Abiding in His Grace

By Joyce Labor

The book Abiding In His Grace is for those who are seeking God's help to overcome life's challenges. We all will endure grief, illness, and heartache in our lives and seek comfort and encouragement. When we are honest with our feelings, we can release them to God and leave them at the cross, where His grace and mercy abide. Jesus provides all we will ever need as long as we abide in Him. His grace is sufficient.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9781644166673

Book preview

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ABIDING IN HIS GRACE

JOYCE LABOR

ISBN 978-1-64416-666-6 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64416-667-3 (digital)

Copyright © 2018 by Joyce Labor

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Part One

Without Spot Or Wrinkle

Yesterday

Yesterday Is Gone

The Carrousel of Life

Life’s A Roller-Coaster Ride

The Loneliness of Aging

May You Never Grow Old

Part Two

Our Hidden Treasure Chest

Daddy

I Miss You, Dad

Rest In Peace

In Memory of Snooky

Rex

January 24, 2015

Prayer for Rex

Christmas Greetings to All

Part Three

Jesus Tapping on My Heart

Raindrops from Heaven

My Quiet Sanctuary

2016 Christmas Greetings

The Hope of Spring

Springtime Serenity

Change of Seasons

The Brave Little Sparrows

The Danger of Self

Someone Loves Me

Tears of Joy

Jesus Is Calling Me

Think of Him

Part Four

Silence

Just You and Me, Lord

The Harvest Promise

Tears

The Seven Wonders of Heaven

Any references of scripture are inspired from the Holy Bible.

Inspired by:

Abide in Me

(John 14:16–18;

John 15:1–17;

1 John 2:27–28).

His grace is sufficient

(2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

Dedication

My first book, FOREVER IN YOUR PRESENCE, was in God’s mysterious timing and way. He did it all on His own. This book has also been inspired by Him, so I am dedicating this book to my Lord for all He has given me and done for me through every trial that I have gone through in my life. It was those times of testing that let me be inspired to reach out to others for comfort and to comfort. Just as Sarah and Abraham had to wait to old age to be blessed with their child, I too had to grow and mature to write these books and to be used by God to do His will of ministry for others hurting also. God’s timing is always perfect, never early or late, but just when He knows we are ready to listen and follow His direction. The valleys He walks us through are all for a reason, and only lasts for a season that we might grow in His grace and mercy and become closer to Him as we share in His love and wisdom. As we bless others, we get blessed in return just by being obedient to His leading.

I would also like to dedicate this book to my family, for which I am so blessed to have. My husband, Charles, who has encouraged me and helped me through fifty-four years and more since we met long ago. My son, Chris, who has always been a joy and example of kindness and compassion to everyone and every animal he encounters in life. My daughter, Lori, who always tugs at our heartstrings and has been a real blessing to us and so many others she encounters, whether people or animals. She gives freely and unselfishly of her many talents with compassion and love. So many people have told me how blessed I am to have two loving, kind, polite, and compassionate children, and I know God is the reason. He lives in their hearts, and it flows from their beings every day to others. Then there is my sweet sunshine Ashley. She is my one and only grandchild who has given me so much joy since she was born twenty-nine years ago. She has just blessed us with a great grandson, Jace, who will follow in her footsteps loving Jesus, I am confident. Ashley gave me a second lease on life when my mother and stepdad passed away. Her sweetness and caring carried me through a very dark valley; she is the sunshine in my life. She truly has been a blessing from God to me. I prayed for them all to come to know Jesus as Lord, and it has been fulfilled while I am alive, and for that, I am forever grateful for the peace and joy it gives me now. So many family members and friends and pets have departed that also have touched my life in special ways that made me who I am today. I miss their presence, but their touch on my life will eternally be felt and expressed in all I do and say, and mostly what I write. Whether they helped or hindered me, it was used for good in the end, as God always was there beside me and knew the outcome and my future. God uses all things for good, even the painful things, for those He loves. Everything has a reason and a season in His plan for each one of His children.

© 2018 Joyce Cooper Labor

Introduction

This book was inspired by years of emotional roller-coaster ups and downs in my life. Many people and animals touched my life with unconditional love over their lifetimes that brought me joys and sorrows that words cannot express. It’s those emotions that will pour out over these pages, that are very personal and heartfelt. When we let others touch our lives, they bring so much love and joy, but when they leave us, we feel empty and alone. Too many Christians feel they need to be happy all the time or something is wrong with their walk with Christ. Even Jesus wept, showed sorrow, and needed time alone to pray for His Father’s strength when He was burdened, tired, and dying on the cross. We are only humans; we feel joy and sadness and need God’s guidance daily to get through this life. There is nothing wrong with weakness, tears, and failures. It is at those times we reach out to God for His presence and strength. When we are weak, we are strong! We learn lessons through every struggle, and it keeps us humble. It’s okay to feel down at times, as long as we get up again and persevere with God’s help. Emotions are what make us human. Read the Psalms and see if David was always happy! He cried out for help from God many times. Job had so much sorrow and loss in his life, yet he never gave up, and God blessed him for his faithfulness. He will do the same for you and me. We are all His children, He feels every tear before it falls, don’t try to hide them. He collects them because they are precious to Him. He feels our every joy and heartache, that’s why He came down to us to experience our every emotion here on Earth. He too suffered and lost friends and loved ones, He too shares our sorrows as we grow in His mercies through our trials and walks through the valleys we all must go through here. Don’t feel guilty for letting go and feeling all the hurts and pains that life brings every one of us at some time. God wants all of us to come to Him as a little child in our faith; that means freedom to cry and laugh, with no attitudes of judgments. I will open up my heart to You as my words flow from my soul at very low times when my heart was shattered; I know many will relate if they are honest with themselves. Just because we have faith our loved ones are in Heaven does not mean they are not missed here and the void they left behind in our homes and hearts can be filled by anything else. Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet, God loved him, yet he felt so much emotion for what he saw happening around him and felt helpless. It did not mean his faith was not strong or he was weak. He was a very sincere man who felt with his heart deeply for others. This is the kind of heart God wants us all to have; He molds and softens us to others’ sufferings so we can touch them for Christ through His love and compassion. This is my prayer now, that someone will read this book and realize they are not alone in their struggles and not lose faith or doubt their relationship with God, because they are going through a time of grief and know God will see them through it and come out victorious. He is the potter; we are the clay!

About the Book

I have done most of these writings while going through some of the darkest valleys of losses in my life. I was lost in grief, and I cannot say it was easy to find my way out, but I can say I was never alone for one moment. Jesus faithfully walked beside me, held my hand, and wiped each tear as He slowly healed my broken heart.