Isaiah 43:2 - "Fill My Cup, Lord"

Today I am grateful for water. From the water I drink to the water I am surrounded by in nature bless me in abundance. I am grateful for the water that comes from tears that cleanse my spirit. Yesterday as I walked in the woods and then sat by the pond the tears flowed. They were tears of frustration and hurt. As I prayed asking God for clarity and wisdom they continued to fall. When my prayers turned to others, once again they fell. I know tears are healing and part of life. I know it is 'ok' to cry. I know when I am more emotional than normal the tears come more easily. I know these things but it does not make it any easier to go through. I am reminded of the words of Isaiah 43:2 this morning that encourages me greatly. God has been with me through some pretty strong currents in life yet here I am still standing. He continues to give me physical, emotional, financial, mental, and spiritual strength. He provides all I need as I allow Him. He is with me in the 'good' days and the 'tough' days but I need to remember every day I am wake up breathing is a 'good' day in one way or another. When I was struggling yesterday, He took me out into nature to fill my emotional tank. Seeing some colored leaves reminded me of growing up in Ohio when all of the trees were ablaze with color. Watching the turtles in the pond made me question why was I born as a human instead of another one of His creatures. If I were a turtle, would I have as much fun as the ones I watched swimming and playing? A turtle goes into protection mode by putting its head into its shell. What is my protection mode when life gets hard? Yesterday I chose to go out into nature to walk, pray, and allow God to calm my spirit. A song Andrew Ripp sings called "Fill My Cup" is on my mind this morning...

Fill my cup, Lord
Run it over
Give me love, give me joy, give me peace
Fill my cup, Lord
Run it over
I am your child in need
Lord, I need you to fill my cup

Yes! This is exactly what I desire of the Lord. I know the only way He can fill me up is to cleanse me first of anything that is not of Him in me. I am thankful for His love, mercy, and grace that blesses me in abundance. I am thankful for the way He never turns away from me but instead is always there to soothe my tears.

Dear Jesus, Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace! Thank You for prompting me to go out into nature and for the way You soothed my tears yesterday! Thank You for listening to my prayers even though You probably get tired of hearing them! Thank You for Betty having successful surgery yesterday and Baby Henry continuing to do so well after his surgery! Thank You for the day ahead and all the opportunities You will put before me! Cleanse me so You can "Fill My Cup, Lord"! May the love, joy, and peace in this song be realized in a powerful way today not only for myself but for many others going through difficult days. My Momma; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; Amber; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Rick; Cyndi; Serena and her husband; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Preacher Bill Watts; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; my friend with pancreatic cancer; and Sue Danhoff's husband Harv. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, and Russ. Thank You for continued healing for Pastor Tommy and Pam. I pray for a father with a prodigal daughter to know You have not left him. I continue to pray for healing and strength for Darryle and his family. I pray for emotional healing for a couple contemplating getting divorced. Thank You for being My Cup Filler! Amen.