We've heard the phrase, but what does it REALLY mean? I received an email regarding a devastating circumstance - the move of a family member in which this individual has found solace and comfort after three huge losses in her life in the space of 101 days. I thought about this subject before bed and again this morning. My conclusion? Sometimes God takes away things that we become too dependent on so that we rely more fully on Him. We might know that in our head but sometimes it’s hard to get it through our heart.
Allow me to share a personal experience (or three :)
Late last year, I discovered a homeopathic pill for nerves and stress and found myself taking them quite frequently. Nothing wrong with that at all. And it wasn’t hurting my body because it was homeopathic. I am aware that it could have totally been mind over matter – the pill might not have really worked that well, but I didn’t care how it worked as long as it settled my nerves. But one day when I took it I immediately felt convicted. God said, “You are depending WAY too much on those little white pills and NOT ENOUGH on Me to get you through this. We can work on this together. You can be a conqueror over this area of your life, but I want to be the one to get the credit and NOT those little white pills! I want to be the one you come to first not LAST. I want the praise and the glory for this victory.”
I recognized His voice because I had heard it before. When I was fighting to keep horse pills down to build up my hemoglobin in the early weeks of my pregnancy with Janae so I would have a better chance of carrying that pregnancy. And again when I was struggling to breastfeed Kerrigan, thinking that was where we had gone wrong with the problems with Janae. I heard His voice in the stillness of the night. And again while standing under the spray of the shower with tears streaming down my face so hard I could not separate the two. I heard His voice and I answered - because I knew He was the only HOPE; He was my only HELP. Whatever I was doing might have been working to a degree. But how much better to have the Creator of all things, including ME, on my side; fighting this battle with me – and even at times for me?!
In the stillness of that night in 1997, I told God I was killing the baby that was inside me. I couldn’t take the prescribed herbs for my blood count. And He told me, “Quit taking those pills and I will let your baby live.” I surrendered but not without a fight. A week or so later when I was admitted to the hospital for hyper emesis, in spite of not being able to eat properly my hemoglobin was 14.6 – an all-time high for me! But only because of God.
Under the spray of that shower 7 years ago when I felt that I was failing my baby because we were having difficulty breast-feeding, God said, “I want you to stop nursing her, put her on formula and trust Me for her life.” “But God, everyone will think I’m nuts!” “It doesn’t matter.” “But God, formula is what caused Janae all the problems and I don’t want to risk that with Kerrigan.” “Yes, but when in the end you look back and realize that you made it through Kerrigan’s infancy with no problems, I don’t want you to credit yourself and the ability to breastfeed. I want you to look back and say, ‘I did everything wrong according to our previous track record, but God made everything right – and God alone.' ” And that is exactly what I said - "only because of God."
I still have the little white pills in my night stand and in my purse. God has given me His “permission” and “blessing” to take them on occasion. But less and less frequently. And ONLY after I call on Him first.
“…despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” Romans 8:37 NLT
“They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them. You are my King and my God. You command victories for Israel. Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me. You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies; you disgrace those who hate us. O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name.” Psalm 44:3-8 NLT
Showing posts with label praise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label praise. Show all posts
Friday, April 18, 2008
Saturday, January 5, 2008
A Lesson from Lice
“Are you or is someone in your group in a desperate situation right now? Read Genesis 21:19 again. Might there be a ‘well’ for sustenance, if only you could see it? Pray alone or together, asking God to open your eyes just as He opened Hagar’s and aided her in her desperation.”
“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me.” Psalm 138:7
I read these words in my devotion today and fear struck my heart. “Not another tragedy, Lord,” I thought, “I don’t think I can handle it right now.” Then knowing the enemy is the one who instills fear, I immediately grabbed hold of the promise that God has a plan and He knows what it best. He knows how to turn anything to work for my good and He promised that He would be there - always. I went on with my day.
Less than an hour later we received a phone call from the school. You are going to laugh when I tell you what it was concerning, but my heart sank at the words that came out of Tony’s mouth. “They think our kids might have head lice!” he declared with urgency in his voice. I panicked. I freaked out. I just knew my life had ended for the next few weeks. Head lice!?!?! I have three girls - two with very long, thick hair. How will we ever manage to get rid of it and be sure it’s gone? I had not been down this road before as the parent, the one in charge.
