Everyone that has had a MRI raise your hand.  Wish I could, but being in the machine, the noisy very cramped machine for the doctor to determine if the damage to my arm and shoulder is a torn ligament, rotator cup or I squeaked by and neither has happened, has caused a bit of discomfort and immobility in my other arm. 

I cannot raise either.

I am greeted by the tech, “You are a big man like me, you may not fit into the machine, but we will have to put your other arm up over your head if we can put you through.” 

“Can you do that for half an hour?”

Since I didn’t have much choice I did so – “Do you want to listen to some music through these ear muffs we are putting on you since the machine is so noisy?”

Yes, classic music, I said, and Copeland would be preferred.

Couldn’t hear a note.  They were right, those machines are incredibly loud as it goes through the process of doing its thing.

Half an hour of laying there immobilized and not very comfortable.

Went to my quiet place, at the top of a mountain sitting on a bench with Jesus; sometimes we talk other times, like today, we just enjoy each other’s company where words aren’t necessary.

We can see down through the mountains and Crater Lake to the Redwood forest on the south side, the ocean, on the west side, more mountains on the north side and the high desert to the east. 

Lots of memories in those places.

We walked around Crater Lake, went through the redwood forests with those huge trees all around us, walked through the drive through tree – the machine started a chug-a-chug sound that reminded me of when I was commercial fishing out of Newport and we trawled the ocean for salmon.

Eventually the tech announced we only had three more minutes to go until we were finished.  So, I headed back to Wasco County going up the Columbia River and through the locks at Bonneville Dam, in that fishing boat, landing at the Port of The Dalles just as the three minutes were up.

I was released from this contraption to find that not only did I have limited mobility on the ‘bad’ arm, but the other now was also all stoved up from the half hour in one position.

I wasn’t even sure if I could climb into the truck since it is a ways off the ground, but we managed and Carla brought me home.

It is a lot better now, and I have almost full mobility.

In my mind when the doctor told me she was going to order a MRI, I was thinking cat scan – it ain’t the same.  When Carla asked how long it would take, I told her about five minutes, it is a quick in and out.  Nope 40 minutes later I was back in the waiting area. 

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“One man picks up a violin and he gets nothing out of it but squeaks and raucous sounds. That man doesn't have the ability to do. Another man picks up the violin and he is soon playing beautiful, rich melodies. One man steps into the prize ring and can't even lift his hands. The other fellow walks in and he has power to do, and soon the fellow who did not have the abiltiy to do is sleeping peacefully on the floor.

It is the man with the ability to do who wins. It means the dynamic ability to be able to do what you are given to do. You will receive ability to do. It will come on you.”  - AW Tozer  

Luke 24:49 “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”  KJV

All too frequently we get ideas and jump right in and try to get things started.  Without drawing up a plan, or making sure we have the right tools for the job at hand.

The old saw “Failure to plan is planning to fail;” holds very true in life.

Sometimes we are lucky and get by, but most of the time we find a flaw that could have been anticipated and taken care of with the right planning and attitude, people or tools.

Christians are very fortunate.  We can kneel before God and ask the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us.  It doesn’t always come right away – sometimes we just need to wait for Him to give us the power to achieve what He has given us a vision to accomplish.

I read, in another devotional this morning, which reminds us that Joseph had a dream when he was a very young man.  He told his brothers about the dream and they understood it to mean that he would rule over them, even though he was the youngest.

They were not happy and started plotting against him.

His dream eventually came true, but only after he had been sold into slavery, put in a prison and learned to grow in his life, to depend and remain true to God.

The Apostles were told to wait, they did so and the result – that very first day they received the infilling of the Holy Spirit – was thousands of people who accepted Christ as their Savior; the Holy Spirit has been working through the lives of men and women ever since.

When we are confuse, when we just don’t know, God does and His Holy Spirit will guide us through the situation – we may stumble and fall, but it is all part of the journey we take in growing in Christ and fulfilling the dream He has given us.

It comes with the Power from the Holy Spirit.

Later, Art (-: