Happy Holidays …And pass me the aspirin! On October 11, 2013 I checked myself into the hospital for heart attack symptoms. The test results: negative for a heart attack, but positive for stress induced symptoms. On November 13, 2013, I tripped downward, while on the stairs, overloaded with my overstuffed and heavy laptop case on my left shoulder and an overnight bag on the right, headed out of town. My first stop was Groveland, CA, to meet up with a few good men to evaluate a retreat center for Wounded Warriors then down to the Bay Area to cram in a few assignments. Nevertheless, when I tripped and being so overloaded with baggage and haste, I snapped and tore my quadriceps in two or three places. All my body weight of 240 lbs. plus 60lbs of baggage was in a fraction of a second, transferred to my left leg, which overshot the next step by two! A loud “SNAP” and instant pain shot from above my knee, crumbled my leg beneath me, and shot me forward like superman in flight, with legs kicked out and arms stretched forth, I belly-flopped on the hardwood entry floor from four feet in height; only without the superpowers! I yelled: “NO! No …no not again,” while in mid-flight and my face softly landed on my laptop case, but the rest of my body hit with a mighty thump! I lay there clutching my laptop bag, writhing in pain; tears rolling down to my chin, when I thought of a hospital visit again! We lost our health insurance on July 31, 2013, when our premiums shot up higher than a house payment in Queens! “The Lord will make you go through hard times, but he himself will be there to teach you, and you will not have to search for him anymore. If you wander off the road to the right or the left, you will hear his voice behind you saying, “Here is the road. Follow it.” Isaiah 30:20-21 (GNT) There are of many things, which I believe God is teaching me through this injury and the stress I’ve been under, one of them is dependence; dependence on Him and others in my life. I tend to be too independent and self-reliant and overwork and overload myself. The other is boundaries. I need to take a break from the busy “Martha Neurosis” and pursue the “Mary Calmness” at the feet of Jesus. I need to live more in the reality of Jesus presence and truly rest in the fact that the all Government is on his shoulders, not mine, nor the Republicans, Demarcates, Independents; not the Libertarians, The Greenies or Commies or Socialists or Tea Partiers. I need to relish and relax in His governance and allow myself to be swept up in its epic and eternal expansion. It’s not a matter of whether God is on my side or their side; the truth is, God is on neither the Right nor the Left’s side, He is on His side. And I, (we) must join His cause and let the “talking heads” of the alphabet networks talk to themselves and to us no more! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? or who has been his counselor?” Romans 11:34 But who can teach a lesson to God, since he judges even the most powerful?” Job 21:22 I need to make my first priority His ever expanding rule of His present Kingdom and tap into its economy instead of creating my own or following the worlds economic priorities, which always leads to emptiness, exhaustion and death. I need to daily; no, hourly seek out his Wonderful Counsel and benefit from His omniscience (his all-knowing) of me and trust his whispers before they must become painful megaphones. For God will never cancel my therapy sessions, but will forever counsel me. All I must do is to show up, as there is not deductible, no co-pay and no cost! Oh, and no appointments are necessary, just pray right in! I need to relinquish my puny strength and my small thinking and simply and humbly stand beneath and behind God’s Mightiness and title, “The God of the Angel Armies!” I need to exchange my war-weariness and shell-shocked life to our God, who’s never lost a battle and ultimately will win the war. He loves a stacked deck and he loves to come through for all those who belong and wait on him. I need to surrender the un-fathered and incomplete areas of my heart, mind and soul to the Everlasting Father-heart of God. I need to accept challenge, correction and discipline, even loss and pain, as initiation (teaching) and fathering from God. I need to accept this as a statement of my legitimacy of Beloved Son-Ship and not conspiratorial acts of darkness invoking on me the title of “Victim.” I need to allow the Prince of Peace to usher His reign of peace, calm and good tidings of great joy into the depths of my being until my soul sings, my heart rejoices no matter what state I may find myself in. I need to celebrate His Peace, even in the presence of my enemies, whereby I can feast without intimidation or fear. I need to relax when I open my winter’s electrical bill and read it in peace, knowing confidently He reigns even over things such as these. I need to focus on the quiet streams while driving the busy streets of life and drink from its thirst quenching flow, rather than the virus infected cesspools of worldly wants and desires, which only leaves one dehydrated and life drained. I need to completely trust in God’s judgment and enrich my life, every bit of it with His justice, so that all my actions are just and fair, not only to myself, so that I may live healthy and whole, but that the fruits of my life may encourage health and wholeness to others. I need to: “...do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with my God.” Micah 6:8. I need to be a man who taps into the counsel of The Wonderful Counselor; be the follower of an extraordinary God, who’s not like false gods, but The Mighty God, “The God of the Angel Armies!” I need an Everlasting, Never Leaving, Never Busy, Always there Father-God, who loves me and you so much that He puts his Spirit in us to teach us His most favorite Name; “Abba,” “Poppa,” or “Daddy!” I want peace in my life, marriage, home, church, business and everywhere I go. Don’t you? And, this Jesus, whose name is maligned, marginalized, cursed and removed from our telecasts, prayers and our speeches; from our schools, courtrooms and public places, came to us as babe, a child in a manger, but grew to a Man called Jesus our Savior! He is the Prince of Peace, and “…of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6-7 And, The Zeal of the Lord of hosts has already accomplished this 2000 years ago! With so much authority, honor and titles given to Jesus, don’t you think its best, like he’s been teaching me, to lead you too to the His Father, who is All, and in all and for all? Trust me, it’s far better to listen to His whispers than through His megaphone! Happy Holidays …And pass me the aspirin! Thomas Koester, November 16, 2013
Posted on: Sat, 16 Nov 2013 23:48:04 +0000
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