Me: I love this view.

Prodigal: Me too, nice place for a story.

Her piercing green eyes and vibrant red hair did not belong in the sterile gray hospital room permeated with breathing machine sounds, a beeping monitor, and the air of gloom. Only my crushed body matched my depressed emotions. Strapped to tubes and traction, unable to go anywhere and knowing they were lying to me about the condition of my new bride, I was sure hopelessness would become my new norm.

The seventy-mile-an-hour head-on collision-caused by a drunk driver-had left my wife and me in pieces. I would survive, but be crippled the rest of my life. My bride? Who knows? I longed to hold her and tell her everything would be fine but I couldn’t even visit her–let alone comfort her.

“The Lord is my shepherd….” the soft comforting voice read.

Who is this red-headed lady? I wondered as I glanced through the side bars of my bed.

“I shall not want….” She continued reading into the wee hours of the night.

Like the regular ticking of a clock, the nurse with red hair came to my room night after night and read the Psalms–then the Gospels–as I would rudely drift off into a deep sleep. I became dependent on her timing, her comforting, her embracing, her encouraging. As I physically healed I knew the nurse with red hair had a big part in my emotional healing also. Though we never carried on a conversation–my heart longed to thank her.

Many weeks passed as I was in and out of surgeries, therapy, and grueling hospital routines. My bride was far worse off than I was, but she was alive. The hospital staff managed to push me in a wheel chair to visit her once in a great while. I told her of the sweet nurse with red hair who visited me on a nightly basis. I wished she had time to visit my wife–the comforting words would have given her the same healing they had brought me. Oh, the faithfulness of that lady with red hair.

Once I became more mobile I was moved to another floor of the hospital–where the nurse with the red hair was unable to visit me. One day I asked permission from the hospital staff to visit the red-haired, green-eyed nurse. Escorted in a wheelchair I went directly to the nurse’s station and asked for the senior nurse. With a firm resolve I asked to see the nurse with red hair. I told her how faithful she had been and I wanted to personally thank her. I told of her consistency in reading the Scriptures to me and how life-giving and encouraging those words had been. My emotions let loose with tears as I shared with the senior nurse how my heart had been healed of all anger and bitterness toward the drunk driver who had caused all this pain in my wife’s and my life–because of the lady with red hair. As my passionate plea grew, the nurse quieted me down and slowly shared these words: “I’m sorry, sir. We have no nurses here with red hair.”

by Morna Gilbert

And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?

Mark 4:40

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

 

Me:  I like how they made this planter new.

Prodigal:  Yes, it is something that is amazing.

Me:  Christ makes things new also.

 

This is from the book The Soul Winner by C.H. Spurgeon

 

I have already insisted upon instruction and impression as necessary  for soul winning, but these are not all that is needed.  Indeed, they are only means to the desired end.  A far greater work must be done before a man is saved.  A wonder of divine grace must be worked upon the soul, far transcending anything that can be accomplished by the power of man.  Of all whom we would with pleasure win for Jesus, it is true, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).  The Holy Spirit must work regeneration in the objects of our love, or they never can become possessors of eternal happiness.  They must be quickened into a new life, and they must become new creatures in Christ Jesus.  The same energy that accomplishes resurrection and creation must put forth all its power upon them.  Nothing short of this can meet the case.  They must be born again from above.

 

Don’t forget to pray and ask for the Lord’s help in our efforts to bring about His work today.

 

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

Luke 10:20

 

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Me: I have to finish this. It is time.

Prodigal: Yes, one thing about God we don’t have to worry about is that God is always on time.

Me: Amen

This is a short video devotion on Proverbs

click here to watch the video

Proverbs 8:18 Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness (NKJV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Prodigal: I am going to pray before I start work.

Me: Yes, the Lord can help us in our work.

This is from the book Out Live Your Life by Max Lucado

O Lord, nobody lies beyond the grasp of your grace. Who in my life do I see as hopeless? What man or woman who currently seems far from you do you want to bring into your family, in part through me? What Saul is out there to whom I could become Ananias? Father, I pray that you would show your greatness and your power by using me in some way to introduce an “unlikely candidate” to your son. Help me triumph over my fears and obliterate my misconceptions as you work through me to bring someone else, through faith, into the circle of your love. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Me: Everyday a new beginning has taken place with the rising of the sun. Let’s rejoice in the Lord today.

Prodigal: There may be struggles, but others are here to encourage you.

This is from the book Overcoming Spiritual Blindness by James P. Gills, M.D.

The Scriptures liken our sight to the poor quality of reflection particular to the piece of polished metal used as a mirror in Paul’s day. As far to the right of our continuum as we can possibly go in this life–living our faith fully in obedience to the Spirit of God within-we are still only beginning our eternal relationship with God. Heaven alone offers perfection. Our paltry knowledge–our ability to understand and perceive spiritually–is imperfect and limited. We see through a glass only dimly, though our hope is that the heavenly fullness is yet to come. We cannot now see the beauty of heaven, but under the perfect reign of God’s love in eternity, we will finally see the blessed life that God has appointed for us with clarity.

