47 Of Them...

We are finally back into somewhat of a normal routine this week after having a sick girl all last week. Although she felt rotten, it was a nice break of "typical school". She did lots of sleeping & when she wasn't resting we did a great deal of reading, chatting, snuggling & caring for these...

We have talked of having chickens ever since we moved to the farm but really haven't ever followed through on the idea. A few weeks back the girls & I were into our local farm supply store & of course they (MaKayla & Mal) instantly fell in love. They tossed the idea out to their dad & to be honest, I didn't really think it would go much further than that.

Some long time family friends where we previously lived raise chickens, both laying & broilers, so Kyle called them & asked lots & lots of questions. As well, the individuals that MaKayla & Mal watch puppies for have a small brood, so we made a trip to their place, scoped out their coop, gleaned some good information & before long, plans were being drawn up for a coop & the darlings were purchased... 47 of them.

After three trips to the lumber yard & more money than we had planned, Kyle set to work. He took an extra day off of "normal work" to put our "chicken home" together & board by board, us girls were amazed at his creativity & precision. I simply stood back & marveled...

Undiscovered technique...

Extraordinary skill...

Just as the snow began to fall late Saturday afternoon, the roof was finished...

Now it's building nesting boxes, making ladders, hanging roosting bars, constructing an enclosed run & adding cosmetic details to the outside.

We now have 24 broilers, 34 layers & 3 ducks in our basement, keeping fed, watered & warm until spring finally decides to arrive. :)

In other happenings, Mallary has been soda free for nearly two months now & this week has decided that refined sugar all together must go. Her discipline is inspiring... Uncle Mark has pitched pop through Mal's motivation & last night I asked her to hold  me accountable in regard to my sugar intake. Unfortunately, Mallary has a very sensitive gut (assuming it's a genetic bi-product of Kyle's UC) & she is finding that certain things simply make her hurt & feel nasty. I've told her multiple times today how proud I am of her diligence, perseverance & will power to deny those things that her body doesn't appreciate. At present, we have eliminated all bread & milk & the majority of gluten from our eating. Hard? Yes. But freeing especially when it causes unnecessary inflammation... We're all better/healthier because of it. :)

Bri has been away since the end of December & the reality of not having her close (with the exception of hundreds of daily texts & weekly/bi-weekly Skype sessions) has been a tough transition for MaKayla. She knew her "Ocean" was coming home for Easter therefore she has been counting down the days... It was a sweet reunion last night... ♥

We're all ready for warmer weather...

To come...

And stay...

Praying that this finds each of you doing well...

The one who forever holds my ♥...

Because of Grace...

It's a late start for school this morning as one of the girls went to bed feeling rotten. Sore throat, headache, exhausted. Sleep is what she needs. In turn, my morning has been quiet. Getting up with Kyle. Fixing him food to take to nourish his body throughout the day. Cleaning up a few leftover dishes from last night.

I went to bed with heavy heart in regard to some things that were weighing on me. As I laid there in Kyle's arms unable to sleep...unable for my mind to rest, the Lord spoke ever so softly to my heart, "How do you think analyzing is going to change these situations? Do you believe that if you continue to think them through that you are going to arrive at a solution? Mendi, there are certain things you simply can't change. Give them to Me. Let Me work them out." Within moments I was asleep.

As I stood at the sink this morning doing dishes, my mind went back to how God spoke to me last night, and I reprocessed His words.
His instructions.
"Let go. Let Me."

I meditated on the things that were so weighty on my heart & I realized that God has allowed situations in my life to teach me. To grow me. To sharpen me. To see things in my life that are hurtful to others & unbeneficial in my longing to glorify Him. Attitudes that I extend toward people I love that they can't understand.

Sometimes God allows us to see ourselves clearly through the life of another individual in an attempt for us to starkly see who we ourselves are.
Humbling.

Those areas that Satan wants to keep "hidden"..."undercover"..."concealed"...
Those places he wants us to remain ignorant to.

He wants to keep us so caught up in the turmoil of the situation that we are blinded to the solution.
Prayer.
Surrendering to God.
Trust.

