I Swallowed Today!

We rejoice with a friend today who has not swallowed since the Bush Admistration. Over a year ago he contracted a disease that the doctors could not diagnose. It affected his muscles. We follow his blog and have learned so many good things by reading his thoughts on this mysterious journey. You can as well, it is a treat, you will be blessed. An honest look into a mysterious journey We praise God with you, John Stumbo, and Give Him all the Glory!!

Rejoice With Me: A Psalm of Praise

My heart desires to continue to praise God for the work He has accomplished within me in these days. I have thanked Him in private and public, but today I want to thank Him in "print." With a slice of cheesecake on my left, the Psalms on my right and a computer on my lap, I ask you to join me in giving Him glory once again. In the tradition of Hebrew poetry, I offer the following:


A severe mercy was granted me,
A thousand chances to crucify self were mine.


Baffling thoughts troubled me,
Buffeted beliefs confused me.


Cries from your saints came before You,
Calls for intervention were heard by You.


Daily, we begged You for "one touch."
Determined, we persisted like Luke's widow.


Every morning we arose by Your grace,
Every night we slept in Your care.


For weeks we heard only Your silence, O Lord;
For months we searched our souls.


Gone were the quick solutions and trite theology.
Glaring in the mirror of our souls, we faced our own questions.


Help from Your throne seemed to be delayed,
Healing from Your hand seemed to be denied.


I determined to declare your goodness in pain,
I was driven to new depths of the soul.


Journals of ancient saints gave me comfort, while
Judgment from a few current saints gave me pause.


Knowing Your Word gave me stability.
Keeping Your Word gave me hope.


Love flowed to me from Your beautiful bride,
Likenesses of You were seen in Your precious people.


Many believed for me when my faith faltered,
More heard of my cry, and joined my prayer.


Never did You leave me, never did You abandon me.
Now I can see that You were always present.


Opening Your hand in Your sovereign time
Opened my throat after such a dry season.


Quiet tears stream down my face, as
Quenching water flows past my lips.


Rejoicing hearts join in our joy,
Resounding praise ascends to Your throne.


Senegal's darkness is pierced by a joy-burst,
School room questions are answered in truth.


Tears fall into Iraqi sands,
Testimony is heard behind Israel's walls.

Under the Fiji sun, joy finds companionship.
Under an Oregon rain, stories of Your kindness are told.


Very young voices give praise to their Daddy.
Via Twitter and Facebook, many echo their song.


Windows open to Black Forest shouts.
Widows rejoice as their pastor-son swallows.


Extreme gratitude is due You, O Great One.
Excited rejoicing arises to Your throne.


Yes! We will continue to celebrate Your goodness.
Yes! We will always declare Your praise.


Zeal for Your glory ascends from our grateful hearts.
Zeal for our good descends from Your generous throne.


Praise be to the Lord, the All-Wise God
Who is always with us, but ever beyond us;
Ever revealing Himself to us, but always hidden in mystery.
Praise Him, young and old.
Praise Him, near and far.
He has revealed Himself to His servant.
He has displayed His glory to His undeserving one.
Well, the last bite of cheesecake is in my mouth (praise God again!) and the last moments are left on my laptop battery. Meanwhile, my Bible will stay open and my mouth will stay full of praise…and food (hopefully in that order.)
Talk to you again soon.
On the journey with you,


John