen tremendous growth in your faith over the course of the past 3 1/2 months. And I'm certain Connor's has increased, as well. You all encourage me so much with how you persevere in praising God amidst the challenges and burdens you experience day-to-day. God has not only increased your faith, but He's set in each of you a heart that yearns for ever more closeness with Him, and minds that seek to understand Him even while the circumstance confounds. And God is faithful! He will continue to work in you (in all of us) til the day of completion.
"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil. 1:3-6
The word it makes me think of is:
UNFALTERING
abiding, enduring, firm, never-failing, steadfast
He will never let you go. He will never leave you nor forsake you. You are His children and He loves you. Amen to THAT!
God is good...ALL THE TIME!
In Christ,
Jenann
our shelter from the storm....our UMBRELLA!
Under Control and Understanding
I am praying for you stoday!
Uncontainable! He is everywhere, all the time! He knows everything, and he IS everything.
Connor, you inspire me day after day....keep up the good fight!
Lisa from Gilroy
Ultimate is my U word for today, and my daughter's words are Uncontainable and Unstoppable (I couldn't help but post both of her words!).
Praise the Lord -- Indeed! Thank you for your words of faith and wisdom Eric. I too see how our God has been building your faith as mentioned previously; not only your faith but many of us who are traveling this journey alongside you and your family. May Connor be continually blessed today and may our Lord continue to heal and restore his body 100% Amen.
Thank you for sharing your heart Eric.
Our God is so amazing,
He is UNIQUE...there is nothing that compares to Him,.... without a like or equal....
Keep asking, seeking, knocking! Praying for restoration for you all.
"For with God nothing shall be impossible" Luke 1:37
In His Grace,
Kathy C, MH
un·der·gird
1. to strengthen; secure, as by passing a rope or chain under and around: to undergird a top-heavy load.
2. to give fundamental support; provide with a sound or secure basis:
He is our rope or chain that secures our burdens and helps us carry them.
Lord thank you for undergirding the Williamson's as they carry this burden. We praise you and thank you for your work in their lives. Father we pray that you would restore Connor.
In HIS Grip,
Ben & Karon Lee
Hey Williamsons,
A couple of days ago (or so) I was reading the blog (a daily habit which leads to prayer for your family). Eric wrote something like "I believe God will restore my son, but even if He doesn't, we will praise Him."
I know that I don't have Eric's words down exactly, but I think I've captured the gist of his statement; No matter what, I will praise Him.
This brought to mind the story of Daniel in the furnace.
In verse 17-18, he says to the king (again I paraphrase, but the verse is included below for reference)
"King, God is able to get us out of this mess...and even if He doesn't, we won't give in." Very similar to Job saying "Though He slay me, yet will I praise Him."
Here's the cool part.
God DID deliver the three dudes with funny names from the furnace. And they were given new positions and the Name of the Lord was glorified.
Job ended up with a full restoration (actually DOUBLE) of what he had lost; though some of these things (the doubling of the number of his children) weren't realized until he got to glory.
I really don't know if this encourages you (but I hope it does!) but you need to know, that you encourage many with your faith...all y'all do.
Eric, Cherie, Joelle, Connor...each one of you has brought glory to the Living God by your faith, your transparency and your love.
We love you guys.
Thanks for being an example as you face the fire.
Because of Jesus,
Jeff, for the Slavich family
Daniel 3
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
17 "If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.
18 "But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."
25 "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire.
27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!
29 "Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this."
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.
Hi Williamson's...
Like everyone else...feel like i don't want to begin my day without checking in with you and seeing how were to pray...Was so blessed..encouraged...reminded by your words of who "God Is"...So hard to figure out His plans in the midst of "your story"...I don't like mysterys...My husband loves them... I like to know what's going on...all the time.. So i have control issues..(trying to learn to trust more)... But i know that God is the best mystery writer.. He loves mysteries..heroes..drama..suspense... Reading your "stories".. honestly has been very difficult..I want to read the "last page..last chapter.. and see the end..but God has us all on suspense..Your truly the heroes of your "stories".. so i want you to know as I'm reading your novel..already i see such incredible..heroes.. and.. and SHE-ro..(a woman hero)..ok.. so grammar is not one of my great strenths either..(but i do have other strengths..hee hee)..
after reading the blog.. i walked back to my chair and heard the word "understanding".. and then in my devotion.. this was the verse for the day..
