The Car Dilemma

We were driving home from a nice walk at a nature center today.  We were one exit away.  Less than three miles from home when I decided to exit early, pull into a parking lot, turn off the car, and just sit there.  Why?  You might ask.  Because I had a point to prove.

Sometimes we are on a journey.  We have a purpose, a destination, a goal.  But as humans, we also are very stubborn.  We want to do things OUR way.  Or we just don't feel like being on that journey any more.  And sometimes that means pulling off the highway, pulling into a parking lot, turning off the car, and just sitting there.  We no longer are moving towards our destination.  We have halted our journey. 

I had a choice to make while sitting in that parking lot.  I could try to push the car the rest of the way home.  I mean, I didn't feel like driving any more.  I could have gotten out of the car and tried with all my might to push the car three miles to our home.  That would cause me to exert quite a bit of effort.  Of course I would get some pretty good exercise, but it would take much longer to get home than if I had just turned the key and drove home.  

I could have also just refused to budge.  I could sit there for days.  I would get closer to my destination if I at least pushed the car.  But in this case, not only would I be the same distance away as when I stopped, I would stink, be hungry and cranky, and probably really tired since I can't sleep well in the car.  So that doesn't seem like a viable option.

I also could have turned on the car and drove in the opposite direction.  I could have decided that I didn't want to go home any more.  I would get further away from my destination.  I would be getting somewhere, but sometimes somewhere is no better than no where.  

And one more option that I could have chosen was to get out of the car and let The Hubs drive home.  He could have helped me finish my journey.  He could have made the sacrifice and drive the last three miles.  (I'm sure it wouldn't have been that much of a sacrifice.) And I would actually reach my destination.  I would have made it to my goal.  I would be going forward.

But I had a choice.  

It is the same in our relationship with God.  We have a destination, a goal.  Some goals are daily, some are long term.  One goal I have is to have a closer walk with God.  That one is daily.  I have to chose, daily, to get up and walk with Him.  There are days I will be on a stubborn streak and decide I just want to sit there and not move.  I don't want to walk.  But when I make this choice, my relationship with God doesn't get closer.  It starts to get stagnant.  My relationship with God starts to stink, in a way.  I then have to make a choice.  Whether I feel like it or not, I have to make a choice.  

I can sit there and not walk with God and let our relationship get stagnant.  I can get up and walk in the other direction, cause a rift in our relationship.  I can drag myself on the floor, but my journey will be quite the slow one.  Or I can just choose to walk. Whether I feel like it or not.  Because when I am walking with God, my perspective changes.  My mood increases.  My faith strengthens.  And soon, my feelings come back.  But feelings should not be the factor in my walk with God.  

So after a few minutes, I started the car back up and drove the last three miles home.  I decided my journey should end at home and the quickest way to get there was to drive.  I made a choice.  Not based on feelings.  But based on fact.  

My walk with God is a choice based not on feelings, but on faith only By God's Amazing Grace.

Something Beautiful

I have been living in a new state for about three weeks now.  It feels much longer.  But that's it.  And it has been a very busy three weeks.  The first week was spent getting the car registered and getting our licenses.  The second week was working on my new classroom.  The third week has been sight seeing.  Has been an amazing three weeks.

During one of our sight seeing trips, we went on a walk along a canal.  The Hubs, Little Bit, and I walked about 4 miles.  Would have been more if it wasn't for a down pour.  There were trees lining the walk way.  The evergreens are beautiful.  I am excited about seeing snow on them this winter.  Only animal I remember seeing was a rabbit.  There might have been horses, but I cannot remember.

For the most part, everything we saw was beautiful.  Except this one section.  There was a group of shrubs that looked like spiders made into their own little town.  It was either spiders or cotton, but either way.  I am sure they had hotels, grocery stores, schools, and parks in there.  I am thankful I didn't see the construction workers.  With the size of the little town, I would expect a large family to live there.  But it wasn't...beautiful.  It looked like a mess.

But then I noticed something.  A flower.  A beautiful flower was in full bloom in the middle of the mess.  The flower was untouched by this little town created by something I did not want to come in contact with.  There weren't any other flowers at all there.  Just that one.  And it stood tall.

It made me think.  My life is a mess.  Not every part of me is beautiful.  There are a lot of not beautiful parts to me, actually.  But in the middle of my mess, in the middle of the lack of beauty, God has found something beautiful in me.  He has found something He can use in me.  He has created something beautiful in me.  That part stands tall.  It is untouched by the mess, by the ugliness.

However messy your life is, there is something beautiful there.  Let God use it.  Don't hide behind something ugly.  Stand out with something beautiful.  