Dish-by-dish I reconciled my heart to the One I love most.
"Forgive me for my portion of wrong in this situation & reveal to me the restitution I need to make. Deliver me from the guilt, condemnation & shame that wants to drape over my spirit & make me aware when I endeavor to place these same weights on others. Liberate me from the bondage of such generational curses that Satan has been so deceptive in & saturate me with Your perfect peace."

Many times our thoughts, attitudes & responses toward people/situations are so learned & familiar that we don't even begin to realize the damage & destruction that lies within them.
Until we ourselves are staring them in the face.

It's in these times that we need to set our faces like flint on Christ & allow Him to shine His light of grace & love so intricately into our hearts that all may be revealed.
He has a lesson of growth in every situation of life...
If we have a desire to be taught...
And are discerning enough to recognize...

But sadly, more times than not, we don't want to see "our part".
It's easier on us to focus on "theirs"...

Instead of focusing on the anger...
Or the hurt...
Or the justification of our feelings...

Instead of defending ourselves...
Or making excuses...
Or wallowing in self-pity...

We need to ask the Lord to show us the err in our lives.
Because typically, the ought we see in others, we ourselves possess in one form or another.
Convicting.

I'm grateful for grace today. And as a wise, seasoned & beloved friend shared with me Saturday evening, grace is God's equipping & provision for what He desires to do in our lives.

God has clearly revealed an area of my heart that is need of change.
And because of grace, as I surrender my heart to Him & submit to His will, He is able, more than able to accomplish what concerns me today.

Letting go.
Letting Him.

#874~freedom from the yoke of guilt, condemnation & shame...all because of Christ

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. 

Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1

Happy Saturday...

It's a quiet morning here...
Just Mal & I at home.

MaKayla had told Jon a few weeks back that sometime when he was getting ready to take one of his expectant mom's to have her babies delivered she would like to go & watch. She thought that day would be yesterday however it wasn't "quite time". Jon called her early this morning saying he was on his way with two mom's if she would like to come so she & Kyle (he secretly wanted in on the action...) got right around & headed to the vet clinic. I'm super excited to hear her "report". :) The more time she spends with Jon & Jane & their dogs/puppies & the more she works with them, the more she wants to know & the more involved she enjoys being. It's a tremendous blessing to Kyle & I.

Yesterday was such a gorgeous day here. Warm. Sunny. Beautiful.
Sadly, I can't say the same about today... Cloudy. Gloomy. Chilly.

We did take advantage of yesterday's summer-like feel...

And then last night we had company for supper.
We grilled.
Talked.
Shared.
It was fun.

I can't even count how many years it has been since this piece of "equipment" was out of storage & got "use". Kyle & I worked on cleaning it & then Mal & MaKayla washed all the dishes up. As we prepared it for little hands to enjoy, we reminisced about memories when the girls were "just that size". ♥

MaKayla just called & the first set of puppies are here...

Six beautiful, perfect bully puppies. :)

Now they are waiting to deliver the second set...

The experience has been bittersweet...

The excitement of new life in one situation...

And yet in another...

A family brought in a beloved pet struggling with a heart issue; needing to make the choice to put this creature they love so much to sleep. 

Tears...

Sadness...

Sorrow...

She can relate for we've walked that road a few times ourselves. As a matter of fact, Mal HATES to take any of our animals to the vet for fear of "bad news" & the reality of coming home with one less member... :(

MaKayla's heart breaks for the grief this family is feeling.

Mal is begging to play a game...

Nertz is her choice! :)

Happy Saturday everyone! :)

Believing God...

Finally a refreshing taste of spring here in our little space of the world. I'm typically not one who is affected much by the weather conditions, but the older I get, the more I grow to be more like Dad & Marci...too many cloudy, cold & gloomy days & I have very little motivation. And my attitude somewhat mirrors the outdoor elements...

So today...
I'm thankful for:

♥open windows...
♥fresh air...
♥warm sunshine...
♥gentle breezes...

♥spring scented candles...
♥a visit from Mom...
♥instrumental music...
♥freshly laundered sheets, dried on the clothesline...

♥a husband who comes home to me & loves me endlessly...
♥understood math lessons...
♥homemade laundry soap (by MaKayla's hands)...
♥natural light streaming through the windows...

