I thought
I would tell you about a funny incident in the grocery store the other
day. It might give you a smile.
My sister
picked me up to go get some groceries. I knew she likes to get home fast
to her cats so I try to hurry as fast as I can. Now because I have a
walker my sister pushes the grocery cart. She got a few things then
parked the grocery cart across the aisle from where the carrots, squash,
and potatoes are. I picked up a couple bags of carrots and started tossing them
across the aisle into the cart so I could get things done quickly. A lady
was walking down the aisle at the same time as the carrots were airborne in
front of her...barely missing her. She said, “Woe, flying carrots!” I
didn’t see her before I let go of the carrots, so was quickly apologizing to
her. (I
was kind of stressed that morning before this happened.) Then the lady
disappeared. I threw four squashes into the cart (looking first this time), then was going to get a
bag of potatoes. I picked up a bag of potatoes and was just getting ready
to toss them across the aisle into the cart when that same lady suddenly
appeared again from the opposite direction. I was still holding the potatoes
when I noticed her moving toward me. She walked right over to me and said very
innocently, “What are you going to do with those?” She sounded like a
comedian the way she said it. I just cracked up and started laughing. She was kind of saying, “I
hope you are not thinking of throwing those at me too.” Some other people
who had seen it were laughing too. She was dressed like a business lady and was
serious looking but, obviously, had a good sense of humor. I’m guessing
she was probably about mid-forty. She kind of made my day. It gave me a
lift which I needed. When I look back on it, I guess I must have looked
like I was in some kind of contest to see how fast I could fill the cart with
groceries.
Even this
could have been a God-incident... the laugh was such good medicine as I was so
stressed about a few things which I have no control over. It helped me to relax
some and be able to concentrate on God’s Word when I got home.
After
being in His Word it helped even more to talk to God, pour out my heart
to Him (Psalm.62), and tell Him what my fears were, and why, and then
listen. He brings passages to mind to remind me that it doesn’t matter
what other people are doing, He is in control even of that. All the results are
in His hands and He is right there with me so I am not going through them
alone. Whatever difficulties He allows into my life are for a purpose, a
very good purpose...even if I cannot understand how right now. He knows
what He is doing, and I need to keep my focus on Him, knowing there is an
eternal purpose for everything that happens, and when it happens. Our part is
to learn, grow, trust deeper, get our sight fixed back on Him and enjoy His
presence. He is our Abba and we are is children, so we are to run to Him
and tell Him how we are feeling, discuss our problems with Him and be still and
listen to what passages He brings to our heart, or maybe a principle or
commandment. Pray His Word back to Him too, and listen. We live in a
rush, rush world and find it difficult to sit still long enough to listen, but
we need to make some time to be alone with Him each day, even if it is short
periods sometimes. It is good to have a notebook and Bible to write down
what God is bringing to your heart and mind after you pour out to Him and sit
silently listening to what He brings to your heart. Write it down afterward and
meditate on it. How does God want to work this out in me? Just ask
questions and listen... It is at these times I feel most close to God.
He wants our heart-felt needs to be brought to Him and He wants us to be honest
to the core with whatever the fears or the needs are. This is worshipping
Him in Spirit and truth. This is what He wants, all of our heart right to
the depths of it laid out before Him to heal the broken places so that He can
bring times of refreshment. Then we can truly give Him heart praise and thanks
for being our Abba through what Christ has done for our benefit and
salvation. This is why He has given us the Holy Spirit to counsel and enable
us through anything we must endure. We have Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
with us at all times. We just have to be more careful sometimes about
quenching Him rather than crying out to Him, or pouring out our hearts to Him
and listening to what He wants us to remember. He knows we will not be perfect
before Jesus returns and that is why we need to keep returning to him for
comfort, direction, forgiveness, to humble ourselves, to pour out our fears and
our prayers for others, and to feel so grateful, so thankful, from our hearts
that He is there for us 24/7 and ready to give us the hug we need and the
Fatherly advice, encouragement, and reminders. He brings us to the cross
always, and brings us to praise and a worshipful heart set after this because
of His amazing love, mercy, and grace.
As I
remind you of this, I am reminding myself at the same time. I need to
hear it over and over, and over, as many times as I will need it for the rest
of my life.
This was
part of a letter to my daughter. I
thought I would use this part as a post for now as my life has been under much
pressure lately and I didn’t know what to write for the blog yet. I pray these words will lighten someone
else’s heart and encourage their spirit so that they too will find their
refreshment and hope in Him in their time of need.
No comments:
Post a Comment