It is like that saying goes, "Only God can turn a mess into a message, a test into a testimony, a trial into a triumph, a victim into a victory." (Not sure who to give credit to for this saying.)  Only God can take our mess and make something beautiful out of it.  Only He can shine through us and make us beautiful.  We just have to let Him.  We can only do this By God's Amazing Grace.

Overheating and Homeless

Since the new job offer has been presented to me, all things have been moving smoothly.  Very smoothly.  We found an apartment from home.  We just looked on line and found one we liked.  And we were blessed abundantly with money that was owed to us from different companies.  Everything was great.

On July 1, we went to have our car looked at to make sure it was road ready.  Yeah, that was funny.  Ended up having to put around twelve hundred dollars of work into the car.  But now we had new brakes, shocks, struts, clean oil, and who knows what else.  This is after a bunch of work that has been done on the car in the past 8 months.  We have had the radiator and hoses, the A/C compressor and condenser, front brakes, ball joints, and two wheels replaced.  That car is pretty much brand new now.  Haha.

On July 2, as we finished packing our bags and boxes, two wonderful friends of ours came over to help us clean our place.  We were thinking we would have to stay back after the movers left to clean up everything.  It was such a huge relief when they both offered to help.  So then we would only have to stay back to vacuum after the movers left.  Nope.  Not even that.  One of the wonderful friends mentioned above said he could come back over Wednesday night to vacuum the place.  Like I said, wonderful friends.

On July 3, we awaited the arrival of the movers.  What I did not realize is that he had an actual semi-truck.  And he had to get that thing into our gated community.  Haha.  Ya, I had no idea.  I was seriously thinking moving truck.  So that was a small obstacle.  But he was able to get it maneuvered into the parking lot, very carefully.  It was parked about 30 feet from our door, but it was in.  Not only did we not have to stay to clean or vacuum the place, we didn't even have to stay while they were moving.  We left the movers our spare key and were able to take off a little earlier.

After stopping by my sister-in-law's place for a little bit, we were on the road.  Our goal was to make it to Salina, Kansas and stay the night.  That was the half way point in our journey. It was supposed to take six to seven hours.  Instead, it took about eleven or twelve.  That was with a lunch and supper stop, gas, and potty breaks.  And we tried to sleep.  At least the hubs got a decent night's sleep.  I don't think I fell asleep for about four hours after laying down.  But I did get some sleep.

On July 4, Independence Day, we left the motel at about 7:30 in the morning.  According to GPS, we should make it to our destination in six hours.  We were making good time.  Everything was nice and smooth.  The roads were fairly clear.  We had absolutely no signal on our phones, but that wasn't a problem at all.

We were about 100 miles from our destination when I heard a ding ding ding.  I looked down at the dash and noticed a red light.  It has waves and something sticking out of it.  I told the hubs it looked like a fishy.  Haha.  The cars temperature had reached 261 and was climbing.  And right when I looked back up, there was an exit for a gas station.  So we drove to the gas station and let the car cool down.  We poured water on the car to help it cool down.  A really nice guy asked us if we needed help, and we explained the situation to him.  He gave us some tips.  Oh, and did I mention, we had signal again?  Yep, we had roaming signal on our phones.  We were able to send out texts asking for prayer.

After half an hour, we were on the road again.  We drove with the windows down and A/C off.  It was a beautiful afternoon.  Perfect day to drive with the windows down.  About half an hour after leaving the gas station, we heard the ding ding ding again.  The was over heating again.  And once again, there was an exit and a gas station.  We pulled into the gas station, went inside to chill.  After being there for thirty to forty five minutes, the hubs bought some coolant and put it in the car.  It took the whole bottle.  So we were on the road again.

We actually made it to Denver.  Safely and in one piece.  We decided to drive by where we would live.  We couldn't sign the lease or pick up the keys until the fifth.  The moment I saw the apartments, my heart sank.  I seriously almost started crying.  The place did not look well kept at all.  The area did not look safe.  I could not imagine making my daughter live there.  I didn't know what to do.  And then the car started over heating again.  We drove down the street to a Goodwill and parked the car.  We went inside to let the car cool and to enjoy some A/C while it did that.

While we were there, I called my principal of the school to give her an update.  They met us at Goodwill and had us follow them to an eatery.  They fed us and then put us in a really nice motel.  She said to keep looking at places and if need be, we can stay at the motel until we find a place.  Amazing.

That night, I got on the internet and looked at crime ratings for the area of the apartment we were going to get.  It was confirmed that we could not live there.  The worst area for crime was on that street.  I continued to look on line for places and continued to pray.  I tried to go to bed, but I could not sleep.  I could not relax.  I kept praying for God to take it all and I told Him I knew He had this, but I was still struggling letting it all go.  But I finally fell asleep.