♥health...
♥life...
♥a tender heart that has grasped the reality of believing God to do the impossible...
♥hope...

As Mallary sat at the kitchen table late this afternoon she conveyed to me that she has decided that she is going to start believing God to take control of certain areas of her life rather than to worry or fret over them. As her mom, friend & sister-in-Christ, this blessed my heart & brought me great joy. ♥

It's been a beautiful day & I am grateful for the blessings God has bestowed upon me. I'm thankful for the work He is doing in my life & in the lives of those I love. I simply can't imagine living a day without the reality of His presence...

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. ~ Matthew 6:25-34

Although Too Short...

I initially sat down at the table with my Bible & study materials in hand in order to study, think over & pray about the lesson I will be teaching tonight. As typical when I study, I pushed "play" on the CD player. David Nevue happened to be in & as his beautiful music started to play, my mind went to blog mode... :) Bible study materials await me... :) Excited to dig in & be refreshed by the renewing power of The Word...

Last week was absolute craziness with really no sense of schedule or normalcy so this week has been geared toward refocusing & getting back on track. Most of us in this family function best with a set routine so by Monday morning, some of us were kind of a mess.

MaKayla & Mal were gone the majority of last week taking care of these precious wonders...

Nearly 40 of them not including their momma's...

Busy week...
Full week...

Stretching week...

Puppies to bottle feed...
Puppies to put in with their momma's...
Pens to clean...
Baths to give...
Shots to administer...
Farm animals to care for...
Eggs to gather...

It was a non-stop several days & in the end they were T-I-R-E-D! Although it is a great responsibility, Kyle & I are so grateful for the opportunity our girls are given to learn, grow & be stretched under Christian headship. We see it as a tremendous blessing. A gift from God.

*****************************************************************

A week ago this past Sunday, I received a text from my bestie...
"I will be coming home soon. Aunt Jill is not doing well... I will let you know..."

Renee' & I have been friends for years upon years & since she lives many miles away, the times we have together are few & far between. I was sad & sorry for the circumstances she & her family found themselves in yet the thought of her coming "home" was like a drink of fresh water on a parched tongue. ♥

Within two days I received another text...
"Aunt Jill passed away last night. Audrey & I will be flying in today..."

When Renee' comes home, I have to mentally prepare myself that "sharing" is key...
She has other friends...
She has family...
I'm not the only one...(although I have tried to convince her from time-to-time that she needs to come back, not tell anyone & just hide away here with us...)
Sometimes I default to the fact that it would be better for her to stay away rather than to come home...
Good-byes are terrible...
For both of us... ♥

My grandma told me many years ago, "It's really a good thing that Renee' doesn't live around here... It wouldn't be beneficial to your family..." She knows me all-too-well & I know what she is saying is the absolute truth. I mean, in our younger years (before MaKayla & Mal arrived), before Renee' moved away, we worked together, would grocery shop together, go on short road trips & spend most every free moment with one another.

She sets me straight...
Encourages my heart...
Reminds me who I am...
Is always there...

I want my girls to know her...

For Valentine's Day, she sent me this... ♥

Although our time together seemed so short, I am grateful...

We laughed together...
We cried together...
We did suppers...
And lunch...

We talked about faith...
Life...
Struggles...

We shared...
We remembered...
We shopped...

We dreamed...

She's been there...

Through thick...

Through thin...

Through every place in between...

When our babies were born...

When I've lost someone I loved...

During good times...

During bad times...

For always...

Forever... ♥

Although too short, I am grateful... ♥

“If you live to be a hundred, 

I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.” 

Yesterday's Troubles...

Yesterday was an all around tough day for me. It didn't start that way but as the minutes ticked away my attitude/thoughts went from positive & upbeat to downcast & despair. Intermittent crying sessions littered my day... Blame could fall on the weather. Or that I'm tired. Or lack of fresh air & sunshine. Or that am doing a great amount of study for the groups I am leading. Or that I don't deal well with continual gloom & doom dispositions of others. Or... Typically I am a cup-half-full kind of person who always sees hope in every situation so days like yesterday are quite uncommon to me. I'm always looking to encourage, uplift & serve who ever is in my midst or who ever is texting me at the time. ;)

#794 ~ Jim Brickman music, warm fireplace, low lights & cozy blankets on hard days

Shortly after Kyle came home from work another unfortunate situation happened; an ignorant mistake on my part (I take full responsibility) & my mood took another turn...not for the better mind you...not angry, just desperation... The girls had a standing Wii date planned in the basement so as they headed downstairs, Kyle sat me down at the kitchen table. I crumbled...

