Michele Huey's Blog: God, Me, and a Cup of Tea, page 49

Work-In-Progress Problems

 

I am sure that God Who began the good work in you will keep on working in you until the day Jesus Christ comes again. – Philippians 1:6 (NLV)

I’ve written and rewritten the first few chapters of my current work-in-progress so many times, I’ve lost count. I do save what I’ve deleted from the working manuscript, just in case there’s something I want to put back in the story. There are probably as many words in the deleted files that are in the “keep” files.

When I wrote the blurb for Ghost Mountain, the second book in the PennWoods Mystery series, I had a clear idea of what the plot would be. However, as I wrote, the story took on a life and direction of its own, and, seven chapters into it, I have yet to introduce the antagonist (the bad guy) and get to the events mentioned in the description.

Since I published the blurb in the back of the first book and readers are expecting that storyline, I can’t change it. But tell that to this stubborn story. So it’s back to revising the first chapters so I can weave in the villain and set up the main conflict of the story, which I already described.

The other problem I’m dealing with is my own perfectionism. When writing the first draft, I’m supposed to let it flow and lock up the editor in me. But she wiggles out and takes charge, interrupting the flow of the action and calling attention to things that are supposed to be addressed in the revision phase. She wants it to be perfect now and doesn’t want to wait. I don’t know why I don’t bind her with imaginary duct tape, lock her up in one of the closets of my mind, and throw away the key.

But I want this book to be better than the last one—writing-wise and story-wise. I want to grow as a fiction writer and become a better writer with each novel I produce. Hence the editor trumps the muse.

Nothing wrong with improving yourself, right?

But I’m splitting the proverbial hair, and my focus on perfectionism only stymies me.

I need to follow the advice of countless published novelists: write first, revise next, polish last. I need to let the muse dance. It’s her time to shine.

This manuscript and me have a lot in common—we’re both works in progress.

But often I’m like my stubborn manuscript—wanting to go my own way instead of following my Creator’s planned storyline for me. My manuscript, however, doesn’t give me permission to change it. I just take charge and do what I know is best. God, however, waits for us, His manuscripts, to give Him permission before He begins to revise.

Another way I liken my growth as a Christian to writing is my tendency to perfectionism. I want to be perfect now. I don’t want to have to go through the things that will transform me into the masterpiece my Creator has planned.

E.B White, the author of the children’s classic Charlotte’s Web and a much-acclaimed stylebook on writing, once said, “The best writing is rewriting.”

God is the Master Wordsmith.

He’s the One who’s writing and revising me, one chapter at a time.

When I become impatient with myself, remind me, Father, that I’m still a work-in-progress. Amen.

Extra tea: Read and meditate on Psalm 138:8, Isaiah 64:8, and Ephesians 2:10

 Ghost Mountain, Book 2 in the Pennwoods Mystery series, will be released this fall. 

The Fingerprints of God

 

I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place. – Psalm 8:3 (NIV)

My husband and I spent the day before Father’s Day on Glendale Lake in beautiful west-central Pennsylvania. Our youngest son, David, rented a pontoon boat for the day as a Father’s Day gift for his dad so the two of them could spend the day fishing. They went last year, and this year, David asked me to come along.

Now, I don’t fish. I don’t even eat fish. But the opportunity to spend the day on a boat relaxing and enjoying nature was something I didn’t want to pass up.

We packed up for the day, and for once I didn’t lug my laptop along, even though I was way behind on my novel writing schedule. I did, however, pack my Kindle. I have library of books on that thing, and I planned to spend the day reading, relaxing, and recharging.

I didn’t read as much as I thought I would, though. Instead I lounged under the canopy, out of the sun, and simply enjoyed the scenery and being a part of a perfect summer day.

Only an occasional wispy cloud floated across the summer blue sky. No heat, no haze, no humidity marred this crisp, clear day, a day when you can see forever.

