Dear Mothers,
It is such a cold windy day here today. I have Baby Olivia Rose, 3 months old. I just rocked her to sleep. She is peaceful in her little bed. I think I will make Potato Soup this morning after I write. It's a good day to write and to make soup. Later on I want to tell you how to make your own chicken broth to use for different recipes. But this morning as I was rockin' Baby, I was thinkin' about the Lord. And I thought of how He loves our faith and how it touches His heart.
Last night as Aunt Toot and I visited on the phone, Toot says, "Connie, just keep prayin' for Betsy (Mary) -- she will come through." And this is true ya know. We can't give up until we see His glory.
Ya know every time the kids are home, and it's after dinner and we are visiting in the living room, they want to get out all the Family notebooks of pictures. Some of the pictures Papa has in those albums, I keep thinkin' "Man, I need to throw that picture away -- I look like death warmed over." One picture in particular that I wanted to throw away, John took out of the plastic to show me. "Mom, I love this picture of you with us kids." I said, "Oh, Johnny, why do you like that?" He said, "Oh, I just do. Next time I come back home when I have more time, I want to take that picture and have it enlarged."
Oh, that picture told a million stories as I looked at it. I was standing in front of the sweet magnolia tree. It was in full bloom. I was holding John as a baby and Joy was hanging onto my leg. Jimmy stood beside me. The spring winds were blowing our hair. We stood beside the house I had bought for 150 bucks down and 135 a month. Man, what a story. It was the worst time in my life and yet I had decided to not give up. My blouse was white with red roses and my slacks didn't match. But the Lord had someone take my picture. I thought it was my worst day and yet the Lord saw my faith. And the things of this world are not like the things of heaven. He chooses the foolish things of this earth to confound the wise. And in our weakness, He is made strong. What the world calls great the Lord says is filthy rags. But the Lord celebrates faith and is drawn to it. The angels are drawn to the fragrance of faith. The Mother of Prayer and intercession entertains heavenly messengers. They love her and rest in her presence. Her tears are caught and put in golden vials. His Word is written on her heart and her words and prayers are engraved in His heart. The world doesn't call her a trophy but the Lord calls her a champion of faith. She draws the comfort out of the Holy Spirit and His presence is in her midst. And as I was drawing each breath from Jesus those many years ago, someone took my picture.
What will Johnny do with that enlarged picture? Someday he may put it on the wall of his house. And in 30 years, maybe he will say to his children and grandchildren, "This is Grandma Hultquist. What a life she had!" But the most important question they will ask is "How did she come out?" As older Christian moms and dads, they will say, in other words, "Did she stay the course? Daddy, did Gramma Hultquist endure to the end?" And I can hear John say, "Yes, she endured to the end and she didn't give up on God." I can hear him laugh as I see John telling his grandchildren about Aunt Mary who drove Gram crazy. But Gram wouldn't have Mary acting that way and she called down heaven on Mary. And Aunt Mary will be there to say, "Had it not been for Mama's prayers, I wouldn't be who I am today. Mama didn't give up on me; she stayed the course. She ran the race and didn't look back." And it all depends on what I do today and every day by faith so that I can hear this conversation as I look down out of heaven. And if I give up now, I could see a much different picture. John would have to say, "Mama was so sweet but when Mary turned on her, she died of a broken heart. The life went out of her."
Strongholds of Faith
And ya know each time God gets ready to move on our situations, the devil attacks us to try our faith. Our faith stirs up the heavenlies and seems to alert the demons to attack us. But the attack is nothing. It's only smoke and mirrors. The devil deceives us and tells us to give up ... that God isn't working ... but in truth He is. We take a big stick and smack Satan's beehive. We wake him up with our faith. Anytime you go to attack the fort of evil, it is gonna start to fight back. But it is nothing -- just deceptions and lies.
Satan fights with lies and condemnation. He tries to weaken us soldiers of the cross, telling us, "Your battle will be never ending." Also "Your battles haven't been won yet and therefore never will be." And yet the Lord calls us to wait upon Him. To wait it out and to not become discouraged.
Waiting on faith means to wait upon God as a waitress waits upon tables. Faith is an action word, not a hunk of magic stone that sits there and doesn't move. Waiting upon God in faith is like this. Say you are believing the Lord for a husband to come home. You surround your day with faith moves. You start the day out with the thought, "Today my husband will be home. What nice meal can I plan on fixing for supper?" Waiting on God means in this situation that you give the burden to the Lord. You are resting yet moving in faith. You are making a place in the closet for him to put his clothes when your marriage is restored. Because if you aren't moving in faith, you will move in bitterness and fear. You will sit and imagine evil, still thinking you are just waiting on God. But in reality what you are doing is building a stronghold of wickedness.
Baby is crying.
Love,
Connie
