Welcome to my brand new website! Isn’t it pretty? Thank you Deb Raley for spending so much time on it to make it feel like me. I am looking forward to spending time with you here and I hope you and I will develop a long and lasting friendship. You’ll definitely get to know me and since you are here, you already “get me” and my humor. Now, I want to get to know you. I hope you’ll feel free to comment and ask questions and tell me stories and make me laugh and let me know how I can pray for you.
This is my first blog I’ve ever written. I hope you’ll allow me to borrow from one of my previous FaceBook posts. It’s one I like very much, and I think you’ll like it too.
I love the Psalms. I love that God used “Little David” to write many of his songs alone with his sheep, or for the congregation to sing. He’s so vulnerable. Never afraid of saying or singing anything. He wasn’t afraid of crying, griping, wondering where God was, sleeping, then waking up and crying more. I do that. God is not scared of that, or put off by it. He actually welcomes it! He wants me to pour everything out in honesty to Him. Then He can freely talk to me.
Many times I’ve worked on my own personalized 23rd Psalm – one of the most famous Psalms of all. As David wrote his, I can just imagine that he looked out of the caves where he was hiding from King Saul over to a small shepherd watching his sheep. David may have been afraid, but as he saw those sheep, he remembered God’s protection from the wolf and the bear. Even though Saul was after him, I imagine he was able to calm down and say, (sigh) “The LORD is MY shepherd. I don’t need a thing.”
Here is the personalized Psalm I wrote while I was going through chemotherapy for my Stage 4 Cancer.
“The Lord is my oncologist. I will not be afraid. He has comforted me with the most comfortable and roomy MRI bed I’ve ever been in. I listen to praise and worship songs as I lie down in peace. True to Your word, You let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Even though in the middle of the night, when I find myself anxious and alone, and going through Death Valley, I am not afraid since I feel You by my side. Your hand, your smile, your wisdom, and your many tools and instruments make me feel secure. You satiate my hunger from steroids with delicious food that I request. You allow me to sleep through the procedures. My refreshing cup of water runs over. Surely healing and mercy will follow me as my children and grandchildren grow. And I will smile the smile of God’s goodness every time I see you in your office until I’m celebrating remission forever.”
If you’ve never thought about writing your own 23rd Psalm, I would challenge you to think about it. If you are a teacher, you could write “The Lord is my Principal”. If you are an author, you could write “The Lord is my Publisher.” If you are a web designer, you could write…um…well I have no idea what you could write, but I’m sure you do! And you could write a rendition that I wouldn’t understand AT ALL! Oh, I hope someone who reads this is a web designer!!! What fun!
Trusting Him,
Melody