On July 5, we had to rent a moving truck to put our stuff in since the movers had another stop in California to make.  We got a 10x10 truck because we really didn't have that much stuff.  Apparently we do.  We had to fill the car, the cab, and one of the mover's SUV.  We took the stuff from the SUV and our front seat to the motel.  But we have all our stuff.  After that, we went apartment hunting.  I would run into a place and ask, "Do you have anything available today, tomorrow, yesterday?" When the answer was no, I would say thank you and leave.  No need wasting their time or mine.

I had an appointment at one o'clock so we were on a time crunch.  I went into a place that I thought was my name sake.  I asked my question and I got a yes.  So I went out and got the hubs and Little Bit out of the car.  He showed us an apartment.  Let me rephrase that.  He showed us the apartment we would get if we decided to live there.  It's a really nice apartment.  Two bedroom, one bath, spacious walk in closet in our room.  Very, very nice.  And a great area.  We put money down so he could do the application and all that other stuff that has to be done when getting an apartment.  But then we had to go because of my appointment.  GPS said we would be there in 30 minutes.

Thirty minutes later, we were not at our location.  We went to the wrong place.  Apparently direction matters  in Denver.  An N, S, E, and W actually mean something here.  So twenty-five more minutes later, we finally reached our destination.  Oh, and the car had reached over 300 degrees during this time.  So we knew our next stop.

So after my appointment, we ate lunch (at three o'clock in the afternoon), then went and bought coolant.  Then we went to a mechanic to have the car checked out.  Water pump.  Come to find out, water pumps are very expensive.  But he couldn't fix it there because the tool he needed was a $600 tool, which he did not have.  So he sent us to another place that did have it.  They told us the car would not be ready until the next day.  We only have one car.  So I called the principal and she let us borrow the 16 passenger school bus until we get our car back.  So her husband came and picked us up and dropped us off at the school.

While we were on our way to pick up the bus, the apartments called and said we were approved!!! We could come by and sign the lease and get the keys.  Praise the Lord!  We are no longer homeless!

So we are driving a small school bus around town until our car gets fixed.  And we have a nice place to live in a very nice area.  God is good.  All the time.

I say all this to say that God's timing is perfect.  Our car could have broken down when we had no signal and no exits.  The engine could have overheated and stopped working.  We could have not had the money we needed.  We received the money at the exact right time.  Not a minute early, not a minute late.  It was perfect timing.  We doubt so much.  We think we have to be in control of everything.  We think we have to do it in our time.  But no, God does it in His time.  And His time is always right.  Why do I worry?  Why do I lose sleep over this stuff?  I don't know?  But each time, my faith is strengthened because I see what God has done for me.  I got a new job, a new place to live, practically a new car, and stronger faith.

All of this is possible only By God's Amazing Grace!

What kind of "Sense" does that Make?

Little Bit can point out most of her body parts.  Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, toes, etc.  We will ask her who made her nose.  The conversation goes like this:
Daddy:  Who made your nose?
Little Bit:  Made nose
D:  Jesus made your nose.
LB:  Jesus made nose.
D:  Why did Jesus make your nose?
LB:  Why?
D:  Because He loves you.
LB:  Jesus loves you.  He does.

Now I know there is more than that, but I am not sure she understands that Jesus made her nose so that she can smell all the other things He made.  We will get there, just not yet.  We will get to her five senses:  sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound.  But she can use each of those senses without knowing how and why they work.

But I was thinking.  We use our five senses to define things around us.  We are able to enjoy the evening sunset with the wide array of colors due to our sense of sight.  We know Grandma is baking her famous apple pie because we can smell the deliciousness wafting out of the oven.  We are able to enjoy a home cooked meal using our sense of taste.  We are able to enjoy kind words from loved ones because we are able to hear the words being spoken.  And we can enjoy hugs from little arms because of our sense of touch.

These are all senses we enjoy on a daily basis, for the most part.  But as humans, we identify things in our life through the senses.  And we try to identify God by using these exact same senses.  We try to "humanize" God.  We limit God to what we know.  And we know what we can touch, see, smell, taste, and hear.

I don't know about you, but I have never actually seen the body of God.  He has not appeared to me.  He hasn't waved at me.  He has not sent me a picture of Himself.  I am not saying God cannot be seen.  He can.  Just not in the same manner that we see our friends, family, coworkers, and so on.  We see God through different things.  I see Him in His creation.  I see Him in my daughter.  I see Him in the miracles He has worked in my life.  But I have not seen His physical self.

I know I have never tasted God.  I actually don't even know what I taste like.  Not all that interested in trying to figure that out, either.  But I can't taste God.  But I can taste the things He has provided for me.  He has provided food on the table.  He has provided rain drops.  He has given me many things to taste.  But I have not tasted Him.

