Loosen Your Grip!

I remember one summer afternoon painting the trim on our house and coming to a standstill because I came to a place that I couldn't reach. It was the last eighteen inches of the trim that went up to the peak of the roof. Being the bright woman that I am (?), I decided that the only way I was going to be able to finish my painting that day was to climb onto the roof. So up I went, confidently scaling the roof until I reached the peak of the house. I positioned myself right at the top so that I could dangle myself over to finish my painting. Feeling rather proud of myself, I lifted my head to check out the view. What I saw made my stomach do a flip-flop! It was the great distance between me and the ground! I had reached the peak alright but now I was paralyzed and hanging on with all my fingers and toes! I closed my eyes and tried to think what to do, since I was home alone. I could just imagine the fire department coming to fetch me, with sirens blaring! I knew that first they would have to pry my white knuckled fingers from the roof because at this point I was trusting no one.

Alas I heard voices! It was the neighbor boy going out to play but should I dare holler at him? I was so embarrassed by this time, but finally, I got the courage to call his name and ask him to get his mother. I have often wondered what she thought of me as I lay on the roof motionless, afraid to move and afraid to breathe! She wisely brought the ladder closer and climbed up so that she could talk to me. Her voice was reassuring but could I trust her? What experience had she had in getting people off of roofs....SAFELY? Then she said something that was absolutely crazy! “Let go, Jeanie! Trust me, you can do it!” I had no choice! Slowly, I began to relax my steel grip on the roof and crawled down from my perch, ever so cautiously. Besides thank you, I don't remember what all I said to my neighbor and I still get red in the face when I think of that awful experience. I do know that the neighbor moved shortly after that day.

I thought of this as I struggled to trust God with a situation that seemed impossible to me! I have encouraged people plenty of times to trust God but now,I was having difficulty trusting him myself.  I heard his encouraging voice through scripture and as I prayed but could I loosen my steal grip and trust him to handle it His way instead of mine?  Did I have the courage to say, "Okay, your will be done, Lord!  Finally, he whispered to my soul, “Let go and trust Me”! I did let go and again peace was mine.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

 

P.S. I have never been on a roof since that day!

The Guided Tour!

A few years ago we went to Disney World with two of our daughters and their families. We had a wonderful time. The reasons we had such a great time, other than we were all together, was that friends of my son-in-law who wintered in Orlando and worked at the park gave us a guided tour. They guided us to each attraction with ease and put us at the front of the line and the front row of every show, ride and attraction. All we had to do was keep our eye on our gracious hosts.

They cut through the crowds with precision and speed getting us to each show right on time. With our guides the price of the attractions were cut as well as all refreshment we bought throughout the day. Everywhere we went was in the style fit for a king, indeed we felt like royalty as we went ahead of others waiting in long lines with our guides ahead of us.

Today I thought of another Guide that wants to lead us through life as children of the King! He can cut, with precision, through the cares of this life and get us to where we need to be in His own right time. He desires to refresh us with His word and His presence. He wants to place us on the front row of his plans as He guides us in His ways. And the best of all....He has already paid the price. All we have to do is keep our eyes on Him, who IS the Way! Jesus is the Way!

So Thirsty I Could Suck A Mop......Thirsty!

Have you ever had real thirst? I mean, so-thirsty-you-could-suck-a-mop, thirst? I remember feeling such thirst, one very hot July day, when we took the kids to the St. Louis zoo. Knowing how expensive beverages were at the zoo, we brought our own little picnic including drinks but with the sweltering heat we were in great need of something more to drink. It was back in the day before ATM cards and the zoo only excepted cash. Unfortunately we didn't have enough cash to buy all seven of us a drink so we compromised and bought one drink to share. Like any mom, I let my parched children go first, with my tongue waiting patiently for just a drop to quench my thirst. Did you ever split a very small $5 drink seven ways? As you can imagine, by the time it got to me, one very small ice cube tumbled from the styrofoam cup into my waiting mouth. I have to say that it was the most refreshing little ice cube that ever melted on my tongue. Was I thirsty again? Yes! But for that moment heaven came down!

I thought of that physical thirst I had as I read today from Psalm 63:1 about a spiritual thirst.