A summer breeze breathed across the lake and caressed our faces. Sunlight sparkling on the water resembled drops of dancing diamonds. Lush green branches of the surrounding forest hugged the shoreline and painted the waters. Dragonflies buzzed the surface of the lake in search of a meal.

My body leaned with the sway of the boat as it rose and dipped with the wake of passing craft, lulling my eyes to close. The silence was broken only by the buzz of an occasional jon boat puttering by, the lap of the lake slapping the pontoons, the whirring of a fishing rod cast through the air.

David fishing on Glendale Lake

It was a day when you don’t keep track of the time because you never want it to end.

As the evening sun crept closer to the tree-lined horizon and we headed in, I turned to face the back of the boat and drank in the view one more time. Closing my eyes and inhaling the sweet scents of the lake, I thanked God—for the day, for His beautiful creation.

My body, mind, and spirit were refreshed, renewed, and recharged.

In all nature—from dawn’s soft sky to a vibrant sunset, from storm clouds rolling in to puffy, white clouds that take the shape of whatever your mind’s eye sees, from a million stars twinkling against an infinite canvas to the cloud shadows that float across a verdant field, from the wildflower to the maple tree to the stately pine—I see the fingerprints of their Creator.

A church building is not the only place you can worship God. Just go outside and you’ll enter His sanctuary.

See Him in the trees dancing with the wind, hear Him in the hum of a hummingbird’s wings, inhale His sweet fragrance with the scent of freshly mown grass, taste Him with each drop of rain, feel His embrace wrap around you in the warm breeze.

And know, dear one, that He created all this just for you.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. – Psalm 19:1

Thank you, Father, for this world You created. Help me to take time to savor it. Amen.

Extra tea: Read and meditate on Psalm 19

Dean and I heading out for a day on Glendale Lake

Fair Weather Christian or the Real Deal?

 

 

“Follow Me.” –Jesus, as quoted in Luke 9:59 (NKJV)

William Whiting Borden

When you hear the name “Borden,” it probably summons up images of cheese and other dairy products. After all, the company founded in 1857 to simplify milk distribution has practically become a household word.

But when I hear the name “Borden,” I think of a young man who gave up an affluent way of life to serve God—and whose choices have impacted me over a hundred years after his death.

Heir to the family fortune, William Whiting Borden heard the call of God when he was in his teens and answered with a resounding “Yes!” He was no fair weather Christian. He was the real deal.

That meant saying “No” to his father, who vowed William would never work in the company again. Many thought he was throwing away his life.

In order to prepare for his ministry in China, William went to Egypt to study Arabic. It was there he contracted spinal meningitis and died at the age of 25.

After his death, three phrases were found handwritten in his Bible: No reserves. No retreat. No regrets.

Contrast this with the Scripture reading for today, Luke 9:51–62, in which Jesus clearly showed what it takes to follow Him.

There will be rejection. Those who have answered Jesus’ call to “Follow Me” face rejection and ridicule. Would Tim Tebow still be playing professional football today if he hadn’t so clearly demonstrated Who was top priority in his life? Yet Tebow endures ridicule and banishment from the sport he loves while those who blatantly thumb their noses at God, His Word, and His commandments are hailed as heroes.

A fair weather Christian cannot endure rejection. The one who claims to be a true follower of Jesus but rides the fence, blends in with the crowd, and doesn’t speak up has rejected Jesus. Because to truly follow Jesus means no reserves. It means pulling out all the stops and standing on God’s promises, not on our bank balance, job security, or what others think of us.

There will be hardship. We think Christians have hardship here in the U.S.A. just because we endure a little persecution (and rejection and ridicule). I say “a little” because I think of Christians in Muslim countries, where the persecution is so severe, choosing to follow Christ means certain death.

“In the world you will have trouble,” Jesus said (John 16:33). Not “might” but “will.” There are those who profess to follow Jesus, but turn back as soon as they experience trouble. Nowhere in the Bible are we promised a life of ease. The gospel of health and wealth is not the gospel Jesus preached.

