a view through annie's eyes

I’ve been sitting here in front of a blinking cursor and blank screen. I want to end with a really great post, and yet there aren’t words big enough to give it the greatness it deserves. Cover to Cover has given me such an anchor this year amid the storms of life–literally through Hurricane Ike, and figuratively, through the emotional ups and downs of being married and having kids who don’t think or act exactly the way I would have them. There was the pure sadness of broken hearts for my friends in the loss of grandchildren, parents, and in serious illnesses and marriages not making it. The mountaintop experiences this year have brought great joy as well–having two children graduate, sharing Siesta Fiesta, meeting some of you face to face, enjoying new friendships from such a foreign source as a computer, and basking in joys too personal to mention. Through it all, the never-changing God of His Word has met me right where I was and ministered to my heart of stone. He broke it into a thousand pieces some days and He put it back together too many times for me to count. And it was often accomplished through His Word, sharper than a two-edge sword, dividing even unto the marrow of my bones. (Hebrews 4:12)

Mainly what lingers this week and this year is faithfulness. By faith, the saints testify. By a hope yet unknown to them, our fathers lived their lives with only a faint promise of a future in Him. By faith, many testified to His mercies and His miracles. By their testimonies of His unswerving faithfulness, they made Him known to us. We saw many stumble and fall hard. But it is God’s faithfulness that is from everlasting to everlasting. When we fall, and we will, we have a safe place to collapse. His Arms are all we need. We don’t have faith in His blessings, but in Him personally, and that brings us from wretches to sons. It is such a beautiful tapestry of redemption that we have witnessed this year through His Word. It will not return void. I am awakened in my innermost being of His love for me. I’ll never be the same.

My prayer as we wrap up Cover to Cover is “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19)

I wish I could tell each of you personally how much God ministered to me through your words. Your hearts for Him are evidenced in your faithful struggle to work it all out each week with Him. Your joy is measured in Him. Your lives testify. One great Day, we are going to all sit down together after we hug each other’s necks and we will know how truly much a single good word ministered to each heart. By faith, each of you pleases Him so. I add you to my own Hebrews hall of faith list. Continue to testify the deepness of the Father’s Love for you.

Linger and give thanks to Him with me one more time as we close.