I live a life longing to see others happy...fulfilled...satisfied...
I look for ways to accomplish that...
And when those around me are down...empty...discontent...
I feel I have failed...somewhere...somehow...someway...
I feel as though what I am doing simply isn't enough...

#795 ~ heartfelt letters from Mal

Supper was eaten.
Dishes were done.
Baths were taken.
Puzzles were worked on.
Blogs designs were updated.
Music for Sunday was being comprised.
Feet were massaged.
Ice cream was enjoyed.
Gaithers were watched.

As I laid my head in Kyle's lap & drifted off to sleep, I was reminded...

Even on the hard days, God is faithful & God is good.

Tears may fall...

He dries them...

Hearts may break...

He binds them...

Despair may loom...

He extends joy...

Spirits may be crushed...

He saves them...

#796 ~ Hershey's chocolate

Throughout the night He prompted me to pray...
*for a friend's baby who is ill
*for a friend's grandson who is undergoing tests
*for a friend & her family who are struggling with their current church home
*for situations in my own family

As I awoke this morning, the Lord said to my heart...

"The weariness of yesterdays troubles do not have to dictate your joy of today..."

He is right...

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,

for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; 

great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

#798 ~ Being loved by the God of hope

Almost Eight Years Later...

"Write a blog post..."
"Write a blog post..."
"Write a blog post..."
Those are the thoughts that have been perpetually going through my mind day after day for the past several days yet it just hasn't happened. Life. School. Girls. Husband. Bible Study. Meals. Laundry. You know...the list... The list I am ever grateful for that keeps my days filled to overflowing.

It's a Saturday & Kyle is working.
The girls are still sleeping (I told them I would let them sleep as long as they liked) & I have a pot of Tiramisu  coffee brewing.
The furnace has ran continually this morning because it is SO cold outside...
The beauty outside my window is simply unexplainable. As a matter of a fact, I have been out with my camera more than once trying to capture a picture to share but the masterpiece God has created this morning simply can't be captured through a lens...

#780 ~ pictures that can only be adequately captured in the heart/mind

I have some things "planned" for our day here at home but we will just see how the hours unfold...
*Cleaning the craft room (which will someday soon be our bedroom)...
*Reading aloud to the girls out of a book Mal chose...
*Preparing the toppings for homemade pizza that we will have for supper...
*Writing lesson plans for next week...
*Investing in my girls... ♥

One reason for my lack of blogging is that Mal has decided that she wants to start her day off right at 7:00 (this gives me less "me time"). She's discovered that the earlier she gets started in her day, the less pressed for time she feels & the more productive she is. Things of this sort used to be a great annoyance to me (girls getting up before I had my "me time"), but not anymore... That's one of those areas that God has changed my heart.

I have to tell you... Several months ago I had a phone conversation with an individual who felt the need to share with me all the many ways I had hurt them. How I had mistreated them. The numerous, specific instances that they had documented in their mind that compelled them to have grievances against me. To be honest, many of the things they mentioned, I had no recollection of. I listened. Apologized. And then shared my heart. What it all boiled down to was that I had changed... And they weren't overly fond of that change. They didn't feel as though I knew the "essence" of what love was.

As I worked through the reality of that phone call, the Lord allowed me to see the big picture... He allowed me to recognize that it was He who had done the work... He revealed me to that I hadn't been changed, I had/have been transformed... He showered me with the wisdom that as we transform into His likeness, we will encounter opposition... He saturated my heart with peace in the truth that as we face that opposition, His grace, strength & love will carry us through...

The more I processed what He was showing me & the more I allowed my heart to receive what He was saying, the more grateful I became for what He has done & continues to do in my life. He disclosed three specific life events that He has used to bring me where I am today...