I have not heard God speak.  I do not know what His voice sounds like.  I imagine it being a baritone.  But I have no clue.  That does not mean He does not speak to me.  He speaks to me through His Word, the Bible.  He speaks to me through people I meet.  He speaks to me when I am praying.  Just not using a voice like ours.

And I know I have never smelled God.  Does He smell like roses?  How about apple pie?  I have no idea.  People can change their scents.  They can shower (which helps a lot), put on deodorant (which is good, too), spray on cologne, or even do none of the above.  When I miss my husband at night, I can take his pillow and his scent alleviates some of that.  But what about God?  I imagine through His perfection, He would smell like a garden in full bloom.  But, I don't know.

And of course feeling God.  I have never physically touched God.  Not once.  I have no idea what He feels like.  But I have felt my husbands arms around me, holding me tight.  The comfort, safety, and love I feel when I am in His arms is what I imagine it would feel like in the arms of God, only a gazillion times better.  When Little Bit wraps her arms around my neck and squeezes as tight as her little body possibly can, so much love radiates out that I can imagine that is how God would feel if I were to wrap my arms around His neck and squeeze as tight as I possibly could.  When I am lying in bed, I cover myself with a blanket that feels warm and secure.  I bet God feels warm and secure.  But I have never felt Him.  Only things He has provided for me.

So why do we hold God to our human senses when He is so much bigger than that?  Why do we say we can't feel His presence?  Why do we say we have never seen God?  We should not minimize God and identify God by human standards.  He is so much bigger than that.

I was talking to my husband yesterday afternoon.  And this was our topic of discussion.  I had just woken up from a nap.  I asked him if he could feel me while he was in the other room.  His answer was no.  I asked him if he could hear me while he was out.  He said no.  I asked him if could smell me from the living room.  Thank goodness his answer was no.  I asked him if he could taste me.  Again he said no.  And then I asked him if he could see me while in the other room.  Of course the answer was no.  Then I asked him if he could do none of the above, how did he know I was still there?  He said "Because I just knew that you were in here."

It is the same with God.  We cannot physically see, hear, taste, smell, or feel God.  It is a matter of knowing that He is here.  It is not a feeling.  It is a knowing.  It is by faith, not by sight.  We have to use our heads, not our senses.  And it is by remembering the many promises He has given us through His Word that He will be here.

We can know God is here even when we don't feel Him. This is possible By God's Amazing Grace.

Jungle Gym

The Fam and I went to the park yesterday afternoon.  After walking a few minutes, Little Bit noticed the strategically placed playground located a few feet ahead of us.  She immediately got excited and exclaimed she wanted to play.  The Hubs and I were all for it!  So we let her run ahead of us to the playground.  There was a huge slide in which you had to climb the stairs, go around the corner, crawl up a hole and another set of steps to slide down.  I asked Little Bit if she wanted to slide.  She very adamantly said no.  I don't blame her.

After a few minutes of playing, I saw an area where she could climb up the bars onto the next set of play equipment.  We have decided it is time for her to learn how to climb.  I am not too sure she agreed, though.  We talked her through step by step on how to get up to the top.  Daddy stood at the top so she could constantly see him.  I was right behind her reassuring her she could do it.  She got to a point where both of her feet were on a rung and her hands were one step ahead of her.  She wasn't sure how to get to the next step.  So I told her she needed to place her hands on the next rung and take a step up.  She wasn't too sure of that.  She looked at me and in her sweet little whine, cried "come here" (her way of saying "pick me up").  I placed my hand on her so she would know I was still there and continued to coach her on how to get to the top.  For this being her first time climbing this kind of object, she was doing a great job.

That was until she came to a point where the contraption evened out and went horizontal instead of diagonal.  She actually started to get scared.  She wasn't crying, but she was headed for it.  It was then that Daddy reached out his arms to Little Bit and took her into them.  We realized she was no longer going to move unless by force.  Didn't want to scar her for life.

That moment helped me realize that God does that for us.  We might be climbing our own little jungle gym in life and get scared.  But God is there reassuring us that He is still there.  He has not left us.  He will not leave us.  He has promised us in Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be afraid of them; for He is the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.  He will not leave you nor forsake you."

Sometimes it is hard to know that God is still there for us.  There are times that we cannot feel His presence. But just because we can't feel Him doesn't mean He is not there.  There are times that I cannot feel my husband sleeping next to me.  But that doesn't change the fact that he is lying in bed with me.  Just because we are not cuddling in bed doesn't mean he doesn't love me anymore.  He still does.

It is just like that with Little Bit climbing.  I was there the whole time.  I didn't have my hand on her at all times, but I was there.  There were times I had to reassure her with the touch of my hand or the sound of my voice.  God does this with us, too.  We may not be able to feel Him at all times, but He reassures us of His presence through different methods.  It could be by a song, a verse, a phone call, or the soft breeze.