You, God are my God, earnestly I seek you; I THIRST FOR YOU. My whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

In one of the books I am reading, it was suggested that I come up with a theme for the year and immediately this verse came to mind. My theme became “I Thirst For You” because I want to always want to hunger and thirst for what my God has for me.

David wrote these words as he was in the Desert of Judah hiding from Saul who wanted to kill him. He starts out with “You, God are my God, earnestly I seek you;” David, though I am sure he felt betrayed by others knew that his God still listened. Can't you hear David's desperate plea as he says to God....Earnestly I seek you? Being in the desert David knew something about physical thirst but this plea was for the spiritual thirst he felt. “I THIRST FOR YOU”, he said and then, as if to clarify even further he went on to to say; My whole being longs for you! Can you feel David's desperation? Then our song writer says from where he is coming..... a dry and parched land where there is no water!

Have you ever felt like you lived in this kind of land? Many times, when I look around it's hard to find any good in this old world. God has been excluded from everything. The “Living Water” seems unimportant to most people and we thirst for God. But then......that little morsel tumbles into my parched mouth and I rejoice that God is still in the business of quenching our thirst for Him whether it be in a beautiful scripture, a sunrise or feeling His presence. Will I be thirsty again? Yes! But for that moment, as David did, I go to my Lord with this plea, “Come to me Lord because I THIRST FOR YOU!”

Like Sheep

I hate losing anything, so when I reread the stories about the lost coin, the lost sheep and the lost son, in the bible this morning, I completely understood.

Luke chapter 15 opens with the lost sheep. One of my favorite paintings is of Jesus with the lamb over his shoulders. He is the “Good Shepherd” who not only cares for the 99 sheep but searches for the lost sheep and when he finds it, the bible says he joyfully goes home with it.

The parable that follows that one, is about a woman who has ten silver coins and loses one. At first I wondered why this one coin would be so important to this woman since today our coins are worth so little, but it is said that this coin would be about the same as a days wage for the woman. So this coin was of great value to her. In the same way we are worth much to God. Both of these parables says it is the same way when one sinner repents, there is a great celebration in heaven.

The parable of the lost son is along the same lines as the previous stories. The youngest son decides he's tired of hanging around with his father and older brother and wants to take off and have some fun! He asks his father for the money that he would have received as an inheritance upon his father's death. He was so anxious to “live” that he wasn't willing to wait for his father to die. His father gave it to him and indeed he did live it up for awhile, with money in his pocket he had lots of friends to live it up with. He didn't even give his father a thought since his days and nights were filled with all the pleasure he could find. He was happy with his new life, until his money and his pleasures ran out. He found himself tending pigs, which for a Jewish boy was the lowest of lows. He decided to return to his waiting Father.

The Father saw his son from a long way off and went out to him, threw his arms around him and kissed him. He called quickly for a celebration because his son who was dead, is alive, he who was lost was found.

I noticed a few things about these parables that made me think. The coin that was lost may have been covered in dirt since the bible says that the woman swept the house clean before finding the coin. I think sometimes without thinking too much about it our salvation can collect the dust and dirt of neglect. Is your bible dusty from lack of use, when was the last time we prayed or worshiped the Lord! There will be a celebration when you return.

The lost sheep probably wondered off, not really meaning to get lost. Just like you and I, we can very subtly open ourselves up to sin, we can wonder off. You didn't mean to get involved with the man in your office but he was so nice and complimented you constantly. He just looked at the porn site out of curiosity but then he was hooked. They didn't mean to wonder out into sin, you didn't mean to get lost but here you are. There will be a celebration when you return.

The prodigal son didn't just neglect his faith or just wonder off he stomped his defiant foot and said let me at it! He wanted it all including every sin he could get himself into. Have you ever knowingly, willingly turned your back on God? “I don't believe there is a God, one might say, this life is all there is and I intend to get all I can out of it” “God doesn't care about me,” another spouts! “I'm a good person, I don't need God!” still another says. Sound familiar?

I loved the part in the prodigal son when it said, the Father ran to his son and like the lost sheep, the Father joyfully brought him back home. Jesus says, about the one sheep out of one hundred, “in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” There will be a celebration in heaven when even one returns.