It is fine if you do not understand all that is taken place around you. God has a clear vision of it all. He has not allowed it to be out of His control. Some of this will not make since until eternity so do not focus on asking more right now. Focus on obedience.

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.

PSALM 72 : 18

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Me: Just finished some tough blocks.

Prodigal: What comes easy won’t last. What lasts won’t come easy.

This is a short video devotion on Proverbs.

click here to watch the video

Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me. (NKJV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Me: Doesn’t look like much is growing there.

Prodigal: I did the sewing, the Lord will do the growing!

Many times in my life in practical affairs I have had my “mourning turned into dancing,” because I have found that the trial I mourned was really a gateway into the good things I longed for. And I cannot help suspecting that this is far more often the case than we are inclined to think. I knew a man who had both his feet frozen off, and was thwarted in all his plans by the lameness that ensued. He thought his life was ruined and mourned with unspeakable anguish. But this very trial opened out for him another career which proved finally to be the thing of all others he would have chosen, and which brought him a success far beyond the wildest dreams of his early aspirations. His greatest trouble became his greatest triumph. Instances of this are innumerable. Every life has some.

by Hannah Whitall Smith

He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none.

Luke 3:11

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Me: He does not look to happy. He might have joined the club.

Prodigal: What club?

It finally happened. The Mommy honeymoon was over. And it was so close to Mother’s day. Our son declared us, “The Meanest Parents In The World.”

Yes. We have now joined the ranks of the battle-scared Meanest Parents In The World Club. For short, let’s call it the MPW Club.

With bent eyebrows, folded arms and stomping feet, our five-year-old awarded us this recognition when we wouldn’t allow him to watch a particular cartoon. (I might add, that it is not fit for children, adults, or monkeys to watch.) He also added that other parents let their kids watch it.

I almost swallowed my tongue as I tried to contain my laughter. His normal sparkling eyes only contained sparks of frustration and anger as he asked, “How can you be such mean parents?” Instantaneously, I flashed back to my younger days when I blurted out those same words to my parents. So, of course, the first thing that came out of my mouth was, “It runs in the family. When I was a kid, I had the meanest parents in the world, too. But don’t worry, we’ll grow out of it.”

I think my parents were the founding members of the MPW Club.

We weren’t allowed to wear make-up or date until we were sixteen. Our curfew was 9:30 p.m.-until my sister and her boyfriend broke it and then they moved it to 9 p.m. (Why go out if you had to be in before dark?)

They wouldn’t let us watch the popular show “Laugh In” or anything with GoGo Dancing. They were afraid of the negative influence it might have.

If sports or other extra curricular activities conflicted with Youth Group or church, guess which one came first? You guessed it: church.

I just know I was cursed with the meanest parents in the world. Mom and Dad must have renewed and paid their memberships dues every year because they never changed. But thank goodness, I grew out of that mind-set and finally realized the curse was actually a blessing in disguise. I found out for myself that when kids call it mean–God calls it love and protection. When other parents call it overprotection–God commands parents to instruct their children in His ways, not the ways of the world. When teens want to do their own things–the Scripture lays out moral absolutes that parents are instructed to teach.

At the time, I wasn’t real enthused with my parents, but now I thank God I was blessed with the meanest parents in the world. I wear my new title with pride. I promise to pay my dues and renew my membership every year to the Meanest Parents In The World Club.

Join the club. Some day your children will recognize it’s an unexpected blessing.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Georgia Curtis Ling.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Prodigal: We were just talking.

Me: I was going to add to what you were saying. You can’t change the people around you, but you can change the people you choose to be around.

Prodigal: Very true.

This is a video devotion on Proverbs.

Click here to watch the video

Proverbs 8:16

By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. (KJV).

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Me: Sometimes we need to show appreciation.

Prodigal: I agree!

You may talk of the work of the greatest man,

You may rave about statesmen and teachers;

You may tell all about their achievements, and then,

Let me tell you of the wives of the preachers.

No Martyr was more steadfast and true

No soldier was ever more brave;

She’s a genius at home, she’s a diplomat, too;

And the Best mother God ever gave.

She has met disappointments with courage so high;

She has battled grim poverty, too.

With a smile on her face and a light in her eye,

And a hope each morning that is new.

She is often alone, but she’ll never complain;

And she cheerfully stays by the stuff;

Knowing well that her loss is her dear Master’s gain,

And his smile of approval is enough.

She never gets all the credit that’s due,

For most of it goes to the preacher;

Few know of the faith and courage so true,

of this gentle and wonderful creature.

There is coming a day when the whole world shall hear

From the lips of the Crucified One,

Her story in full, told in words sweet and clear,

Hear Him say to her softly, “well done,”

And I think that when all their labors are o’er,

And we know all their unselfish lives,

We’ll honor more highly than ever before

The preachers’ most wonderful wives.

unknown author

Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

JOHN 2 : 19

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org