“Follow Me,” Jesus said. Fair weather Christians need not apply. For the true follower of Jesus, there is no retreat.

And finally, there is no looking back—to what was, to what might have been, to what you left behind. “No one,” Jesus said, “who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

For the true follower of Jesus, there is no turning back. There are no regrets.

Are you a fair weather Christian or the real deal?

  Too many times, Father, I lapse into thinking like a fair weather Christian. Help me to be true to Your call no matter what it means. May I live my life in such a way that I can say, “no reserves, no retreat, no regrets” when it is over. Amen.

Extra tea: Read and meditate on Luke 9:51–62

 

My Black Thumb

 

Viola

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. – Genesis 1:31 (NKJV)

Every year I get flowers for Mother’s Day. And every year by July Fourth they’re pathetic looking. Or gone to that great garden in the sky. The healthiest looking ones—if you even want to use the word “healthy”—are all leaves and no blossoms.

Why don’t they bloom? I wondered. I water them when the soil is dry, pouring until the water exits from the hole in the bottom of the pot. (Okay, sometimes the plants are wilted before I remember.) I feed them plant food every other week, using a special kind called “Bloom Booster.” I follow the directions on the package and measure carefully to make sure I don’t use too much or too little. I remove the dead blossoms faithfully.

Vinnie (Vinca Minor) 

Do I water them too much and the roots rot out? Or too little? Maybe my body emits too much static electricity (which is why I can’t wear watches) and that affects them.

Even my kids teased me when the church gave flower plants for Mother’s Day: “Pick your next victim, Mom.”

Every year the flower season begins with so much hope. And every year that hope wilts and dies with the blossoms. I concluded that I simply have a black thumb.

This year I decided no flowers. I wasn’t going to put myself (or them) through the angst.

But my husband surprised me on Mother’s Day with a hanging basket of petunias and a flat of marigolds and petunias.

My Pot of Gold

Now, marigolds have always thrived in spite of me. But the petunias . . .

Sure enough, once the blossoms died, I had a green jungle.

“Where did all the flowers go?” my husband asked me one day.

“Oh, you know me and flowers,” I said. “They take one look at me and say, ‘Oh, it’s her’ and give up the ghost.”

“Are you . . .” He went through the now familiar checklist. I was doing everything I was supposed to be doing . . . except . . .

“Wait!” I hurried to the kitchen and brought out the labels that came with the flowers, which gave detailed directions for the care of that particular plant.

The petunia’s label read “I love sun.” (And “I’m super easy to grow.” Right.)

“Maybe that’s why it isn’t blooming,” I said. “It’ supposed to get at least six hours of sun daily. It’s not getting enough sunlight.”

I’d hung the basket on the back deck, which gets plenty of light, but little to no direct sunlight. So I moved the plant to the sunny side of the deck. Sure enough, it began to perk up.

That was a couple of weeks ago. Today Viola (I named her, and, yes, I talk to her every day) is bursting with pink, purple, and white flowers.

One little detail—one important detail—made all the difference.

Just like the flowers, God created each person unique. Some thrive in the sun, others in the shade. It’s important to know the difference.

Petunia

And it’s important not to compare.

The petunia, which loves the sun, doesn’t wish it were an impatiens, which thrives in the shade. Nor does the impatiens wish it were a petunia. They just bloom and give joy to all who gaze upon their beauty.

Shouldn’t we do the same?

 

Help me to be sensitive, Lord, to the way You made others. Give me the wisdom to perceive whether they thrive in the sun or in the shade, and to treat them accordingly. Amen.