My husband tells me of times He is having a hard day.  Things just aren't going right.  But then he stops to pray.  When he finishes his prayer and turns on his music player, a song will come on that helps him through the situation.  Or He will open one of his Bible apps and the verse he needs will be the one that opens up.

Remember that God is in your corner cheering you on.  You might doubt that you can reach the top of your jungle gym, but He is there reassuring you that you can.  I wonder if God has pom-poms and He is shaking them in the air for us.  He is our personal cheerleader!

And when we feel like we are getting stuck, not sure how to take the next step, He gladly shows us how to move on.  We can find the directions in a Manual He has provided for us.  He has given us the Bible.

Have you ever tried to build shelves that you bought from the store.  I don't know about you, but I am not very fond of the directions they give in the box with the materials.  Sometimes it seems easier to just try to build it myself.  I remember one time doing that. I got the shelves built.  They looked....okay.  Not great.  Two shelves were actually turned the wrong direction, and the nails in the back did not go in properly.  I wonder if I would have just read the directions (or at least looked at the pictures), if it would have turned out better.  I will never know.  In life, it is easier to just read the manual.

We will always have to climb jungle gyms in life.  It is inevitable.  Just know while you are climbing that God is still there.  He has not left you.  He is your biggest cheerleader.  He wants you to succeed.  And He has the steps you need to get there.

We can make it to the top of our jungle gym of life only By God's Amazing Grace.

Be Still

Little Bit was on the go all day yesterday.  I don't think she stopped until she zonked out.  We had organized her toys, so she got to play with "new" toys most of the day.  I think she honestly forgot about some of the toys she has.  So I let her play with them while I was "working" on the computer.  

About 45 minutes to half an hour before her bedtime, she got awfully quiet. I figured she was just playing.  That was until I looked down and noticed she had fallen asleep under the table by my feet.  The moment was captured by the camera.  Only time she slowed down was when she was at my feet.

I don't know about you, but I have trouble sitting still.  I have trouble being still.  Just like Little Bit, I find things to keep me busy and I don't stop.  But then I remember in Psalm 46:10, we are told to "Be still, and know that I am God."

In a world of go, go, go, being still is a foreign concept.  We have deadlines to meet, dishes to wash, clothes to launder, dogs to walk, floors to vacuum, sinks to fix, sleep to catch.  When is there even time to be still?  Better yet, what does it even mean to be still?  In the context of Psalm 46, it is an imperative verb meaning to abandon, forsake, to let go, to be quiet.  

Have you ever heard someone say that it is imperative that we leave now?  What do they mean by imperative?  What is an imperative verb?  It means absolutely necessary or required.  It is also a command.  So when God tells us to be still, He is saying it is absolutely necessary.  He is not asking us.  He is not saying, "it would be a good idea".  He is commanding us because it is absolutely necessary to be still, and know that He is God.  It is for our good.  Not for His.

So back to the question.  How do we be still in an on the go world?  Faith.  We have to have faith that God will take care of all of our stresses.  We have to have faith that God will take care of our problems.  God has proven on multiple occasions that He can handle our problems, big or small.  He fed the 5,000.  What makes us thing He won't make sure there is food on the table?  He healed the men of leprosy.  Why don't we think He will our broken families?  He dies on the cross for us.  Why do we think He doesn't care enough about our problems to take care of them?  I wonder if God says to us "oh ye of little faith" whenever we refuse to give our problems over to Him.  In Matthew 6:31-34, Jesus says:  "Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we wear?"  For after these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

But to let go means we have to relinquish control to someone else.  This is a big deal for many.  This is a big deal for me!  I like to be in control of anything that affects me personally.  If something needs to be completed and I am on the committee, I will do all the work just to make sure it gets done.  I don't want to take the chance of it not getting done.  Or even worse, of it not getting done right!  So you could say I am somewhat of a control freak.  (See Control Freak in the Unmaking).  So when it comes to giving control of a problem to someone else, let's just say I start to worry.  If I am not taking care of it, then how will it ever get done?  God has asked to take over my problems.  And yours.  All of them!  Not just the big ones.  He wants them all!  You know that leaky faucet?  Yep, He wants that one!  the kids are sick?  He's got it!  The job that is stressing you out tot he point of using up all your sick days, and then some?  He will take care of it!  The only problem He has is getting us to let it go!  He can't seem to get our fingers from around it.  And He isn't going to force us into giving our problems over to Him.  He wants us to relinquish control over to Him freely.  All we have to do is give it all to Him.  (See "To the Rock that is Higher than I")

