Twenty- Eight

Today was a bit more entertaining then most to me. I woke up and started getting ready, only to hear a knock at my door. I suddenly rifle through the people that could be knocking at my door, I certainly do not know a lot of people here, so that list was quite short. It couldn't be Caitlin, it might be Katie, but why would she be knocking. Could it be my neighbor from downstairs, perhaps I'm making more noise than normal this morning and she wants me to shut up. When I finally reach the front door, I realize it was not Katie, or my neighbor directly below me, but my neighbor Sandra. The sweet old lady that lives catty corner from me on the downstairs floor. She apparently had taken a little tumble and her hand was starting to swell. After the surprise of who could be at my door disappeared and I sprang into nurse mode. RICE it, was what I said which made completely no sense to her. Rest Ice Compression and Elevation I explained. I did not know the extent of the damage that she had done, so I told her if the swelling got to be too much go to see a Doctor, I tried to be delicate in my word choice, but I know that people her age have fragile bones and I wanted her to take care of herself. After a long 10 hour day of work. I was exciting to eat and relax. I will admit I had slightly forgotten about Sandra for I had a terrible headache that was demanding some aspirin or at least a nap. When I got to the top of the stairs her door opened to reveal a tired but spunky older woman with her hand in a splint. She explained to me that the doctor had told her that she had broken multiple bones in her hand and might even need surgery. She in fact was going to see a specialist about her hand the following day. Well, I was glad she told me her news for I had been thinking of her earlier that day. I am glad that she feels comfortable enough to share with me or to knock on my door for advice, even if I did nothing but tell her was any first aide guide would say.

What I ate. breakfast shake, salad, turkey burger and clementines, banana with peanut butter and salad with chicken and noodles.

What I read... Genesis 28

So I really never took much note on this passage other than this is when Jacob really accepts the Lord as his own God and not just his father's God. How amazing it would be to have such a dream as the dream Jacob has.

¹⁰ Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. ¹¹ When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. ¹² He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. ¹³ There above it stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. ¹⁵ I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

¹⁶ When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

¹⁸ Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. ¹⁹ He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.

²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear ²¹ so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD will be my God ²² and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

I don't really want to get pulled into what the meaning of this dream is. For there are many thoughts about what is Jacob's ladder. However, I personally saw more enjoyment in reading about the way the Lord spoke to Jacob and the way Jacob responded. He immediately woke up and praised the Lord in building and alter and calling the place Bethel, which means House of God. I loved that. But the part that really hit home to me was in verse 20. God is with us and he is watching over us on our journeys. The Lord is with me now. I may be a thousand miles away from home. I might not be currently moving but I am on a journey and the Lord is with me always that is something that no one can take away and He will be with me if I travel to Iraq or Afghanistan and he will not only be with me but he will provide and take care of me. There is something so humbling about the agape love that the Lord has for us. It makes you feel special in a world where you feel like some days nothing is going your way. He is there to take care of you. Just as he say Hagar and Ishmael wandering in the desert he took care of them. I can't remember the name of the woman, but I do remember she was in a concentration camp. She said, "You'll never know that God is all you need, until God is all you have." Praise be to Him that he provides and takes care of us.

God Bless.