"Who has UNDERSTOOD the mind of the Lord, or instructed him as his counselor?".. Is. 40:l3
I thought to myself..God sometimes i truly don't understand the "Why's" of life and that it includes..
But I do know this that we serve a God of might..incredible power..Love and understanding.. and that makes me feel safe and I can and do trust that God..
Even in great great difficulty..
And Eric..i do look forward to meeting Connor's wife and tickling his babies.. God can do what He says He can do!!!!
I love you guys..
Love,
Kathy MacPhail
God is our umbrella He will keep us dry from the storm once WE decided to use Him to do so
Understanding, Upright, Unabashed, Unifier, Useful...
Eric, you've been crying out for UNDERSTANDING along with all of us - God has been revealing so many new levels of His understanding through Connor's journey.
God's UPRIGHT character is reflected in you, in Connor and in your whole family as you bravely open your pain and joy for all to witness.
UNABASHED, you boldly lead us all before the throne to pray for healing and unity.
God has led you to be a UNIFIER under His headship. You've held together your family and your community as you've blogged your challenges and victories always giving God the glory.
USEFUL - all of us - no matter what our physical, emotional and spiritual condition are useful when we are surrendered to our Heavenly Father. Thank you for reminding us daily through your faithfulness.
You are an inspiring example of a spirit led family that God intends us all to be and the subject of many prayers and conversations. The Williamson's inspire all to reach UP to a higher authority and a higher level of living.
Thanks -
Lynn Wong
Morgan Hill
unequivocal
Definition:
Without doubt; unconditional.
Great to boot up this morning and see Connors handsome face, I was away yesterday and missed T and then checked out my devotions and here is one from Greg laurie talking about the Transfiguration, it is good so I will use it as my T word ffor yesterday and will work on my U word later.
I just love all of you BLOGERS and COMMENTERS, IM so blessed to be a part of all your lives,
Thank You Jesus!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
On the Mountaintop by Greg Laurie
About eight days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothing became dazzling white.
— Luke 9:28–29
The transfiguration of Jesus was a significant event. It was the halfway point on a very difficult journey. From here, Jesus went backward from the cradle and forward to the cross.
Jesus apparently believed the time was right for the disciples, specifically Peter, James, and John, to have a greater glimpse of His glory.
Jesus singled these three out on a number of occasions. When Jesus raised a child from the dead, He took Peter, James, and John. Later, at the Garden of Gethsemane, there were Peter, James, and John.
Perhaps they were the super-spiritual disciples, the spiritual elite. Or maybe they just needed special attention.
Whatever the reason, Jesus took these three with Him, and He was transfigured before their eyes. His garments became as white as light. His face shone like the sun. Moses and Elijah's presence there with Him only added to the drama of this wonderful day.
Peter couldn't contain Himself any longer and exclaimed, "Master, this is wonderful! We will make three shrines—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." Essentially he was saying, "Let's stay here. This is the right idea. You glorified. You shining. Let's just camp out here."
Believers today have a tendency to do this as well. As this world grows darker, we are inclined to withdraw into a Christian subculture instead of realizing there is a world in need around us.
God wants us to reach the world with the gospel. But to do so, we need to come down from our mountaintops and live this Christian life in the real world.
Eric,
Couldn't agree with your post 100%.
My "U" word for today is, "Untamable!" From one of the songs I LOVE, called, "Indescribable." The one line speaking of God reads, "All powerful, UNTAMABLE, Awestruck, we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim, You are amazing God." I love that! God is "untamable!" He can do anything He wants to do! He's mighty and all powerful!!
