Wednesday 4 Jan

 This is my friend, Rosemary, who is from Zimbabwe and has been here for the past year working as an intern chef at the resort near me.  She and another friend from Zimbabwe were baptized in the creek last night.

They go home later this month before another internship in Australia.  Another group of "J1" interns will arrive and the cycle will begin again.

Last Wednesday a box was delivered from Chewy.com with cat food and cat litter in it.  I foolishly did not think of the weight when I picked it up to bring it into the house, and so from Thursday until yesterday morning, my back was in agony.  The pain just intensified each day until I could barely move yesterday when I got up.

I am stubborn.  Pridefully so at times, and finally my pain was so great that I reached out to Pastor G at 9:12a to ask if he would send a prayer request to my church family for healing and relief.  It was shortly after my work shift started, and I was dreading the day.

When my lunch break came at 1:10p, I stood up and went about my routine.  Dog out.  Dog in.  View the few contents in the refrigerator, close the door, open it again, decide on peanuts and raisins [I'm not dieting or starving, mind you, it is just the days before payday and what I really wanted to eat had already been eaten].  I went to sit down again and realized ... I had no pain!  Glory to God!

I forget at times that my needs, pains, and whatever else I suffer with are not so unimportant that God does not want me to go to Him in prayer.  I often feel unworthy, as tho my pain, illnesses, and needs are insignificant in His eyes of all that is going on in the world today, and in the lives of so many others.  My stubborn pride has me suffering for days, when all He wanted was for me to reach up to Him.

Lord, help me to remember that in Your eyes, I was never insignificant and never will be.  You left the 99 to chase after me.  Let me always remember that just as You would take care of the smallest sparrow, You desire to also take care of me.