#752 ~ safety of Kyle's bare, strong arms ♥

Rewind eight years this coming July...
Kyle was in Japan on a business trip. I was home with two little girls. None of us had been apart for this many days & it.was.hard. We lived close to family so that helped a bunch but still... I had just learned I was pregnant with baby #3 & only God & I knew that "little" fact. One day in the midst of Kyle's absence my mom called. "Would you be interested in moving to Grandma's farm?" "Ummmm...well...have you given Troy & Marci first chance since they are the older of us three..." My husband was thousands of miles away to contemplate such a decision... We were securely settled in a small little town where I had grown up my entire life. We lived one block from my parents & two blocks from my sister & her family. We were grounded in a church my dad pastored 30 miles away where Kyle was also the worship leader. Everything logical shouted "no" in my mind but my heart had peace as I contemplated it.

I had taken the girls by Grandma's farm a time or two but we didn't frequent that route much because it was a fair distance to drive AND MaKayla got car sick. You have to understand...winding, hilly, curving roads don't do well with a child who gets car sick...

The next opportunity I had to visit with Kyle (we were obviously in very different time zones) I mentioned it to him & asked him to pray. He vowed he would...

We counted down the days for Kyle's return home, both my brother & my sister declined the offer to move to the farm & I was getting super excited to share the news with Kyle about the new addition to our family. My best friend Renee' rode along with the girls & I to pick Kyle up at the airport since we wanted to do something special to celebrate MaKayla's 11th birthday & I had scheduled a doctor's appointment to reconfirm this miracle of life growing within my womb. My appointment with the nurse revealed the same thing I had discovered/couldn't figure out...a "slight" positive on the pregnancy test... Strange. Unsettling. Disturbing.

We picked Kyle up, cried tears of joy that he was safely home & celebrated MaKayla's birthday. We rejoiced over the new life that was forming, made the GINORMOUS faith decision to put our house up for sale & began the preparations for our life-changing move to the farm. I had one lady ask me, "Don't you think it would be wise to keep your house until you know you are going to like it where you are moving to? That way if it doesn't work out & you don't adapt, you can move back?" I kindly shared with her that decisions of such were in no way grounded on faith in God. If He says to do something, you courageously do it without looking back.

Within two weeks we had a buyer for our home (miraculous is a slight understatement) & at about the same time we learned that "something" wasn't "right" with the baby we had conceived. We made the distant bi-weekly trips to the doctor I was seeing at the time to have repeated blood work & ultrasounds. We prayed. We believed in faith. We waited on God to change the results we were seeing on paper & hearing from medical professionals to match the results we so badly wanted. Sadly, they didn't come.

#747 ~ day long visits with special friends 

The days turned into weeks & a decision had to be made. Because of my previous c-section & the chance for uterine rupture, I was being encouraged to have a D&C. I couldn't bring myself to do it as I kept thinking with each day that passed that God would breathe life & prompt a beating heart... I couldn't give up until I called my brother (who is in the medical field) & he said, "Mendi, if things were going to turn around, they would have by now. It's time you do something..."

The procedure was scheduled.
We were heartsick.
Sadness was overwhelming.

During my procedure, they nicked my bladder which left me with a catheter for 10 days...with an empty womb. Despairing.

Packing... Sorting... Caring for a family... Preparing to move... Picking out paint, paper, window coverings... Redoing another home... Hard.

Within two months of being approached about moving, life drastically changed for our family. In many different facets. Instead of blocks, we were now miles away from family. Closer to Kyle's work but farther from those we loved most. Painful.

The route to church was dreadful as MaKayla got sick nearly every Sunday. Trying.

It was during that time of aloneness that the Lord really began to stir within my heart. He began to show me that He had a much bigger purpose than what I, myself could see...

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When He had spit on the man's eyes and put His hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?"

He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."

Once more Jesus put His hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village." ~ Mark 8:22-26

You must understand how attached I was to my family... My biological family as well as my church family. Many people doubted that I would ever "follow through" with the move as I had never lived more than a few steps away from my dad & mom. I mean they came to see us daily & ate supper meals with us more times a week than not. My dad brought my mail every morning & Mom stopped by every afternoon. And then with Marci's family so close as well...my sister...MaKayla's best friend... These people told me to my face that they really didn't think I could do it... That I would never last. That I for sure wouldn't survive.

