T-Rex Arms

I don’t know if you have ever experienced a frozen shoulder before, it seems this is something that we vintage people have in common but no one told me about. Let me just say, it is not on the list of the top ten things I want to do in my life. And to be honest I do get a little grouchy… Lord give Bob grace! Any woo… I have prayed. I have gone to see a doctor. I have exercised and I sleep with multiple pillows propping my arm up and I have lost a lot of sleep because of the pain. Dressing is a challenge. Washing my hair in the shower, well, that’s where the T-Rex arms come in… the arm just won’t reach, no matter how much I command it to stretch. I’m sure you can relate if you’ve ever had a frozen shoulder. My left arm did recover from the malady and thank goodness for that, otherwise, I’d really be in a pickle. (I slept with a Winnie the Pooh stuffed toy and prayed a lot and it got better.) But this time it is not working!

No cortisone, because of blood sugar issues…Physical therapy they say, “may help,” but hurts terribly…I just need to vent for few minutes.

It’s only a challenge when I want to brush my hair. Sleep on my right side. Wash my hair. Scratch my back. Write for any length of time. Sit, stand, blah, blah, blah! Why am I sharing this? Well I’ll tell you?

Here we go…

Just because we are “saved”, born again; have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior…doesn’t mean we are free from trials and testing’s. Being a child of God is not “magic” there are no cutesy words or a magic wand you can wave and voilà everything is made perfect…In fact we will be tried and tested even more so. Jesus told His disciples they would be persecuted, mocked and even put to death. If they did it to Him the Son of God, they would certainly do it to us. But He also said, Cheer up because, He overcame, we can overcome too!

Now if you are not a believer of Christ you may be thinking, “Then why in the world would I want to become a believer?” That’s an understandable question.

Imagine twelve men (His disciples) who were from different persuasions of life. They were fishermen, tax collectors, tradesmen, etc. going about their everyday routine, when a man says to them, “Come follow me.”

He was no ordinary man. They must have known about Him they were from the same community. Yet they all left their routines and followed Him. For three years, I would venture to say that in that time, they got to know Him extremely well. And when they saw Him return from the dead, and He cooked a meal for them and ate with them. Had conversations with them; one even touched His side, where He had been pierced and also saw His nail scared hands. But when they saw Him ascend into heaven; well, that was the deal maker. They were all in!

They did as he said and waited for the power of the promise in an upper room. They preached with conviction and abandonment of all fears…they spoke the truth with hearts of passion. They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the Son of God!!! Stoning could not stop them. Lions could not stop them. Prison could not stop them. Beatings and being ripped in-two could not stop them. Romans could not stop them. Kings could not stop them. Demons could not stop them. Sickness, weariness, storms, crucifixion, nothing could stop them not even the sentence of death. Why? BECAUSE they knew Who They Served and were persuaded that nothing could stop the Love of God from accomplishing His purpose for their lives. They knew Him! They had a continuing fellowship with Him! They were no longer students, they were sons and daughters of the Living God and they knew Messiah had come and would come again.

Paul had a thorn in his side that he could not be delivered from. His faith in God kept him going, no matter what his test or trial, he endured. He knew God’s grace was sufficient for him. These bodies are going to return to dust. If a believer and a non-believer stand in the rain they are both going to get wet. (It rains on the just and the unjust alike.)

The difference is when you are a child of God…you want to please God. Not self. You want to help others. You want to pray. You want to read God’s word, because you know His words give you an understanding of Him, He shows you how to live your life being blessed and not cursed. When you are His child you want to be around others who Love Him. If one can put a thousand to flight then two can put ten thousand to flight. There is unity and strength in numbers. Jesus always sent the disciples out in two’s. Why, because if one is weak the other can encourage and pray and help him to stay strong.

God opens your spirit so that you can see His light…and you never want to return to the darkness.

Even though my right shoulder is frozen…I continue to lift it up to praise God. I continue to believe for healing. But you know what? Even if I don’t get my healing I will continue to have faith and praise the Lord. I honor Him and love Him. Why?

Because I have been in His presence, I have heard his still small voice in the cool of the day… I have seen Him by faith Move Mountains in my life. I have experienced supernatural happenings of sicknesses healed, broken bones mended, restoration and reconciliation of relationships healed, and I can say I have seen His love and grace flow when everything looked hopeless and lifeless. Jesus my Lord, and Savior, has shown me His glory! When you know Him, really know Him, then no matter what happens, no matter the trial or the test, no matter how alone you may feel, you know He is with you. You can stand in faith knowing He is worth it all. And He will not fail! He will not fail!

I don’t understand everything, no one does…but I know this one thing…God is faithful. He does not lie. And he is a rewarder of those who seek Him with all their heart, mind, body and soul.

We are living in eternity right now…God is offering life…He is saying, “Come follow me.”

The world is offering riches, fame, prestige, or it could be offering abandonment, lack, sickness, death. God will not force anyone to love Him; He gave us all a free will. He has offered a choice though. In Him there is Peace, Love, Joy, Forgiveness, Life and so much more! The choice is yours.

T-Rex arms are not so bad in the light of eternal life!

I choose Life!

Thanks for reading from a vintage person, LOL….

~Marla Shaw O’Neill February 3, 2018

Mark 5:33-42 Good News Translation (GNT) The woman realized what had happened to her, so she came, trembling with fear, knelt at his feet, and told him the whole truth. Jesus said to her, “My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your trouble.”

While Jesus was saying this, some messengers came from Jairus’ house and told him, “Your daughter has died. Why bother the Teacher any longer?” Jesus paid no attention to what they said, but told him, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.”