Woo Hoo, Pat.  Me too.  Thanks for praising with me.

Vicki

----- Original Message -----
From: "Pat Ferguson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 7:15 PM
Subject: Re: Anybody Got a Boat?


> Vicki,
>
> That was excellent. I'm praising God that you didn't need a boat.
>
> Love and Blessings,
> Pat Ferguson
>
>
>
> At 10:38 PM 9/7/04, you wrote:
> >Phil, Sandy, Lelia and Julie will probably remember this day that had a
> >storm.  But here's just a small miracle God did for us that was big in
our
> >eyes.
> >
> >Anybody got a boat?
> >
> >Have you ever had one of those mornings where you got out of bed on the
> >wrong side and there was no way to crawl back in and get out on the right
> >side?  Well, that was me on Wednesday morning August 18thof 2004.  Woke
with
> >a headache in a less than desirable mood. Then I couldn't find this or
that
> >in the process of getting breakfast and heading off to work.  Just as I
was
> >going out the door, the last straw happened causing me to loose my
temper.
> >On top of that, Rory went back to bed and wasn't ready to go to work.  He
> >had to be called several times as well as be gently but firmly coaxed out
of
> >his cozy bed.  By the time I got to the bus I really did have a headache,
> >and the loss of my temper had me feeling far less than my ideal picture
of
> >how a victorious Christian should feel.
> >
> >After boarding the city bus, I pulled out my Bible and began reading from
> >Psalms 86.  Several verses jumped out at me.  Here they are from The
> >Message.
> >
> >"Bend an ear, GOD; answer me. I'm one miserable wretch!"    Thinking to
> >myself how true that felt, I came to verse 5. "You're well-known as good
and
> >forgiving, big-hearted to all who ask for help. I continued reading.
6Pay
> >attention, GOD, to my prayer;
> >
> >10"For you are great and perform great miracles.
> >         You alone are God.
> >11Teach me your ways, O LORD,
> >that I may live according to your truth!
> >Grant me purity of heart,
> >that I may honor you.
> >
> >12With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
> >I will give glory to your name forever,
> >
> >13For your love for me is very great.
> >You have rescued me from the depths of death!"
> >
> >Verse 5 especially spoke to me. In New King James it reads:
> >Verse 5: "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
> >And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You."
> >
> >And verse 15. But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and
gracious,
> >Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
> >
> >As a side comment, note the references to truth in these verses.  It is
> >interesting studying truth, as it is referred to, time and time in both
the
> >Old and New Testaments.  I've been looking at what God says about truth
> >lately; both by studying it out and by experiential learning.
> >
> >Back to my story.  I took time right in the middle of the bus full of
other
> >commuters to quietly talk with the Lord, calling on him for his
forgiveness
> >which he graciously granted, according to his word.  I began thinking
about
> >His goodness, and what he had not only done for me in answering my
prayer,
> >but how he had been with me in the past.  How he had been there for me in
> >every way.  By the time I got to work my attitude had completely changed,
my
> >heart was lighter, and there was a difference in even the steps I took
along
> >the familiar path to the office.  I went through the day aware somewhere
in
> >my consciousness that for this day I would trust in his never ending
mercy
> >and love.
> >
> >Shortly before work ended, the weather changed markedly.  The wind began
> >blowing with determination and big rain drops fell faster and faster
until
> >they relentlessly pounded the large full length plate glass window pain
next
> >to my desk.  I realized that it was a good thing I hadn't left work at my
> >regular time, and was still able to call my husband for a ride.  We could
> >barely hear one another on the phone as we spoke together.
> >
> >The way home was slow going because of the high water and unbelievable
> >traffic.  And the rain kept coming in steady sheets.  It suddenly dawned
on
> >me that I never closed the upstairs window, which I'm always careful to
do
> >before leaving in the mornings, and my heart almost skipped a beat.  But,
> >not on this day.  I started to feel irritation and concern about my own
> >careless omission.  I thought, "I'm gunna need a boat to clean up this
huge
> >mess, and who knows what else I'll need."  I wondered about insurance
> >coverage and cost.  I made excuses for the error and was just going to
think
> >all those negative self blame thoughts once more, wondering what a mess
I'd
> >come home to when verse 15 suddenly invaded my blame game. "But You, O
Lord,
> >are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in
> >mercy and truth."  I had trusted and relaxed in his mercy all day.  Why
> >should that change now.  Because my circumstances had changed? I resolved
to
> >continue to trust in his mercy, and truth,, and take his peace.  Yes, I
> >still felt concern, but no longer did I feel the sting of worry  and
blame.
> >I realized that I couldn't do a thing about the open window with the rain
> >pouring in right now.  And how far open was that window, I wondered.
> >However, we were sitting in traffic going nowhere fast.  There were big
van
> >shaking booms of thunder and constant jagged flashes of lightning and the
> >rain was continuing to pound on our gold colored van.  It's a good thing
it
> >wasn't hail.  I don't ever remember seeing rain come down like that in
> >Colorado.  There was one June first several years ago, that came close to
> >it.
> >
> >It was more than an half hour before we could get home.  When we arrived,
> >John noted that the window was definitely wide open.  We made a run for
it,
> >from the van to the back door in the deluge.  After getting inside, I
could
> >immediately picture the rain pouring down from the open window, which
faces
> >north and running down the attic stairs like a river on to the floor and
> >furniture below.  I didn't even want to check on it so I asked John to
> >please check.  I held my breath.  When he returned, he reported that
there
> >was just a small amount of water on the window sill.  That was all.  I
could
> >hardly believe my ears.  That window faces north and always lets rain in.
> >And furthermore, it rolls off the sill and down the wall in just seconds.
I
> >'ve been in the kitchen doing dishes when I hear the rain start to fall.
> >Seconds later, when I dash up the stairs to close the window, water is
> >everywhere.   So I asked him what he had said, and he repeated it.  I
> >thought, "incredible."  A few minutes later, I went to see for myself.
John
> >had closed the window.  When I opened it, I found that the screen was
> >absolutely soaked.  The water was still on the window sill, and only on
the
> >sill.  I thought to myself how truly amazing that was.  There was no
water
> >drenched carpet or ruined furniture.  No mess.  No anything except for my
> >keen awareness of how God had performed one of his miracles for us.  The
> >boat that I thought I'd need?  Well, I didn't even need a bucket.    I
only
> >needed just a small cloth to take up the water.  I was the one who had
> >difficulty keeping the water from slipping from the sill to the floor
while
> >wiping it up.
> >
> >Next time you think you might have some reason for needing a boat, try
> >trusting in the one who says:
> >That he  is a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and
> >abundant in mercy and truth.