This year was like no other. It was a year in which grace abounded and the mercy of God found us at every turn of page in our calendars. This year, like none before, I learned how to say a robust “Amen!” to all the Providences of God in my life and the life of my family. It was not easy, we were tested in many hard ways, but learning to say “Amen and Amen” each day caused me to turn my eyes to the Lord and submit to His perfect will for us. And do you know what helped me most to say “Amen” to the circumstances that were crushing and that I didn’t understand? Being in the Word and practicing saying “Amen!” to what the Scriptures say.

“Amen to Your promises, Lord, yes! But amen also to the warnings, to the admonitions, amen to what You call sin, amen to what You hate and amen to what You love. Amen to Your mercy and grace and amen to Your righteous judgments. Amen to the things I understand and amen to the things I can’t explain. Amen to Your will being done on the earth -in my life!- as it is done in heaven. Amen when You give me ‘no’ as an answer. Amen to the dealings of the spirit in my life. Amen to receiving a cascade of gifts and undeserved blessings with open hands. Amen to the needs I have that draw me closer to You in prayer and remind me of my dependence on You. Amen to the songs You have put in my heart. Amen to the Psalms – all of them. Amen to Your Word working in my life. Amen to the tears and amen to the laughter. Amen to all things that in your good Providence you bring to my life to grow me. Amen to the the Winter, to the Spring, to the Fall, to the Summer. Amen and amen.”

May 2020  be year be a year of “Amens” for all of us. May we quickly learn not to complain and murmur and let unbelief take root in our hearts, but with the help of the Spirit, may we learn to submit ourselves to the Word of God and the work of the Spirit in our lives. God is good and He is at work, we cannot forget that.

Practice saying “Amen, Lord!” in the little things, in the little inconveniences of life, in the big events that turn your life upside down. Practice saying “Amen, Lord!” in the smallest and greatest joys,  say it in the kitchen and in the hospital.  Practice as your read the Word of God each day. Practice at the dinner table after saying grace, practice at church, let your “Amen” be always robust, heartfelt, from the bottom of your heart.

Under his sun and by grace,

Becky Pliego

Note: I wrote something along these lines, but more concise,  in the last weekly email for the Bible Reading Challenge, which you can find  here.