S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D

Stretching can be painful! Anyone who has given birth naturally or watched this process has seen the anguish and pain that occurs when the body is stretched in ways it is unaccustomed. Because of my injury, my leg muscles are spastic or tight. Chuck stretches them and I sometimes squeal like a pig when it's too much! It's for my good, but I avoid it, despise it, and often wonder if I'll survive it!! If I keep those muscles stretched, it isn't nearly as painful the next time.

For the last week, I and those around me have been stretched for our good and it has been painful! James writes in James 1:2-4: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

It's difficult to consider everything "pure joy" when you are the midst of suffering. We experienced the deaths of 2 young toddlers we were praying for and then a teenager from our church was killed in a car wreck. All this right in the middle of praying for our church's upcoming "Baptism bash". Honestly, I was down and exhausted. God had surely not been doing his job this week. This was just "too much."

Sunday rolled around as did church. The Baptism Bash was much more than I had imagined it would be! 200+ people who had given their lives to Christ were signed up to be baptized as a sign of obedience. That alone would have been a awesome sight. I didn't realize that anyone who felt led could make the decision to be baptized that day. So, spontaneous decisions for baptism were made by an additional 300! There were tears of joy and audible laughter, new beginnings and hope abounded. Entire families were baptized. Most amazing of all, my husband baptized my precious daughter! It was a day to be thankful for so many things!!! Only God could move in such a powerful way.

Thank you God for stretching us and for showing us your glory! Thank you for the trials that reveal to us our complete dependence on you. Just as you God showed up to Moses in the burning bush in the desert, you have come to us in our desert place and satisfied us with your love. You are faithful!

2 Corinthians 3:16-18: But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10: But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.