In the Hands of God

Article from the 6/22/16 Weekly Update
by Maryann Cirillo

Believe me when I tell you the aging process is for the birds and birds only.

Ok, now that we have established that fact, let me share with you a wonderful, life-altering, sweet and glorious perk of getting old: you get to know God better. You get to see His Spirit working in the hearts and lives of others. You get to experience first-hand a touch from the hand of God. You get to worship Him through music, the giving of money, the hearing of the Word of God and the interpretation of said Work through men and women of God. You get to pray and discover a deep relationship with Jesus Christ. You get to hear Him speak to you.

I have felt and seen the hand of God moving in so many ways. There are too many for this short column to delineate, but I do want to share a few with you.

When I was a little girl, there were two things I wanted to do with my life. The first was to be a teacher and the second was to be a pastor’s wife. Not necessarily in that order. In college I met my first husband who was on target to be a pastor. We were married, taught one year together and trotted off to seminary where he earned his M.Div. For the next 15 years I served with him. I loved every minute of those years. I felt and saw the hand of God in action. I still shake my head at the joy and pain of it.

Next we adopted 2 babies from S. Korea. It was very costly but not the least bit scary. Hand of God? You better believe it. Every cent was provided, every detailed covered by the hand of God.

Illness struck and struck hard and was excruciating both for the sweet husband of my youth and myself. Scripture mentions that God puts our tears in a bottle…well my bottle was huge and overflowing. The pain of watching my partner suffer was devastating. Hand of God? Yes indeed. His hand covered my little girls and me as we buried Rev. Kenneth P. Schuler in November 1987. His hand led us to be able to purchase a condo with monies donated to us by other Alliance churches in PA.

During the next phase of my life, God gave me a teaching job. I spent the next 19 years teaching, or should I say, trying to teach teenagers the beautiful Spanish language. I loved every minute of it. It was an amazing time and I miss it. Teaching in a Christian School of course enabled me to share Jesus and share I did, every chance I got.

Fast forward to 2010…breast cancer. As I was wheeled into surgery on November 26 the words of the song “In the Hands of God” were whirling through my mind. Was He there with me? Absolutely! Through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil.

2016…Joseph and I have been called to minister to our daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren. Not an easy task, but dear brothers and sisters who are reading this, we are in the Hands of God! He’s doing the work, not us. He has chosen us for this task and every day we look to Him for guidance and stability.

So, aging stinks but serving Jesus doesn’t. It’s awesome and wonderful and we want to be used up for Jesus.

Today, if you are walking with Jesus, you are in the hands of God. There’s no better place to be. Enjoy it! I’ll see you there!