Extra tea: Read and meditate on Genesis 1

Impatiens

 

The Apple of His Eye

He will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on the day of a festival.   – Zephaniah 3:17

            Keep me as the apple of your eye. – Psalm 17:8 (NIV)

My Dearest Child,

You are the apple of My eye. Sometimes, I know, you feel as though I’ve abandoned you. I have not. I’m here. I’ve always been here, and I’ll always be here for you. I’ll never abandon you, no matter what happens, no matter how you feel or behave. No strings attached. I love you simply because you are Mine.

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “the apple of my eye” many times, but do you know what it means?  The “apple” of the eye is the pupil, the center of the eye and the part that allows light in. Without this delicate part, you wouldn’t be able to see. So the pupil—the apple—must be protected at all costs.

I am your protector, the shield around you, the strong tower into which you may run for refuge, your rock, your fortress, your deliverer, your stronghold in times of trouble. Yet there have been times you haven’t run to Me. You’ve sought help elsewhere. I never force you. I always give you the choice. Sometimes your choices break My heart. But I want you to love Me and choose to obey Me on your own. Like the pupil, I want you to open up your heart and allow My light and love in.

There are times when I must intervene for your own good. What parent would allow a child to step out into a busy street and not run and snatch that precious one from harm’s way?

When you’re weary and bearing a heavy load, I lead you to a place of rest where your soul can be refreshed. If I didn’t, you’d run yourself to death. What are you trying to prove, dear one? You don’t have to earn My love or prove your worth to Me. I created you. Just as you are. For a purpose. Everything I allow in your life has a purpose, child. Work with the circumstances, not against them. I am in control, whether you believe it or not.

Sometimes I allow hardships in your life to teach you, to strengthen you. Do you remember learning to ride a bike? How many scrapes and bruises did you endure before you were able to ride without Me running right behind you, ready to catch you if you fell?

Yet there came a time when I had to stand back and let you do it on your own. I watched you fall, brush yourself off, and hop back on again. I was so proud of you. I watched you cry when the pain was more than you could bear, when you were so frustrated because after all your efforts, it still wasn’t working out the way you’d planned. I hurt because you hurt. I counted your tears and bottled them as a reminder of your growth pains. But I was always there.

As you grew, the lessons became harder. Such is life, My child. Sometimes I allowed you to wander in a wilderness, to struggle in a storm. It pained me to hear your cries, “Where are You? Why don’t You help me?” I was helping you. I never abandoned you. Your faith had to grow stronger, and the wilderness and storms make perfect faith-growing greenhouses.

You, Apple of My Eye, are precious to Me, and I love you so much, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t give for you. Indeed, I gave My Son.

You are the apple of My eye. Don’t ever forget it.

Love,

Abba

When Things Get Complicated

In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. –Jonah 2:2 (NIV)

My husband and I aren’t ones to replace things just because they’re old and outdated. If it still works—however it works—we use it. If it breaks, we fix it.

We have two old televisions (actually three if I count the one we use in the living room): one in the camper and one on the back deck. Both are big, bulky, heavy, and cumbersome. The picture on both is on the fuzzy side but viewable without eyestrain.

We rarely use the one in the camper because when we go camping, we want to spend time outdoors, hiking, seeing the sights, and sitting around the campfire. The only time we use it is on a rainy day when there’s nothing else to do but watch DVDs. The one on the back deck we use all summer long, mostly for baseball games.

We stepped out of character last week, though, and splurged on a new television: a 32-inch, flat-screen TV that didn’t empty our bank account and weighs about 10 pounds. Because it’s so light, we can use it in both the camper and on the back deck.

So we thought. But things are never simple, are they?

We were excited as we took the new TV out of the box and set it up. Well, tried to set it up. Oh, we got a picture, all right, but it wasn’t as sharp as the one in the store and the color was off. I went into the settings, but nothing I did corrected the problem. Did we get a lemon? Back into the box it went.

But I decided to wait until I did a little more research and asked around. The solution may be something simple, but we just don’t see it yet.