In Counsels for the Church pg 294 Ellen White speaks of God’s Interest in Little Things - "There are few who rightly appreciate or improve the precious privilege of prayer. We should go to Jesus and tell Him all our needs. We may bring Him our little cares and perplexities as well as our greater troubles. Whatever arises to disturb or distress us, we should take it to the Lord in prayer. When we feel that we need the presence of Christ at every step, Satan will have little opportunity to intrude his temptations. It is his studied effort to keep us away from our best and most sympathizing friend. We should make no one our confidant but Jesus. We can safely commune with Him of all that is in our hearts. Brethren and sisters, when you assemble for social worship, believe that Jesus meets with you; believe that He is willing to bless you. Turn the eye away from self; look unto Jesus, talk of His matchless love. By beholding Him you will become changed into His likeness. When you pray, be brief, come right to the point. Do not preach the Lord a sermon in your long prayers. Ask for the bread of life as a hungry child asks bread of his earthly father. God will bestow upon us every needed blessing if we ask Him in simplicity and faith."

So now we are still.  We have let go of the troubles, the worries, the problems.  We have become quiet.  What do we do next?  We know.  To know means to confess, to know by experience, to acknowledge.  It is more than just know OF God.  We must know God.  So how do we come to know God? 

Start with the basics.  Find time.  Delve into His Word. 

The Bible compares the relationship of the church and Jesus as a marriage.  These comparisons are found in Matthew 25:1-13, Ephesians 5:22-27, and Revelation 21:2. In any good marriage, you have to have good communication.  You have to study your spouse.  You have to spend quality time with each other.  A marriage is more than a contract.  It is a commitment. 

Professor H.W. Jurgen, a West German sociologist, claims that married couples chat with one another 70 minutes a day in the first year of their marriage. This drops to 30 minutes a day in the second year and then only to 15 minutes a day in the 4th. His research shows that by the eighth year, a husband and wife, typically, share hardly any small talk and become nearly silent with one another.  And we wonder why so many marriages end in divorce.

But if our relationship with God is likened to that of a marriage, I don’t want this to describe my relationship with God.    We are told to pray without ceasing in 1^st Thessalonians 5:17.  Of course this means to be ready to pray at all times.  Jesus found time to escape the crowds and pray. 

In Steps to Christ, chapter 11, Ellen White says Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.

When Jesus was upon the earth, He taught His disciples how to pray. He directed them to present their daily needs before God, and to cast all their care upon Him. And the assurance He gave them that their petitions should be heard, is assurance also to us.

Jesus Himself, while He dwelt among men, was often in prayer. Our Saviour identified Himself with our needs and weakness, in that He became a suppliant, a petitioner, seeking from His Father fresh supplies of strength, that He might come forth braced for duty and trial. He is our example in all things. He is a brother in our infirmities, "in all points tempted like as we are;" but as the sinless one His nature recoiled from evil; He endured struggles and torture of soul in a world of sin. His humanity made prayer a necessity and a privilege. He found comfort and joy in communion with His Father. And if the Saviour of men, the Son of God, felt the need of prayer, how much more should feeble, sinful mortals feel the necessity of fervent, constant prayer.

Not only is communication important, but so is our study of the word of God.  The more you study your spouse, the more you get to know them and the more you fall in love with them.  This is also true with God.  The more we study His word, the more we get to know him and the more we fall in love with Him.  And even better, the more we become like Him.  By beholding we become changed.

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

"And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.  But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.  You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.  But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life". John 5:37-40

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness for all these things will be added unto you. Matthew 6:33 and the seek means to crave.  Again, it is an imperative verb, meaning it is a command.  So we must crave the kingdom of God.

Knowing God, his sovereignty and his power, gives us assurance, peace and stillness. He tells us to stop from all of our busy work and anxiety and reflect on God’s sovereign control over all things.  Be still and reflect on his glory and power. Be still and make God our refuge, strength and help. Then our hearts will be quiet. Then we will sing with the psalmist, “In God will I trust. Even if foundations are shaken, yet God will I seek.” 

We are able to "be still, and know that I am God" only By God's Amazing Grace.

To the Rock that is Higher than I

The World’s Strongest Man competition was taking place this past Sunday.  The competitors were lifting, pushing, pulling, throwing, and carrying multiple objects of ridiculous size and weight.  Some of the objects included a charter bus, 900 plus pound weight, large boulders, and monster sized tires.  These men usually end up with some kind of injury, which can include a torn muscle or even broken bones from dropping heavy equipment on their feet. I am competitive and all, but even I think that this is extreme.  Why would they choose to carry objects of that size and proportion?  Just for a metal or a title?  Must be crazy.

But then I realized I do the same thing.  I carry things of ridiculous size and proportion, but they are not visible to others.  I carry things like stress from my job; I worry about my daughter’s future, guilt from past decisions, and even regret.  These things are hidden, for the most part, but they can be just as heavy as some of the objects those men were carrying.  And just like those men, I choose to carry them.  And I am not in a competition.  I don’t win a prize for carrying these things around.  Just extra weight and baggage.  Not a great reward, if you ask me.

