You Can Have Whatever You Want!

I have never had anyone say to me, “You can have whatever you want.” Not until last week anyway. Those were my husband’s first words to me when he woke from having a shoulder block administered. Of course, I had him repeat the statement again to make sure I had heard him correctly. “You can have whatever you want,” he mumbled again. I then turned to his friend who had come to pray with us before surgery and say, “You are a witness to his statement in case he doesn’t remember.” Of course we were laughing at my husband’s slurred words and grogginess!

However, his statement made me think about what it is I would want, if I could ‘have anything’ as my husband offered. My mind didn’t go to material things. My mind went to spiritual things. I am a child of the King. What more could I want? I have a wonderful marriage (not that it just happened), we have worked hard through our issues to make our marriage one that is honoring to our Lord. I have three healthy, wonderful children who are or are quickly becoming young adults. They each are a child of the King as well. So, what is it that I could possibly desire beyond those things? Please do not consider me self-indulgent as I share with you my wish list now that I have had a week to mull it over:

• I want each of the five Merrill’s that are known as ‘our family’ to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Why? Because though we are each a child of the King I am not satisfied with this. I don’t want our family to live a life of mediocrity. I want our family to be known as a family that honors God and lives for Him no matter the cost. One of my deepest passions in life has been to instill God’s Truths into my children. I am trusting in God that His Word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11) and I will see and hear that my children are living a life where their utmost priority is to please their Heavenly Father (3 John 1:4).
• For my extended family members to grow in their relationship with the Lord and realize that until they live completely for Him they never truly will have peace within (Revelation 2:4-5). And just as much as I want this for my extended family, I want it for anyone and everyone that the Lord has placed in my life that He has called and allowed me to shepherd, mentor, teach, to have a friendship with, and for my church family.
• For my extended family members and friends that do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ to receive the gift of salvation by trusting and believing in Him as their Savior. (Romans 3:23, 5:8, 10:9-10)
• Though the first bullet might encompass the following I still feel the need to express these:
• That I could grow to be better at evangelism. Through the power of the Spirit I would allow Him to take over and in spite of me, work wonders through me; so that I sense the need unexpectedly to share the gospel, am clear in sharing the gospel, and am not scared to share (even with a complete stranger).
• That the Lord would grow me to reflect Christ's example of love, forgiveness, and servanthood: wholeheartedly, unconditionally, and without hesitation. (John 13:15)
• For courage and bravery in this daily Christian walk so that whatever I face in adversity I count it joy to suffer for the sake of Christ—which means that as I am wounded on this journey I do not let it deter or discourage me from that which He has called me to. (Philippians 1:29, Colossians 1:24, 1 Peter 2:21)

I am sure I could continue in this ‘wish list’. However, as I have examined what it is that I truly want, this would be the list 'in a nutshell'. I have been blessed with so much in this life, but as I reflect on those blessings it is the spiritual things that mean the most to me. It is the things that last for eternity. What about you? If someone said to you right now, “You can have whatever you want,” what is it you would request? Then be faithful to take your requests to the Lord in prayer.

Prayerfully,
Lori

UNPROTECTED!

Recently I left my house in a hurry to get to an all day meeting that I was leading. In the late afternoon I hurried home to try to get some things done before leaving the house again to attend an event with my daughter. As I arrived at the event that evening I began to greet others and exchange hugs with friends. As I went to hug a friend I hadn’t seen in a while I realized very quickly (and to my dread) that I had left the house that morning unprotected! In a moment the rush of the morning came back to me…I forgot to put on deodorant! “Yuk”, you are thinking. I know, I know. I was horrified as I wondered how many people had noticed that day that I was unprotected, before I noticed that evening. Embarrassing, huh?!

As I reflected on that incident the next morning, the Lord reminded me that this is how my life is when I begin my day without spending time in His Word and in prayer. I am spiritually unprotected for the day and that can stink too! It can stink for the people that I encounter that day, it can stink for my family, and it can stink for my friends. However, most of all it can stink for me. I am the one missing the blessing of interacting with my precious Heavenly Father and discovering the things He wants to teach me that day and the way He wants to live through me that day. I have learned the hard way that when I fail to make Him the priority of my day then my days are very different. I need His wisdom, guidance, and peace to get through my day in a Christ-like manner. I shouldn’t start my day without yielding myself to His rule and reign in my life.

So, learn a lesson from me and my day of unknowingly spreading ‘perfume’ to all those around me. Don’t miss waking in the morning and spiritually protecting yourself by spending time with your Lord. David expressed His gratitude for God’s protection and love in Psalm 59:16, 17 when he said, “But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.” When we do this, we will be the fragrant aroma of Christ that we are meant to be (2 Corinthians 2:14).

In His Love,
Lori