I’d like to say the television is up and running the way it should. But I can’t. Because it’s still in the box. We just haven’t had the time to try the solutions that were suggested. It would have been nice to plug it in, turn it on, and sit down and watch it.

Such is life, isn’t it? Complicated, rarely simple. Problems arise that we don’t have the answers for. Perhaps the answer is there, but we just don’t see it. We have to deal with situations and people we don’t understand, no matter how hard we try. Sometimes the answer comes in a trial-and-error list, but we don’t have the time to go through the possible solutions.

So what do we do? Whine and cry and complain? I do more of that than I should.

God invites us to bring our problems to Him:

“Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you” (Psalm 55:22).
“Come unto Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden” (Matthew 11:28).
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

I love the word “boldly” in Hebrews 4:16 – it means to go to God with confidence and without fear.

When life gets complicated, the answer is simple: Take it to God. Your heavenly Father is waiting for you to come to Him.

Thank You, Father, for the lessons I learn when life gets complicated. Amen.

Extra tea: Read and meditate on Psalm 55

Living in an Upside Down World

 

“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” – Acts 17:6b (NKJV)

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. – Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

 

Back when writing was still a “someday” thing, I wrote a short story about a man who woke up one day with his bed on the ceiling. His whole world was turned upside down, and he had to figure out how to get it right-side up again.

While I made up this children’s story just for fun, I now see a deeper meaning, especially when I consider the words recorded in Acts 17:6: “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”

Who were “they” and what did they do to “turn the world upside down”?

“They” were Paul and Silas. And they “turned the world upside down” by preaching the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Many in that city—Thessalonica—believed and received Jesus as their Savior and began to turn their own lives around, learning the words of Jesus and obeying them.

True believers, by the very way they live their lives, turn the world upside down—then and now. The perspective of the Christian is a divine, not worldly, point of view, and to obey God means to “live on the ceiling.”

Let’s look at some ways Jesus said to live that are upside down in the world’s viewpoint.

“THE LAST WILL BE FIRST, AND THE FIRST LAST.” (Matthew 20:16). The rush is to be Number 1 and pity the person in the way. Not so, said Jesus. If you want to be raised up, bow down: “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). In other words, the way to up is down.

“THE GREATEST OF YOU WILL BE YOUR SERVANT.” (Matthew 20:20–28). James and John got in big trouble with the rest of the disciples when they got their mother to ask Jesus to put them on either side of Him when He ruled the Kingdom. Greatness, in the eyes of the world, equals power over others, “lording it over others,” as Jesus said. But true greatness is in serving; the true leader will be a servant. And then God’s Son demonstrated what He meant by washing his disciples’ feet—the job of the lowest servant in the household. “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). And again, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

 GIVE IN ORDER TO RECEIVE: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over . . . For the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). This echoes God’s command in Malachi 3:10: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse . . . and try Me now in this . . . If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).

 DIE TO LIVE: Just as the seed must die in order to produce life (John 12:24–25), so the believer must die to self in order to inherit eternal life. That means denying selfish desires and submitting to God’s Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer. It’s hard to say no to our wants—this is the reverse of what the world tells us.

These are just a few of the ways believers live in an upside down world—you see, the way of the world is the one that’s upside down. The way of God is right-side up.

Are you living life upside down or right-side up?

Help me, O God, to live each day right-side up. Amen.

Extra tea: Read and meditate on any of the verses quoted in the text.

 

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Don’t Forget To Remember

 

Flags in memory of and in honor of veterans wave in a grassy field outside of Punxsutawney , thanks to Dick and Ava Bishop of Punxsutawney, who set up the display and provide the flags and cards to anyone who wants to place a flag.

 

“In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones, mean?’ tell them . . .” – Joshua 4:21–22 (NIV)

With three grandchildren on different ball teams (plus one of them umpires), hubby and I are at the Punxsutawney Little League Fields just about every evening. After the sixth game in four days, I told Dean we should park our camper at the ball field.