Do you carry these things around with you?  Are you holding onto a burden that is too heavy to bear? 

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden…”

Are you the hardworking employee who has been passed up for that promotion yet again?  He’s calling you.

Are you the single mother who is working two jobs just to keep your family afloat?  He’s calling you.

Are you the Christian struggling with your faith and you don’t feel worthy to be called God’s child?  He’s calling you.

There is a song by Mike’s Chair that says, “You might be the wife waiting up at night.  You might be the man struggling to provide.  Feeling like it’s hopeless.  Maybe you’re the son who chose a broken road.  Maybe you’re the girl thinking you’ll end up alone.  Praying God, can you hear me?  Oh, God, are You listening?  Am I more than flesh and bone?  Am I really something beautiful?  Yeah, I wanna believe I wanna believe that I’m not just some wandering soul  That You don’t see and You don’t know. Yeah, I wanna believe, Jesus, help me believe.  That I am someone worth dying for.”  Do you feel like any of the people mentioned in the song?  He is calling you, too!

There are times we find ourselves surged over, submerged, engulfed and inundated in emotional confusion, hurts and disappointment, deadlines, financial burdens, illness, one trial after another and the list goes on and on. The waves keep coming and we find ourselves sinking and being swallowed up by the tides. We fight and fight, strategize, cry and at times we want to give up. The pressure seems like it’s too much to bear. 

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, God promises us “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 

Let’s read Psalm 61:1-3, “Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer.  From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy.  I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings." What an awesome psalm! We are all overwhelmed during various stages of our lives and God has a place He wants to lead us to. That’s why a psalm like “lead me to the rock” is so powerful because it relates to all of us; we all at times are overwhelmed and we need to be led “to the Rock that is higher than ourselves.”

I have been carrying a burden around for a very long time.  Things have been really tough at work.  Especially this school year.  I went from teaching 6^th grade math, to being the interventionist for 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade, to taking over an 8^th grade teachers job.  These changes have been very challenging.  Every change came with more stresses and more problems.  By the last change, I was ready to walk out the door.  I was ready to quit.  But I knew I had a family to support.  Jesus was calling me.  He called me to the Rock that is higher than I.  So I went to Him.

So when we come to Him, what do we find?  What do we receive at the Rock?

Jesus says in Matthews 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  When your heart, mind, and the inner depths of your soul is overwhelmed and flooded with physical and mental distress, when it feels like you are carrying weights that are too heavy, when the demands of others are burdensome; Jesus instructs us to come unto Him. Not only did He say come unto the Rock but He promises to give us rest. 

The first thing we find at the Rock is rest. Jesus has promised - I will give you rest, meaning a pause.  Jesus wants to press the pause button and refresh your mind. The rest Jesus is speaking of is to cause you cease from any movement or mental anguish in order for you to recover and collect your strength.  He tells us in Isaiah 40:29-31 “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

We find Refreshing at the Rock. The Rock is the place of refreshing, a place where the Lord will revive you with rest, food, or drink in order to give you new vigor and passion.  He provides the rest through peace—“Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22).  He gives you food or nourishment of the Word “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3.  And the drink He provides as a river of living water. 

In John 4:7-15, we find the story of where Jesus meets the woman at the well.  “A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”  For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”

Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.””

Jesus offers us this same water today.  He can give us living water which will refresh our souls.

The third thing we find at the Rock is Healing. The rock is the place where Jesus wants to gently peel or scrape the edges of a wound to promote healing.

“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.” Psalm 6:2

“But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.”  Luke 9:11

The multitudes came to Him to receive healing.  They knew He could provide a healing like none other.

When I went to Jesus with my burden, my job, He gave me rest.  He gave me the strength I needed to complete my new tasks every time.  I had to pray for strength and wisdom on a daily basis.  And He provided it every time I asked for it.  He provided healing for me by changing my attitude.  He helped me accept my job responsibilities with every change.  He also made me stronger.  And He refreshed me by reminding me of His promises daily.  And He gave me the peace I needed by providing a new, better opportunity for the next school year.

How do we find rest, restoration, and healing?  How is He able to provide these to us? 

The men competing in the strongest man competition at one point must put down the heavy objects.  They must choose to let them go.  They cannot carry these objects around with them when the competition is over.  It is the same for you and me.  When we come to the Rock, to Jesus, we must let go of our heavy burdens.  We must give them over to Him.  We must surrender them.  We have to make a choice.  Do we hold on to them expecting to find rest or do we lay them at the feet of Jesus and receive rest? 