While I grabbed a quick shower I do what I often do there and had a little chat with God. I think that works for me right now because it’s the one place where I can have complete and total solitude. I can laugh, cry, sing and weep and no one hears me but God (at least if they do hear me, they have never let on). By the time my less than 10 minute shower was over, I came downstairs with a completely different perspective. Head lice shouldn’t be that big of a deal. It’s not a terminal disease or life-threatening illness. Yeah, we’ll be inconvenienced for a few days or weeks while we do constant laundry and keep vigil over these little critters. It could be a whole lot worse. So praise the Lord we are all healthy!
And now here I sit at the end of this grueling day. Exhausted, weary, hurting because I have had hours of stand-up work to do with a very sore heel; thoroughly shampooing a thick head of hair (only one daughter had it) vacuuming, vacuuming and vacuuming, laundry and more laundry and then getting the bedding back in place so a tired little girl can finally go to sleep. I still have piles of stuffed animals that need tossed in a good hot dryer and we have ordered a better kind of shampoo so there is more work to come in the next week. But for today, my work is done. And as I threw in that last load, I remembered my devotions from this morning. “Lord, was this the difficulty I was to face today? It hasn’t been easy and certainly wasn’t the evening I envisioned. But it could have been so much worse. So if this was it, thanks for not allowing it to be more serious. And thanks for helping me to put things into perspective. That in and of itself is the most important lesson that I could have walked away with today. You are so totally worthy of praise – in good times and in bad times. And if you are there to calm me and teach me when I’m dealing with something as mundane and commonplace as head lice, how much more will you be there in times of difficulty and devastation?”
It's then I remember the last part of the devotion that reads, “Praise God because he is an all-knowing Father who hears the cries of his children. Nothing that happens to us can ever escape his notice." [from something as simple as the call about head lice to something as distressing as the call that your father is gone forever.] And that is a promise we can take to the bank – because I’ve proven it.
“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me.” Psalm 138:7
I read these words in my devotion today and fear struck my heart. “Not another tragedy, Lord,” I thought, “I don’t think I can handle it right now.” Then knowing the enemy is the one who instills fear, I immediately grabbed hold of the promise that God has a plan and He knows what it best. He knows how to turn anything to work for my good and He promised that He would be there - always. I went on with my day.
Less than an hour later we received a phone call from the school. You are going to laugh when I tell you what it was concerning, but my heart sank at the words that came out of Tony’s mouth. “They think our kids might have head lice!” he declared with urgency in his voice. I panicked. I freaked out. I just knew my life had ended for the next few weeks. Head lice!?!?! I have three girls - two with very long, thick hair. How will we ever manage to get rid of it and be sure it’s gone? I had not been down this road before as the parent, the one in charge.
While I grabbed a quick shower I do what I often do there and had a little chat with God. I think that works for me right now because it’s the one place where I can have complete and total solitude. I can laugh, cry, sing and weep and no one hears me but God (at least if they do hear me, they have never let on). By the time my less than 10 minute shower was over, I came downstairs with a completely different perspective. Head lice shouldn’t be that big of a deal. It’s not a terminal disease or life-threatening illness. Yeah, we’ll be inconvenienced for a few days or weeks while we do constant laundry and keep vigil over these little critters. It could be a whole lot worse. So praise the Lord we are all healthy!
And now here I sit at the end of this grueling day. Exhausted, weary, hurting because I have had hours of stand-up work to do with a very sore heel; thoroughly shampooing a thick head of hair (only one daughter had it) vacuuming, vacuuming and vacuuming, laundry and more laundry and then getting the bedding back in place so a tired little girl can finally go to sleep. I still have piles of stuffed animals that need tossed in a good hot dryer and we have ordered a better kind of shampoo so there is more work to come in the next week. But for today, my work is done. And as I threw in that last load, I remembered my devotions from this morning. “Lord, was this the difficulty I was to face today? It hasn’t been easy and certainly wasn’t the evening I envisioned. But it could have been so much worse. So if this was it, thanks for not allowing it to be more serious. And thanks for helping me to put things into perspective. That in and of itself is the most important lesson that I could have walked away with today. You are so totally worthy of praise – in good times and in bad times. And if you are there to calm me and teach me when I’m dealing with something as mundane and commonplace as head lice, how much more will you be there in times of difficulty and devastation?”
It's then I remember the last part of the devotion that reads, “Praise God because he is an all-knowing Father who hears the cries of his children. Nothing that happens to us can ever escape his notice." [from something as simple as the call about head lice to something as distressing as the call that your father is gone forever.] And that is a promise we can take to the bank – because I’ve proven it.
Eight or nine students were sent home. We weren't the only ones that had the privilege of dealing with it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)