The Punxsutawney Little League complex is almost a second home to us, as we spent many a summer afternoon and evening there when our youngest played baseball. Five well-maintained and lighted ball fields for Minor League, Little League, Senior Little League, what we call the “Teener League” (VFW), and girls’ softball, are located beside Mahoning Creek.

Each ball field is named for someone local. Some honor those who have devoted much of their time to maintain and improve the fields and the league. Two fields are named as memorials.

The Little League field is called the “Billy Titus Memorial Field,” named after a Punxsutawney Little Leaguer who was killed in a farming accident.

The VFW League field, the Rich Kuntz Memorial Field, is named for SP4 Richard Lorraine Kuntz, who was killed in action in Vietnam on February 5, 1968, six weeks before his twenty-first birthday.

My grandson once asked me, “Who was Rich Kuntz? Why is the field named after him?” Since I’ve spent half a lifetime at the fields and know the stories behind the names, I was able to tell him. But it got me wondering: How many people drive right by those signs or even say the name of the ball field and don’t realize the significance?

Memorials are built and named so we won’t forget, so those who come after will learn of the sacrifice of the Vietnam soldier, the love a little leaguer who never got to play Senior League had for the game.

This weekend we observe Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor and remember our military men and women who gave their lives in service to our country.

Some died in action, some went missing in action and never were found, some died a slow death after they came home and tried to resume a normal life. Some are still alive, but they will never be the same.

Sadly, these holidays that are set aside to remember and honor those who have stepped to the plate for our country are too often perceived as simply a day off work, to relax, catch up on things, feast and frolic.

While there’s nothing wrong with any of those activities, let us not forget to remember why we observe Memorial Day.

On the way to the baseball complex, there’s a grassy field beside the road that’s covered with U.S. flags. Each time I passed it last week, more flags waved in the breeze. Thursday, I slowed down to read the sign. Passersby are invited to place a free flag there in honor of a veteran.

I didn’t have time to stop. But you know what? As soon as I finished writing my column on Friday, I drove to that field and placed three flags: in honor of my husband (U.S. Marine Corps, 1968–1972), my father (U.S. Army, World War II), and my father-in-law (U.S. Navy, World War II). It was the least I could do.

What about you? What are you doing to remember this Memorial Day?

Thank you, Lord, for those who gave themselves to serve, protect, and defend our country. Let us never forget the sacrifices they made. Amen.

Extra tea: Read and meditate on Joshua 4

 

Factory Resets Aren’t Always the Answer

So we do not lose heart. Though our outward nature is wasting away, our inner nature in being renewed every day. –2 Corinthians 4:16

My friend and colleague Karen O’Connor once wrote a book, Getting’ Old Ain’t for Wimps. The older I get, the more I realize how true those words are. It seems that with every year, something on this old body quits working, or quits working the way it should, and never gets back to “factory settings.”

I say “factory settings” because a computer can be restored to the settings that were on it when you purchased it. The problem is a reset erases all the information you have stored. I may be able to reset my computer—and even my cell phone—back to the way it was when it was brand new, but that has both positive and negative effects. On the positive side, resetting it will get rid of the junk that I don’t know about or understand that’s using the memory and slowing my computer down. On the negative side, resetting would cause me to lose things I don’t want to lose, things I worked hard to produce.

So it is with our bodies. We may wish to be young again, to have the health and vigor we had back in the day. But then I don’t want to lose all the wisdom, knowledge, and experience I’ve gained over my lifetime.

Solomon advises in Ecclesiastes: “Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?” (Ecclesiastes 7:10).

They were better because I had my health. My dreams and my future all still lay before me like a field of unbroken snow. But I was clueless, selfish, and without God, and I do NOT want to go back to that state.

I’m in my mid-sixties now. I never thought I’d come to the point where health would be an issue. But here I am, researching natural ways to deal with the breaking down parts of my body rather than ingest more chemicals that may be more harmful than good.

