His Strength Is Perfect

The Greatest test of faith is when you don't get what you want,
but still are able to say THANK YOU LORD.
Photo Credit: Cheryl Calderaro

I am a worrier. I did not say a warrior but a worrier a person who can worry about everything. I remember as a kid I gave myself an ulcer from always worrying. I worried about grades, games, family, friends and the world. If I did not have any thing to worry about I would worry about other peoples troubles. You know that is how I rolled for many years.

Then one day I had brain surgery. That little life challenge changed my life greatly.

There's a ship out on the ocean at the mercy of the sea
It's been tossed about lost and broken wandering aimlessly
And God, somehow You know that ship is me

It was indeed me. I realized that I could not survive that life challenge until I gave up my worries and left them in Gods hands.

                                                           

Recently, I shared that I could have more then Parkinson's and that I was waiting tests to determine what was going on. That was three weeks ago. Today, someone asked me "So what was it?" I said  what was what? "What was the other problem, the other diagnosis?' I don't know. "Doesn't that freak you out not knowing?

Cause there's a lighthouse in the harbor shining faithfully
Pouring its light out across the water for this sinking soul to see
That someone out there still believes in me

It really does not drive me crazy not knowing. Actually I have a peace not knowing. So I have constant pain. It is in my legs, my arms and my hips. I also have headaches, neck pain and I tremble. The reality is I have Parkinson's Disease. THE REALITY IS I HAVE PARKINSON"S DISEASE! The bigger reality is I have God in my life and all that I go through and all that I endure he goes through and endures WITH ME!

Lets think about this, for 20 plus years I have had these pains and now they are intensifying. Now they are stronger. Now they are an everyday companion. SO IS GOD! His love for me and my love for him is intensifying each day. My faith for him is stronger each day. God is my everyday companion.

On those nights at 2:00 am when the pain keeps me awake, and believe me that is more nights then not, and every night that I cannot sleep and wonder how I will face the next day. I feel him right there with me. He is a shield that protects me, protects US! He is there when WE reach out.


On a prayer in a song
I hear your voice and it keeps me hanging on
Raining down against the wind
I'm reaching out 'til we reach the circle's end
When you come back to me again

I was reminded today by a very wise friend that I say me or I to often. The fact of the matter is WE are all in this together! It is MY Journey but all of you are here with me. It is MY Journey and OUR Journey. When we lean on each other we bring him glory.

I try to hide my symptoms. I keep my arms crossed to hide the trembling. I don't eat in public if my fork is shaking and I sit when my legs are weak so people won't think I am drunk. My wife drives when I am tired, weak and need support.

Parkinson's makes me forget. Parkinson's makes me tremble.  Parkinson's makes me have weird facial expressions. Parkinson's makes me have bad dreams and yell in my sleep and yes I have even punched Kris in my sleep. Man I will never live that down. Parkinson's can cause lots of trouble for me in this world.

Jesus tells us that we will have troubles in this world, it's a guarantee. However, He also promises that we have victory through our faith because Jesus Christ has overcome the world. If you are facing hard and uncertain times, you can be encouraged to press on knowing that you can overcome.! 

How do I know? Because he sits right there in the recliner at 2:00 every night. He calms me in my sleep and he puts people in my life everyday that fight for me, with me. He gives me the courage to tell you that life can stink and to put this all out there for you to read. Why? Because I trust him and he tells me to trust you. He tells me that he will carry me. You will carry me. We are in this together and we will carry each other in all our rough days. 


There's a moment we all come to  In our own time and our own space
Where all that we've done we can undo If our heart's in the right place
And again I see my yesterday's in front of me
Unfolding like a mystery You're changing all that is and used to be

On a prayer in a song I hear your voice and it keeps me hanging on
Raining down against the wind I'm reaching out 'til we reach the circle's end
When you come back to me again


God gives us grace. More then we deserve. We need to give him glory each and everyday as we battle. We must remember that he did not give us these problems but he can help us as we travel this road. He helps me and he will always be with me as I make our "My Journey."

Bless Those Who Protect

Just a few short days ago I posted about serving and volunteering and helping our neighbors in time of need I must say I was overwhelmed with the response from friends and family that wanted to share their recent life events and how they used that post to be inspired to serve. 

My life long friend Trisha wrote:

Trisha Carr Ron Hamilton thank you for this post this morning. I woke up with a little cold and was going to blow off an opportunity to volunteer in Santa Rosa. That city was devastated by fire earlier this week. After reading your post I jumped out of bed and headed there to volunteer. It was a life changing experience. Seeing grown men tear up after losing everything was almost more than I could take. 

I was able to give clothes, food, toiletries, hugs but most of all God's love. Thank you Ronny for continuing to be a shining light in my life!! I love you! 💜





Really isn't that what life is all about? As we watch the events that unfold around us each day we can choose to let the sadness over take us or we can climb out of bed and serve our neighbor. Trisha is one who has ALWAYS put others first and served with love in her heart.

The events of Las Vegas also stretched the courage of so many and brought fear into our lives. I remember sitting in bed that night waiting to hear from my life long friend Cindy Wozney. For hours I wondered if she was safe and where she might be in that dark horrible night. Then it came, a text that she was still there hiding. About an hour later she sent me a message that she really wanted a hug. What a faithful friend that in what could be the darkest time of her life she wanted a hug.

(Today I missed her when she came to get that hug but It is still here waiting for her.)