There was a little girl who bought a string of fake pearls from the store with money she had earned.  She absolutely loved the pearls.  She wore them everywhere she went, even to bed.  Every night, the father asked the little girl if she loved him and if he could have the pearls.  Her reply was the same.  She loved her father very much, but she didn't want to release them.  That was until one night, with tears in her eyes, she slipped them from around her neck and gave them to her father.  He left the room and when he returned, he placed something else in her hands.  A string of real pearls. 

We are like this little girl. We hold onto our problems, burdens, troubles and we don’t want to give them to our Heavenly Father.  He is not going to snatch them from us.  He is not going to fight us for our problems.  He wants us to give Him our burdens.  He wants us to surrender our issues to Him.  He then, in exchange, will give us rest, restoration, and healing.  He will provide something much greater than the troubles we have been carrying around for so long.

When I went to Jesus and He provided rest, restoration, and healing, it was because I gave my burden to Him.  I realized I could not carry it myself.  I had to lay it at Jesus feet.  I went to Him in prayer and told Him that I could not do this job on my own.  I told Him I needed His help.  I also told Him that I needed out of the school district.  I asked Him to open a door so wide for me that I could not miss it and to close doors so tightly so that I could not try to open them myself.  I gave it all to Him.  I asked for His will to be done.  I asked for Him to make His will my desire.  I wanted His will to be the desire of my heart.  And He did just that.

Again, Jesus says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

In this case, to learn means “by use and practice, to be in the habit of, accustomed to”.  Jesus wants us to take His yoke upon us and to make it a habit.  This is not just a one-time offer.  He wants us to take His yoke all the time.  He wants us to give Him our problems, our worries, our stresses, or burdens all the time.  He wants to make our load light.  Not just once, but always. 

So what is a yoke and what’s its purpose? It is farming equipment.  Yokes tie two oxen together so that they can share the load of plowing (and other work) and spread the burden easily across their broad shoulders. Ox and horses are often used for this purpose. The two animals work much more effectively than one could because they’re able to combine their strength and move in the same direction. They can work together to pull loads that one animal could not handle alone. 

There is a story about a farmer plowing his field with a team of Oxen.  A man noticed that one of the animals was seemingly a littler bigger than the other so he asked the farmer about it. The response from the farmer was very interesting.  He said that the big animal was an older animal that was well trained and the smaller one was a young animal that was new to the yoke. The man went on to inquire as to why he put them together and this is the answer that he got,  "Well you see, it's like this.  That older ox is the best ox that I've ever had; he knows his way around the field.  The reason I put the younger one with him is so that the older, more knowledgeable ox could teach him how to plow.  If I never put them together the younger one would never learn.  By himself the younger ox would pull himself to death, but together he learns to cooperate with and rest in the strength of the older ox."

A big difference between you and I and those men in the strongest man competition, is they have to carry that weight all by themselves.  We have an advantage.  We have Someone who has offered to help us carry the weight.  We don’t have to lug these burdens everywhere all by ourselves.  We are to continually take His yoke.  He will help us carry our load.  He will help us carry our burdens. 

Not only did Jesus give me His yoke and help me to carry my burden, He provided so much rest for me.  He opened a door so wide that I was not able to miss it.  He provided a new job for me this next school year that has been a desire of my heart for many years.  My family and I will be moving to another state and I will be working at one of our church schools.  I did not just go to Him once.  I came to Him continually.  I took His yoke upon me and learned from Him.  I made it an everyday process.  And He provided that rest that I so desperately needed.

In Desire of Ages, page 330, Ellen G. White says, "There are many whose hearts are aching under a load of care because they seek to reach the world's standard. They have chosen its service, accepted its perplexities, adopted its customs. Thus their character is marred, and their life made a weariness. In order to gratify ambition and worldly desires, they wound the conscience, and bring upon themselves an additional burden of remorse. The continual worry is wearing out the life forces. Our Lord desires them to lay aside this yoke of bondage. He invites them to accept His yoke; He says, "My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." He bids them seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and His promise is that all things needful to them for this life shall be added. Worry is blind, and cannot discern the future; but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief. Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service and honor of God supreme will find perplexities vanish, and a plain path before their feet."

There’s a Rock that is higher than your issues.

   It’s time to press the PAUSE button!    Visit the Rock.  Give Him your problems and He will give you rest.
   If you continue without making a visit to the Rock you will be rendered powerless by the excessive and abundance of perplexities and trouble in your life. 

   The Rock came to take your yokes and heavy burdens.  We all wear yokes of one kind or another but the Rock has a yoke that's easy and His burdens are light.  When your heart is overwhelmed, God will lead you to the Rock that is higher than I.  Jesus is bidding that you come and receive what He was to offer at the Rock.  He offers this By God’s Amazing Grace.