{"id":6670,"date":"2018-10-03T13:55:46","date_gmt":"2018-10-03T21:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cslewis.org\/blog\/?p=6670"},"modified":"2018-10-11T14:03:39","modified_gmt":"2018-10-11T22:03:39","slug":"a-word-of-grace-october-3-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cslewis.org\/blog\/a-word-of-grace-october-3-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"A Word of Grace – October 3, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Dear Friends,<\/p>\n

I did not send out a message last week due to travel. This week\u2019s message is about an incident that may seem small, but it involves the Holy Spirit\u2019s connection of two souls, three thousand miles apart, in need of encouragement and a reminder that our loving God is in control.<\/p>\n

. . .<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore they call, I will answer them, while they are yet speaking I will hear\u201d <\/em>(Isa 65:24).<\/p>\n

The Lord has sustained me in the wintry summer of sorrow that is now fading into autumn. My middle of the night plaints of grief and the intercessory prayers of family and friends are the planks of the raft God has sent me to keep me afloat.<\/p>\n

How do I know this? I am afloat despite the gaping hole sorrow has punched into my soul. Anxiety leaks into that hole as I experience routines and events that I shared with a partner for more than forty years.<\/p>\n

I am not a fearful person by nature, but going it alone is so alien to me that it leaves me uncertain and anxious. I don\u2019t like this at all. In response, I lift the name of Jesus in praise and prayer asking him to calm the storm inside me and he does.<\/p>\n

It is a day to day, experience by experience struggle and it does not get easier as I encounter more things Patty and I happily did together.<\/p>\n

Another thing that buoys me up is praying daily in intercession for others. Praying for those who are suffering their own losses and troubles takes my mind off my sorrow and leads me to hope.<\/p>\n

Early every morning I send out text messages to loved ones and friends who are facing challenges of living and health. I have been doing this for some time now. When Patty died, I hesitated to continue sending these prayer texts. But I decided that to stop would be a denial of the faith Patty and I shared.<\/p>\n

It takes me thought and time to prepare the prayer texts. I try to get them done several days before I send them out. I go where the Spirit leads me through Scripture and the scenes depicted in the photographs.<\/p>\n

A picture of a rutted ranch road going off toward a beautiful sunset in the Missoula Valley of Montana caught my eye. I accompanied it with a Scripture and a blessing from a poet named Jim Crogaert. Here is the content of the message–
\n.
\n\u201cThe Lord says, \u2018I will make you wise and show you where to go. I will guard and watch over you.\u2019\u201d (Ps 32:8).<\/em><\/p>\n

May goodness ever surround you.<\/em>
\nMay grace keep its arms around you.<\/em>
\nMay God, rich in mercy<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 grant that you will be filled <\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 with all the love <\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 that your heart can hold.<\/em>
\nOn this day\u2019s road and forever.<\/em><\/p>\n

I sent out this prayer blessing to the usual folks in the early hours of a Monday morning before I left for my scheduled physical training session. As I pulled into the driveway on my return home, the Lord spoke to my heart to send the text message to someone I know back east.<\/p>\n

This is not a person I have corresponded with before, but the Holy Spirit was specific with the instruction and I obeyed. I texted the prayer blessing as directed.<\/p>\n

Within about a minute, I received this reply\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cHi Kent,<\/p>\n

\u201cWOW! The scene is beautiful! Your thoughtfulness brings tears to my eyes. How did you know my husband and I need encouragement today?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe scripture and the quote from Jim Crogaert really lifted my spirits. Thank you so much for reaching out and the inspiring message of hope. Yesterday, I lost a long-time client and I was feeling a little down. Thank you so much for thinking of me today.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that you don\u2019t mind, but I passed on your text to my husband. I think he needs encouragement too. Thank you so much\u201d<\/p>\n

I responded, \u201cThe Holy Spirit placed you on my heart. The Lord knows what you need. Blessings of grace to you both.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her reply came quickly, \u201cWOW! Thank you for following the Holy Spirit today. He sent me an answer through you. I\u2019m amazed!! Yes, my husband and I need a lot of prayer for guidance and strength.\u201d<\/p>\n

The exchange astonished me. I had prepared that text message days before she prayed for encouragement in her dark moment. \u00a0I\u2019d sent it out to others who appreciated it, but there was no mistaking the Holy Spirit\u2019s direction to send it to her.<\/p>\n

The Lord knew what she needed before she asked. It brought to my mind God\u2019s promise of grace through the prophet Isaiah, \u201cBefore they call, I will answer them, while they are yet speaking I will hear\u201d (Isa 65:24).<\/p>\n

As much as this incident encouraged her, it encouraged me. The Lord answered my anxiety with a clear sign of his continuing presence in my life and relationships. He\u2019s\u00a0traversing the valley with me and we will make it through.<\/p>\n

O taste and see that the Lord is good. Happy are those who take refuge in him” (Ps. 34:8).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Under the mercy of Christ,<\/p>\n

Kent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Please note that the content and viewpoints of Mr. Hansen are his own and are not necessarily those of the C.S. Lewis Foundation. We have not edited his writing in any substantial way and have permission from him to post his content.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n

\"KentKent Hansen is a Christian attorney, author and speaker. He practices corporate law and is the managing attorney of the firm of Clayson, Mann, Yaeger & Hansen in Corona, California. Kent also serves as the general counsel of Loma Linda University and Medical Center in Loma Linda, California.<\/p>\n

Finding God\u2019s grace revealed in the ordinary experiences of life, spiritual renewal in Christ and prayer are Kent\u2019s passions. He has written two books,\u00a0Grace at 30,000 Feet and Other Unexpected Places<\/em>\u00a0published by Review & Herald in 2002 and\u00a0Cleansing Fire, Healing Streams: Experiencing God\u2019s Love Through Prayer<\/em>, published by Pacific Press in spring 2007. Many of his stories and essays about God\u2019s encompassing love have been published in magazines and journals. Kent is often found on the hiking trails of the southern California mountains, following major league baseball, playing the piano or writing his weekly email devotional, \u201cA Word of Grace for Your Monday\u201d that is read by men and women from Alaska to Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear Friends, I did not send out a message last week due to travel. This week\u2019s message is about an incident that may seem small, but it involves the Holy Spirit\u2019s connection of two souls, three thousand miles apart, in need of encouragement and a reminder that our loving God is in control. . . […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[226,225],"tags":[649,227],"class_list":["post-6670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a-word-of-grace","category-devotional","tag-a-word-of-grace","tag-kent-hansen"],"yoast_head":"\nA Word of Grace - October 3, 2018 - Living the Legacy of C.S. 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