These two friends have certainly stood by me through some of my most challenging times with my health struggles and I know that they are a text mesage away from getting in their car and coming to my rescue. All I have to do is ask.

We all have a friend like that, a friend that is there day and night no matter what. That friend is Jesus. Always there to protect us and serve us and give us what we need. It may not be what we want but he gives us what we need.

As humans, we want to see God's protection as a magic force field that keeps us from all harm. Yes, God has to stop any evil or destruction but we must remember that we live in a fallen world where we have free will and sometimes God works in ways that we do not understand. Sometimes God's protection comes in the form of peace and strength in the middle of despair. Sometimes God's protection comes as an ending because he sees something more on the horizon that we cannot see. As a believer in Jesus, we are promised a new life covered under the protection of God in which NOTHING can separate us from His love. Rest knowing that no matter what hardship you face, God is your provider and protector!

The bible says:

2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

It is so true. But tonight I want to add a different spin to this message a challenge of sorts. You see the last Blog I also spoke of men and woman who rush into danger as we rush out. They risk everything so that we can have life and safety. During those recent fires many of these men and woman had lost all they owned yet there they were running to save others and during those shootings some had been shot or lost family members but there they were shielding the innocent and risking their lives. 

 

They don't ask for anything. They just serve. They run through the night saving lives while we sleep. We sleep peacefully because we know they are there. Like the police man, highway patrol and sheriff the work in a dangerous and they do it with only a badge over their heart to protect them.

So today, you are reading this Blog and you are wondering what you will do today. Will you go to church and pray for a family who has lost so much? Will you watch football? Call your parents and check in on them? How about this idea. Today, go to the kitchen and bake a batch of cookies or cupcakes or coffee bread and take it to the nearest firehouse or police station and say thank you because the odds are they had a long night. 

As you deliver I will pray for you. Iwill pray that God gives you and those you serve strength to protect and help each other in this sometimes crazy world. Mostly, I will pray that God keeps you safe, brings you good health and that he will give you courage in all you do. Then I will thank him for fireman and thank him for giving me friends like Trisha and Cindy to travel with me as I make "My Journey."

Completely For You

Editors Note: When I started this blog I did not know where it was headed but I sure like where it went.

Through out my life I have seen many acts of selfish giving. There was the time as a child my church gave us food to last several weeks, the time our car was broke down and a stranger stopped to help get it started again and there was the time I needed shoes for a basketball game and my sister took hers off and gave them to me.

Isn't it funny the things we remember? What often strikes me are how weird it is the things we forget. We forget the sacrifices made by parents when we are kids and need the extra money for a school trip or an after school event. We forget the extra help a teacher gives us by staying after school and working on that science project with us. We forget how hard a wife works to deliver a baby or tend to our troubles.

How about this.... We forget when brave men and woman ran into a burning building as thousands ran out. We forget that when others are running from a fire their are those running into it. We also forget that a man gave his life so we could have ours.

When I was a kid we did not have much money but we had energy and time so my parents used that to raise money for the March of Dimes, Walk a thon and the school band. We sold dinner tickets for fundraisers, collected coats for the needy, cleaned senior citizens houses and raised guide dogs for the blind.

Why? Helping others is the right thing to do. Serving others is the right thing to do. Serving others brings honor to them and glory to God. Even Jesus came to serve. He healed the sick, fed the hungry and gave sight to the blind. He gave his love in the blood he gave for you.

The bible says:

Mark 10:45 

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

How do you serve? How do you help others? The blessings we give others, no matter how small, are magnified by the love that is shown in the act. It is magnified by the glory given to God by serving his people.

Hebrews 6:10

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

This month my mother turned 82 and my father turned 88. Add that up 82 and 88 that is 170 years of life on earth. There is a lot to be learned in 170 years of life and a lot to be taught to 6 kids in 170 years of life.  That is also 65 years of marriage.

Here is what they taught me:

No matter how little you have you still give to others.

No matter how rough life is on you there is someone having a tougher time.

Say sorry.

Forgive.

Hug

Kiss.

Did they always get it right? HECK NO! Did they make mistakes? HECK YES! But they did not give up. They did not stop trying and they still to this day give. They give advice. They give love. They pat me on the back. They make me smile. They say they are proud. WOW! The greatest thing you can do in life is make your parents proud. Feels good.

 

So tonight in honor of these two that love me, save me from myself, worry about me, especially lately and these two that can drive me absolutely insane. I serve. It is my calling. It is the calling of us all.

Tonight, for the first time in months I watched the news. It took five minutes to realize that in the 7 months that I had not watched television little had changed, People are still fighting with each other, hating each other and yelling. What division.

Then they showed Napa, Sonoma and Santa Rosa. I realized that something else had not changed. When tragedy strikes and we are running for safety there are men and woman running in to our rescue. When people are in need we step up and serve. We donate blood, clothes and food. We pray and we hope.

Then there was that story about a girl in Pollock Pines that drove with little sleep through hours of traffic and smoke to deliver apples to those who were hungry. Why apples? Why not. When people are in need even my little sister finds what is available and shares it with those who are in need. She still serves. The apple does not fall far from the tree planted by that 170 years of life.

So my challenge? Serve others. Love others. Help others. Life is a challenge enough without hate. Make the road easier for your neighbor. No matter how little you have or what your troubles are you can always lift someone up. As you lift up others I will stand beside you as I make "My Journey."