#732 ~ cancelled appointments

As I contemplated the truth of the above portion of Scripture that God so faithfully brought to my attention, He showed me that sometimes...many times...we have to leave the village in order to be healed. Reality was, God had a work He wanted to begin in my life & He had to remove me from all that was comfortable & familiar in order for me to seek Him & see Him. He wanted to get me away... To be alone with Him... To get to know Him...  Much like a groom is with his bride... ♥

To see Him daily rather than familiar faces.
To rely on Him rather than accustomed to voices.
To find joy in Him rather than in people, places & circumstances.
To establish a solid, independent faith in Him rather than just believing this way or that way because that's what everyone else does.
To be challenged by Him & to find it necessary to discover confidence & courage through Him.
He wants to be the shoulder I cry on...
The Truth I believe in...
The Healer I am in need of...

Almost eight years later...
God is my sustenance...
The One my every day centers around...
He is my joy...
He is my healer...

Transformation life event number one...

When Someone Hurts...

I'm not gonna lie, I'm a "fixer" and there is nothing that cuts me deeper than when someone I love hurts & no matter what I do (or don't do), I can't "fix" them, change them or help them. They are stuck in that miry clay that God's Word talks about (Psalm 40:2) & regardless of how hard I try or how much energy I exert, my strength simply isn't sufficient enough to pull them up & out. You see it in their eyes. You hear it in their voice. You feel it in their presence. They're stuck... And in turn, you feel stuck too.

Your encouragement is as sand falling through open fingers & you feel helpless.
It's a lonely place & your heart hurts.
For them & for you.

All too often we want to "do" something to "fix" the problem and the person.

You feel angry at the deceiver.
You long for their joy to be full again.
You simply want them to see God clearly.

The temptation to get frustrated is very real.
You become weary.
And in all essence, you are on the threshold of giving up.

Satan whispers in your ear, "Why try? It's obvious what you are doing isn't working..."
For a moment you listen...
You contemplate...
You resist his tactics and in turn, he must flee. God's Word say it & God's Word is Truth.

It's when you're in this arena that God intervenes...

I am a student-at-heart who loves to learn through any & every situation...especially things of God. I'm not a fan of fiction books, plain & simple. I don't judge/condemn people who read them by any degree (simply a personal preference/conviction) but when I take the time to read something, I want it to change me from the inside out. I want it to be real. I want to walk away enriched & stronger in my walk with Christ. For Christmas Kyle added another book to my "teaching Mendi's heart collection". ;) I had never heard of the book or the author so when I picked it up for the first time a week or so ago I figured I would read a few pages & get bored with it. Probably because of where I'm at in life & that blah mode I have been residing in, my heart was captivated from the first chapter & I have simply devoured it. I am always amazed when God divinely orders something very unexpected and yet it lines up with exactly where I'm at spiritually. This book is no exception.

Since the first of the year, to correlate with the Wednesday evening class I am leading, I have been doing an in-depth study on intercessory prayer. Subsequently I have also been pursuing a personal study in regard to the armor of God which is our sole protection when we enter into spiritual battles. Amazingly God has intertwined both studies beautifully with my current read. It's as if it's another color of thread has been added to pull the tapestry together.

As I sat & read yesterday morning, these words were absorbed by my eyes & planted deep within my heart, "When we intercede, instead of physically jumping in to save the day, we allow the Holy Spirit to direct, correct, and clarify desires and circumstances. Perhaps the reason this type of prayer is diminishing is we become so busy trying to rearrange the circumstances that as we gather the burden into our own packs, we then forget to strap that pack onto God's back. If we try to carry the pack, backs will break and hope will shatter."

It's taking that person's burden, pain & struggle on as if it were our own, yet taking it on in order to give it over to Christ. 

Not jumping in to be the hero.
The savior.
The "fixer".

Jumping in to carry the weight of their load to the cross...

...especially when they have no strength left to carry it themselves.

All is grace in God's perspective.
Nothing is wasted.
No pain.
No heartache.
No trial.

He promises to work all things for our good & all things for His glory when our hearts are bent toward Him.

That's a promise from His Word.
His Word is Truth.
Truth I will stand on.