Clarity for All, Part II

3:56 p.m. Today's project was to praise the Lord for His good work and answers to prayers from yesterday, when I decided that "I would not need to fight the battle, but position myself, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord who is with me." (paraphrasing II Chronicles 20:17)

Yesterday opened with issues of concern on several fronts. I was needing to make financial arrangements, and all went beautifully. In order to attend a Riverside County Office of Aging Alzheimer's caregivers' support group today, Steve would need care, and I was able to take him to his friend's to help out in his orchard. And just now, 4:58 p.m., the Office on Aging called to set up an appropriate caregiver for the next 5 weeks the class runs!

I was pretty downhearted about my garden because of the gophers pulling down tomato plants, even wondering if I should let it go and concentrate on my upcoming Bible study, sales of Galatians, Heidi's wedding, and my business. As a veteran gardener who's faced some real persistent pests, I needed to ask myself the question in Jeremiah 12:5 instead of moping!

If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses?

And I needed to correct myself--again--with Proverbs 24:10:

If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.

But, God had a better plan! (Doesn't He always?!) At the end of a sales appointment, my customer asked about the garden, and told me about an organic solution, a repellent plant called "Gopher Purge." I picked Steve up, we headed to Parkview Nursery, and by 1 p.m., 6 of those plants were set in our plot! And by 4 p.m., so were 6 more "Early girl" tomato plants, 6 bell peppers, I'd planted cantaloupe and watermelon, and harvested a large bunch of carrots and bag of salad greens.

On to Heidi's wedding! A family wedding is a natural non-stop exercise in problem solving, but God performed several acts of mercy for us yesterday afternoon:

1. Groom Pavel's mom called to make arrangements to host the rehearsal dinner


2. Our homeowner's insurance will cover the wedding at no additional cost


3. My Mother-of-the bride dress will be in at Dress Barn, in my size, this week

God wasn't done yet with blessing and handling the concerns of my heart! While studying I Samuel for next Thursday, I picked up a voicemail from Pastor Brad Ormonde from Harvest Christian Fellowship. He and Pastor Jeff Lasseigne had reviewed Galatians, and I should expect a call from the bookstore manager soon!

So now both my church, Calvary Chapel Moreno Valley, and Harvest will make the Bible study available to their fellowships! How I thank the Lord the Holy Spirit for leading, inspiring, and training me to write Galatians in 1987! And I thank Him for giving decisionmakers confidence in the Lord's working, as well as grace toward me.

I had a big pile of anxieties and concerns, but I have a much bigger God!