Rain or Shine

By Angela M. Baker-Bridge

Rain or shine, Martha's outlook was always the same, dismal.

It had been a difficult year since her accident. Once a very strong, self-sufficient woman, Martha now could barely get through the day without the assistance of others. Most days she refused to get out of bed.

"What's the use?" she would yell while looking at the ceiling of her bedroom. "I don't want to live like this God! Why didn't you take me too? The people in the other car were innocent strangers. I was the one speeding. I should have died, not them!"

Daily she cried out in anger to God, daily he remained silent to her questions and plea.

One morning, her son called earlier than usual. "Mom, I'm calling to let you know the agency is sending over another aid today. You have to stop being so difficult. We cannot keep going through aids. Please try to cooperate and not scare her off on her first morning."


Martha sighed, "I can't help if the aids are incompetent and thin-skinned. Whatever, I really don't care who you send."

"Mom, that's not enough. Promise me you'll behave."


"Fine, as long as she doesn't tell me what to do or get in my way," Martha snapped.

An hour later, Cathy arrived smiling and carrying a bouquet of daisies.


"What's with the flowers?" Martha suspiciously asked when Cathy entered her room. "And make sure you don't lose the key to my house."

"Good morning Miss Martha. I'm Cathy, your aid. I'm so pleased to see you, and excited to be assisting you. I found out from your son that your favorite flowers are daisies; mine too, so I stopped to get these for you. There isn't anything better than a bunch of daisies to brighten a room or day."


Surprised, Martha asked, "Why are you excited about working here and specifically with me?"

"Miss Martha, I guess you don't recognize me. I'm little Cathy Anderson, Pastor Anderson's daughter. You were my Sunday school teacher when I was ten-years old."


"Oh yes," Martha nodded, remembering her favorite little student.

"Because of you I accepted Jesus as my savior. Whenever things would get tough for me in life, I would think of you and the verse you made me repeat every time I was afraid to try something new. "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.*" Because of you, I was able to endure the pain of Dad's death. Because of you, I'm in nursing school right now. So, when I saw your name on the patient's list, I begged for this assignment. God told me you needed me. So here I am. It's my turn to encourage you not to give-up, no matter how bad things look."


"Oh," was all Martha could say with such a huge lump in her throat.

"So Miss Martha, do you still like almond tea? I hope so, because I brought a few tea bags with me. The water should be ready about now."

Cathy left the room singing, "This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."

Martha wept.

"Thank you God for allowing me to live... and to know that I did impact someone's life. Little Cathy is here to help me! Maybe I really can get through this... with her help, and with YOURS."

© 11-15-07_________________________________
*"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13 (KJV)_________________________________
Married to a minister for 30-yrs, Angela has two sons, a daughter-in-law, and two grandsons. She's passionately creative with a versatile portfolio. Out of hurt and pain, Angela writes from her heart and life. She touches others as she gives God the glory. She married a former pastor in '03.
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com

Whose Strength?

'my strength is made perfect in weakness'. - 1 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV)

This is a scripture that has meant alot to me over the years. It started to mean so much in 1999, when I first got into the university (college). Even then, it took awhile to sink in. What I thought it meant was that I was not supposed to be weak. And that was tough. I tried so hard to be strong all of the time but like we all know, that is downright impossible. So I beat myself up each time I thought I'd failed. Again.

It's amazing how patient our Lord is with His children. I'm pretty sure that each time I wallowed in guilt and self pity He sadly shook His head. If I'd listened Iprobably would have heard Him say, Child, slow down. Let me be strong for you.

Well, I finally learnt to listen and I heard. His strength has indeed been perfected through my many weaknesses; I did not have to BE strong all the time. In fact, I did not have to be strong at all. I just needed to rely on Him and on His strength. He has been perfectly willing to be the macho man in my life; fight my battles for me; bolster me up when I'm drooping with fatigue; fill me with joy when I am weak... the list is endless!

God has indeed been faithful.

finding the right words

Its now one week (almost) since my last post. Its not that I did not want to post anything or that I did not have just what to post, no. I was searching for just the right words to write. See, this is supposed to be a blog about helping people, so i wanted to make sure I did indeed help. What I failed to realise is that there are no right words. I do not have to struggle to make sense. It is left for the Holy Spirit to choose my words for me and bless all those who read this.

Anyway, I just resumed work from the holidays this week and it has taken me a while to shake off the vacation lethargy and get back to work. In fact, after three full days at work I am just finally waking up. I guess that is why most of what I've read in the Bible this week has been about work.

This morning, I read that I should not be lazy but should work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically (Romans 12:11 NLT). It jumped out at me particularly because throughout this week, I've had this verse in the Bible that says whatever my hands find to do, I should do it with all my heart as though it were for the Lord. I kept wondering. I've never had a problem with laziness. Well, not really.

But I have learnt a lot about work this week. It is not about whether I feel like working or not; if I have work, I've got to do it! And more than that, I appreciate that God cares enough to speak to me.

It is easy to know with the head that God cares, but what does the heart say? I suppose this is also like work in a way; it does not really matter if my heart feels that God cares or if it does not. He still cares anyway and He is bigger than what I think. If he took the time out to create a little insect and still takes the time out to make sure they get fed...?

Diggin Out the Pain

Yesterday I watched this film about a girl who became an unrepentant prostitute. She was a prostitute or "ashawo" as we call it here in Nigeria but was resolutely unapologetic. This particular young man took interest in her and tried to get her to turn form her ways but his appeal made no difference to her.


As I watched I tried to discern the rationale behind her chosen profession. It obviously was not solely for the money; she was young and had no aversion to hard work. So what could have caused it. What bothered me most was not even the fact that she was indiscriminate about who she had sex with, once she got paid. What really disturbed me was this hardness about her. She did not want to hear about God or a better way of life. She did not want to hear anything at all. When the gospel is preached, there are a myriad reactions. Not everyone is receptive, but at least they react; even if it is to laugh in disdain. She was completely indifferent.


Later on, as the film progressed, i discovered that she had been continuously raped and abused by her father who was a pastor! How was anybody going to convince her that there was a good God out there who cared about her? All of a sudden, her antipathy and hardness of heart made sense. She had suffered so many hurts that to arm herself against further hurts she made herself stop feeling. She had buried the pain so deep, she could not feel it anymore. In order to begin to feel once more, she had to dig up those hurts and examine them. Give them a chance to heal.


A lot of us have gone through one experience or the other that have left scars. we have pains we have buried deep inside that we cannot even remember they exist anymore. But the subconscious remembers and that is why we act the way we do.

We all want to love and be loved, to live a normal and well balanced life. But somehow we find that we are never able to get there. The mind can be funny like that. If there are hurts that have refused to heal, or pains buried deep down, they block the way for the spring of love to well up. It could be anything: childhood abuse; rape; a broken home; a broken marriage; you name it, if we have not allowed LOVE to heal them then it will be impossible to experience love.

Psychologists and Shrinks have said to look deep inside self for the strength to go on. Well, what happens when we dig into the reservoirs of self and come back empty? The Lord Jesus says "Come unto me all you who labour...and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28 NKJV). The hurt might be decades old and it might seem like its too far gone to heal. But He made us, surely he knows how to fix us. Until that pain is dug out, the love certainly can't spring out.

Read the article Cure for a Broken Heart by Wilma Watson to get practical steps on letting God heal the hurts.