My memory is slowing down, my blood pressure is speeding up, my energy is decreasing, my aches are increasing (Where? Everywhere!). I have more people in my life to worry about, but that means I have more love—to give and to receive.

I’ve lost loved ones, and the older I get, the more I stand to lose. But also, the more I get to love, as my family grows with grandchildren, and in a few years, great-grandchildren.

But I do not fear growing older, even with certain grief and pain and loss that is sure to come, as it does to all who live long enough.

I do not fear because I have a soul that is eternal, that isn’t wasting away like this old body is, but is being renewed daily.

I do not fear because faith, hope, and love are growing daily.

I do not fear because I will never be alone. My God is with me now, and He will always be, as He promised: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he; I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you” (Isaiah 46:4).

When the aches and pains (inner and outer) remind me of how old I’m getting, Lord, YOU remind me of how young my spirit is. Amen.

Extra tea: Read and meditate on 2 Corinthians 4:16–5:5 and Psalm 91

 

For more information about KAREN O’CONNOR, her books, and her refreshing perspective on life, visit her website. You can even sign up for her Senior Moments e-newsletter and blog, The Bright Side of Aging.

Stoplights and Country Drivers

If the Cloud stayed above the Tabernacle two days, a month, or a year, that is how long the people of Israel stayed; but as soon as it moved, they moved. –Numbers 9:22 (TLB)

I’ve been driving for almost 50 years, and I confess I’ve turned into a country driver.

I prefer sharing the road with just a few vehicles, preferably not slow pokes or those prone to road rage or who are clueless about using turn signals and turning on their headlights in certain conditions. I tolerate the occasional horse and buggy in my lane and watch for country critters crossing unexpectedly in front of me at night. When I’m driving the interstate, I set my cruise control to 10 miles under the speed limit so all the other traffic will breeze right by me.

I like having the road to myself, and, living in the country a dozen miles from the nearest town, most of the time I do.

I don’t do city driving. One time coming home from the Pittsburgh airport, I drove more than an hour out of my way, taking the long way around rather than drive through the city.

Back when one of my children was young, I had to take him to regular appointments with a doctor whose office was in Oakland. Those were the days before GPS, but I knew my exit, which wasn’t very far into the metropolis, and the doctor’s office was just a few blocks from there. I knew my way out, too.

One time, however, I got lost. Apparently I made a wrong turn and ended up by the University of Pittsburgh campus. When I recognized the Cathedral of Learning, I knew I was in trouble. My son, who heard the quiver in my voice, said, “Mom, don’t cry. Please don’t cry.”

I wanted to. Oh, how I wanted to! Instead I stopped and asked someone on the street for directions. The way back to my regular route wasn’t far, and the directions were thankfully simple. We made it home without me having a meltdown.

At Bible study last week, we were discussing driving in city traffic. Carla, the hostess, told us about a time when she was stopped at a red light in the city, and her Aunt Alice, noticing her angst, said, “When you get to a red light, it’s time to get your bearings.”

What wisdom! And not only for driving in city traffic but also for navigating life’s roads.

There are times the Good Lord puts a red light in front of us so we can get our bearings. But instead of being thankful, we grumble and whine and complain. We don’t like being slowed down or stopped on the way to where we’re going. And we’re always in such a hurry.

God led the Israelites through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When it moved, they moved. When it stopped, they stopped—no matter how long the stop was.

Although He doesn’t use the cloud-and-fire method these days, God still does direct us—if we’re paying attention and if we’re willing to follow His leading. Sometimes the stop is longer than we want—indeed sometimes we don’t even want to stop.

Are you stopped at a red light today? Thank God and remember: He knows the way and He knows when to move forward and when we need time to get our bearings.

Thank you, Father, for the stoplights of life that help me to get my bearings. Amen.

Extra tea: Read and meditate on Exodus 13:21–22; Numbers 9:15–23