Hemmed In

On our marriage day, Moses presented me with a sewing machine and I was honored.  My mother also received a sewing machine as a wedding present from my father.  I am certainly NOT a good sewer, but I can hem dresses that are too long and let out hems as Moses grows taller. Hihi... marriage seems to be be shortening all of his shirts by about an inch and a half.  I hemmed curtains for our bedroom and made covers for the kitchen cupboards.  Hemming is pleasing because it adds the final touch.  It tucks in all the frays.  It makes things fit correctly.  It gives a nice border.  

Psalm 139:5-6 says: "You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain."

What an awesome feeling - to know that God has hemmed me in.  When I asked Moses what that meant to him, he said that God covers us entirely with Himself.  Beautiful.

I thought I would look up what it means to be "hemmed in" and Dictionary.com gave two definitions:

1. to fold back and sew down the edge of a cloth
2. to form an edge or border on or around, to enclose or confine (usually followed by in, around of about)

Meaning, we are surrounded.  And when God hems me in, I know He is surrounding me with His immense love, comfort, protection, guidance, peace, purpose and more.

In the past few weeks, we have clung to the knowledge that God is for us and all around us, even when we don't see or feel Him.  Some hems are hidden on clothing, you are not even aware of their existence.  

On July 9th we started receiving messages that Rev. Archdeacon George Robert Okodu passed on to glory. He died shortly after preaching a powerful burial sermon for someone else in the village.  Moses was in shock.  Pastor Robert was more than a church leader to Moses, he was a friend, a confidant, a prayer warrior, a helper and a mentor.  Pastor Robert walked with Moses through some very difficult seasons in life and assisted Moses with gathering research information and data while Moses was writing his master's thesis.  

Moses wept for two days.  We decided we would need to journey back to Soroti to visit the widow and pay our respects at the grave site.  So we traveled on Monday the 13th... and I just knew that God was holding Moses' heart.  He was tenderly speaking words of comfort and peace into a broken heart full of questions.

After a few days in Soroti, we chose to continue on to Kampala.  I have silently been dealing with a health issue that is wearing me down emotionally.  It's been over three weeks now, but I have been spotting every day... I know, sorry, maybe this is too much information for male readers... but this stuff is real. I wanted answers.

Lab work and an ultrasound show that I have polycystic ovary syndrome.  It means I have a hormonal imbalance. Since I am on serious blood thinners, I am not allowed to take hormone treatments, contraceptives, or normal medications that would help heal this chemical imbalance. 

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Scientfically, for easy explanation, like the doctor did for me... it means that my LH hormone is constantly higher right now than the FSH... and the LH should only be higher once a month... so it makes my emotions run wild and the flow to continue.  

So again, this is where I know God has me in the Palm of His Hand.  Two people have prayed for me saying the words of Luke 8:44 "She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped." That's what I'm clinging too. I'm holding on to Jesus's hem, while He hems me in with His tender care.  The only treatment for me is exercise and weight loss... so please pray I can battle my selfish desires and see results.

Reading a blog called "Faith and Leadership", I read a post written by Jeremy Troxler that talked about being "hemmed in" which I have appreciated today.

The word for "hem in" is the word used when a city is laid under siege.  "You besiege me, O God." "You hem me in. You besiege me. You entrap me. You encircle me. You beleaguer me, behind and before. You will not leave me alone." This "hemming in" is not a hedge of protection; it's concertina wire for trespassers."

That's my prayer in this season - of quieter ministry moments, of loss, of health issues, of making new friends, of missing old friends... that God would hem us in.  He knows us!  

And now... for a bit of random...

While we were out of Gulu, we brought Bolt to The Big Fix.  It's a dog hospital/kennel/obedience training school... so he had a little time away to learn some manners.  Moses and I are both glad that we have a pet with us on this journey of shifting and changing.  He keeps us company.

Gulu is colder than we are used to and we often bundle up inside our thick walled, underground home.  And lately that sun is refusing to shine as rains water the earth.

We've been going through this intense course with a young lady who is also holding on to Jesus' hem and asking God to hem her in.

We are grateful for the community and staff around us who make living in Gulu and this compound an easy transition.

While in Soroti, I was able to catch up with my namesake, Karen.  She is healthy and strong and was happy to go for a little car ride. 

Well, that's it for now.  May you also be surrounded by God - enveloped in His love, housed in His care, corralled in His peace and cocooned in His presence.