FAITH

 

I read this little snippet online recently from a Christian website.  It is about a man in the mid 1800's who had come from a monied family and squandered everything he had.

After his father bailed him out of jail, a friend invited him to a "prayer meeting" (not the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).  That's where he "discovered" the verse from James in the New Testament about true religion being to visit the widows and the orphans and to stay "unspotted" from the world.  He turned his life around.

This incredible man began an orphanage relying only on God for the funds.

Sometimes as mealtime neared and there was no food, he testified that Lord always sent someone with what was needed to feed the children.  Eventually, he founded five large orphanages and cared for over 10,000 children.

George Mueller lived his life in a way that proves God is real, God is trustworthy, and God answers prayers. 

Herr Mueller is quoted as saying of his life's experience working with the orphaned and waiting on the Lord to provide their sustenance:

The beginning of anxiety is the  

END of FAITH,

and the 

BEGINNING of FAITH 

is the end of anxiety.

What more valuable lesson than this?

FAITH IS EVERYTHING!

I HAD AN ITCH!

 

Not sure what happened...but a few days ago I began to feel an itch on my upper chest.  And it was intense!  A mosquito bite?  Not the season for mosquitos yet, but something must have bitten me.  There was definitely a red bump, then lump, about the size of a dime, and it came with a fierce itch!  Then I noticed a similar red bump on my ankle with the same reaction.  Louis suggested it might be spider bites.  But I haven't been walking outside or working in the yard lately.  Stuck in the house at the computer completing some assignments I have.  Was there a spider in the house? Could I have been bitten while I was in bed asleep? Not a clue....

However, both the injured spots had the same irritating itch.  And it was constant.  I kept telling myself NOT to scratch those pesky red spots, but I couldn't seem to keep from sawing away at them.  And that liquid After Bite stick didn't do a thing when I rolled it over the affected areas.  Still bugged me day and night. So, I got out the serious itch relief--cortisone cream.

One night I woke up just crazy with that stupid itch.  So, I got out of bed, padded to the bathroom in the dark and went straight to the cabinet under the sink where I grabbed the tube of cortisone cream.  Didn't need a light because I knew exactly where the affected areas were. So, I applied a generous amount to each spot and rubbed it in.  Ahh! That cooling cream felt pretty good.  Then I padded back to bed.

No relief though!  I tossed and turned trying not to scratch that pesky itch.  Finally, I was able to fall back to sleep in spite of being so distracted with the irritating discomfort. 

The next morning when I went into the bathroom to get ready for the day, I saw a tube of hair gel sitting on the counter and wondered what in the world it was doing there.  I hadn't used it the day before.  Besides, I always put all my cosmetics and hair products away after I use them.  I had only left the tube of cortisone cream on the counter after I had used it during the night.

LIGHT BULB! 

Oh, no wonder there was no mitigation for the itch!  When I reached under the sink for the tube of cortisone cream, I accidentally grabbed the tube of hair gel which was in close proximity.  What a surprise it didn't do anything to alleviate my discomfort during the night...because the cortisone cream was still under the bathroom sink!  I used the wrong "remedy".

Oh, well.  Episode over.  Lesson learned.  BUT...

I STILL HAVE AN ITCH!