“So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there he refreshed himself.” 2 Samuel 16:13-14 ESV When I think of throwing rocks, young children typically come to mind. When I was a young child, a neighborhood boy threw a large rock and struck me in the back. The attack was unprovoked, but I can say with certainty that it did not…
“The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground with the waters a wall to the right and to the left. The Egyptians came after them in full pursuit, every horse and chariot and driver of Pharaoh racing into the middle of the sea. It was now the morning watch. God looked down from the Pillar of Fire and Cloud on the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic. He clogged the wheels of their chariots; they were stuck in the mud. The Egyptians said, “Run from Israel! God is fighting on their side and against Egypt!” Exodus 14:22-25 MSG The Israelites were finally free from Pharaoh’s grasp, or so they thought. While they were fleeing Egypt I’m sure in their eyes everything appeared to be going well. Pharaoh released them, so surely this had to be the easy part of the journey, right? When they reached the water’s edge and looked back, they could see Pharaoh and his army hot on their heels. When they turned around facing forward again, all they could see for miles was water. This had to be the end. Grumbling and complaining to Moses, they cried out in fear for their lives. Of course, as God does,…
“Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.” Psalms 91:5-7 There are so many things to be afraid of. We can all list the more common fears, those being the dark, spiders, heights, germs, and so many more. Fear can paralyze us sometimes, causing our adrenaline to spike but our bodies to remain frozen. Fear is multifaceted, in that it can activate either your fight or flight response. Do you turn and flee when confronted with something that terrifies you, or do you remain stoic and fight? Fear, in and of itself, is not always a bad thing though. When faced with a life-or-death situation, fear can wake reflexes and intuitions that do not function in our day-to-day lives. Your heart begins to pump, adrenaline will shoot through your veins, and unimportant organs for survival will be neglected for the short amount of time needed to escape the situation. It is your body’s natural…
“But you, God, break out laughing; you treat the godless nations like jokes. Strong God, I’m watching you do it, I can always count on you. God in dependable love shows up on time, shows me my enemies in ruin.” Psalms 59:8-10 MSG In moments of suffering and struggle, it can be so challenging to declare that we see God working it out – but that is exactly what faith requires of us. Trusting in God won’t always feel like we are on the mountaintop, admiring the view of victory. Rather, it is more often than not us trudging through the…
Age is a number. That is all. But it is not just years. It’s moments in time—strung together like beads on a string. The string is not endless. It’s just so many mornings and so many evenings—sunrises and sunsets. It’s so many cups of coffee, pieces of toast, slices of pie—just so many egg rolls, enchiladas, and schnitzels. So many miles driven, steps taken, lawns mowed, weeds pulled, pencils pushed, timecards punched, degrees earned, dishes washed, and loads of laundry. It’s a certain number of log ons and log ins—of books read, letters written, conversations held, questions asked … and answered, trips taken, memories made, stories shared, tears shed, and belly laughs. Just so many hugs and so many kisses. So many smiles, pats on the back, pecks on the cheek, and words of affirmation. It’s a specific number—of prayers prayed, sins forgiven, hurts healed, “thank you”s spoken, breaths taken … heart beats. Just so many. It’s a number. When is it enough? When is it ALL? When does it make a WHOLE life? When does the calculator stop, and the totals are final? When does the OS shut down and the screen go black? Age is a number. That…
Have you heard of the “Antiques Roadshow”? My hubby and I try to decide ahead of time if the item that is brought to the appraiser is valuable or not. More often than not, we get it wrong! Sometimes, it’s hard to determine the worth of something without knowing the creator’s name and history. I had a dream a few weeks ago that I had somehow discovered a vase passed down from my mother. In my dream, I was sure that it was a vase from the time of the Ming Dynasty and it would be worth tens of thousands! As I try to remember the details of the dream, I also remember that the year 1948 was mentioned. Of course, that is many centuries later than the Ming Dynasty. But what significance does this year have regarding my mother and my family? In my heart, I felt like the dream had a spiritual meaning. I began to trace the history of when Mom came to know Jesus and have a relationship with him. My siblings are significantly older than I am, so I questioned my sister. She was very young and does not recall that time accurately. We are…