Also, I wanted to correct something I wrote in my post yesterday, when I talked about prayer. I got the name wrong who I was speaking about from the old testament. I said it was Job, that fasted and prayed for God to heal his son. It was "David" I was speaking about. I knew that, don't know why I said Job. Sorry!
Praying for you all today!!
Kim
Good post Eric... thanks. I am in a bible study and we are studying the book of James. We have been really looking at Chapter 1verses 2-8.
Verse 2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
I know these verses have been written and talked about in the past but since I'm "in" the study now I can't help but think of you all each time I am asked to read and answer questions. They are difficult questions to answer. How do we "really" consider our trials a joy? That is a hard question to answer and even harder to come to grips with. I'm still working on that one. I have read in one of my commentaries that, The fruit of the Spirit cannot be produced when all is sunshine, there must be rain and dark clouds. Trials never seem pleasant, they seem very difficult and disagreeable. But afterwards they yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by them. These problems are not enemies, bent on destroying us. They are friends which have come to aid us to develop Christian character.
My whole point to this post is that I'm with you all, praying, understanding and knowing that I would have the same request if it were one of my own. Keep asking Eric until YOU know God has answered yeh or nay. I will keep studying the book of James and pray for insight for myself and to be filled with wisdom so I can share all that wisdom!!!! :)
God bless you all.
Ginny
I've been reading The Shack and the whole relationship between us and God is something that has just been a lightbulb in my head. Eric, you said the same thing I've been learning and that was awesome, knowing it was from God. My U word-Undivided Attention-this is what he gives us! And by the way-great picture of Connor. Looking Good!
Love you guys, you are always in our prayers.
Laura
The Colemans
Hi Williamsons,
My Dear friend sent me this E-mail today and I felt like sharing it with you and others,it really puts thing in prospective from the daily things we go through and the BIGGER thing you all are going through
GOD PROVIDES FOR OUR TOMORROW FROM DAILY STRENGTH FOR DAILY NEEDS
take not thought of your life,what you will eat, or what you will drink, or what you will wear. Matthew 6;25
It has been well said that no man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow's burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can bear. Never load yourselves so, my friends. If you find yourselves so loaded,at least remember this; It is your own doing, not God's. He begs you to leave the future to him, and mindthe present.
George MacDonald
Kim - though C.S. Lewis always said that Aslan was not an allegorical portrayal of Christ, your *untamable* reminded me of the description of him in the Narnia series as "not a tame lion"!
Unfailing
The Psalms is absolutely full of verses about God's unfailing love. I know at times it doesn't seem like it, but like I've said before continue to look to the cross.
I hesitate to add this but I've read so many posts mentioning The Shack that I feel like I should write this. I was talking to our pastor awhile back about Connor's situation and also our own and he said you ought to read the shack. He said it is a really good novel, but that to be warned that while there is some really good stuff in it, there is also some really bad theology. I mentioned the book to my son at Moody and his first reaction was that his professors (I believe) warned about bad theology in that book. I'm anxious to get a copy and read it to see for myself. I just thought that I should pass on what I'd heard. I almost thought maybe I should read it first, but then I decided this way I could be a little more unbiased.
I truly hope that no one is offended by my input, that is not at all my intention.
Praying for you all. I too loved that picture of Connor.
UNSTAINED
God, Just and Holy, cannot sin; Jesus, very God but also man, was tempted but did not sin... EVER, which made Him the (only) perfect sacrifice which could be offered for us - which is why we can have a relationship with a Holy God!
Praise Him for His sinless perfection!
Greetings,
As a friend of someone with a SCI I have followed your journey. At some point, when the time is right I would recommend reading /contacting the folks at b-ing. The founder supports pastors and Christians and also lost his son to an accident. Perhaps his journey could support you on yours.
www.b-ing.com.
Keeping you in our thoughts and prayers.
Upright
Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the rock; His deeds are perfect. Everything He does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and Upright He is!
Sweet sleep in Jesus' Peace
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