“What a Difference a Week Makes”

Jeremiah 29:11-13

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Greetings all!  “Crossroad Dave” Bumgarner told me last Friday that I was lucky others were here on Monday when it happened.  I had just related my latest health scare that left me nearly passed out in the studio that afternoon.  Bonnie said I looked terrible (normally I’d take that personally!) but one look in the mirror affirmed her observation.  I was pale and had broken out into a cold sweat.  After she, Dana and Kurt went into action (Never been so grateful!), I was taken to the hospital where it was later determined that dehydration had affected one of my kidneys, which had caused my blood pressure to drop drastically.

Part 2 of this story found my daughter Taylor and I in an emergency room in the hospital (IVs in both arms!), with her (lovingly) reading me the riot act about how I needed to take better care of myself (as only a loving daughter could get away with!).  That’s when it happened.  I began to open up to her about all the things that were happening in my life and how, most of all, I felt almost totally separated from God.  “I’m just not in a good place right now sweetie.”  I’d actually shared this with my trusted Sage a couple of weeks earlier and it all just came spilling out again.  Now what?

I’ve heard a lot about “Rededicating Your Life to Christ” over the years but wasn’t really sure what it meant.  Is it about sin (as many would say), or is it perhaps a combination of not being “in tune” with God (as my Pastor said on Sunday), which could be partly due to letting too much other stuff get between us, and simply not doing my part to grow our relationship? So where had my heart been?  Have you ever had this happen to you?  Look at the scripture above.  Do you remember when and who God said this to?  It was to the Jews, while the elders still remaining were in exile in Babylon.  Many of us hear Jeremiah 29:11 but miss the following two verses, especially Verse 13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  Giving “all” of our hearts to Him; I surrender all.

Sunday at church “the little man” and I headed to the altar together and did just that.  Afterwards, in tears, I told my son-in-law David that the weight of the world had just been lifted off my shoulders.  Thank you, Jesus, …

All to Jesus I surrender All to Him I freely give

I will ever love and trust Him in His presence daily live

I surrender all, I surrender all

All to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

Grace and Peace,

Dennis