Monday's Musing: Golfballs, Groundhogs...and Jonah?

Ever have a week where God has to bonk  you on the head? 

Okay, maybe most of my weeks are like that.

But this week seemed to have a theme: 
~~get out of the harbor, get ready to get out of your comfort zone.

Bear with me, because it came in fragments.

So, my husband left for a sea-faring adventure trip this week. I didn't want to go, because I really don't love water enough to dive 80 feet below the surface breathing through a small tube. Ted is all about adventure. I just write about it. (Think the movie, Nim's Island: I'm the writer of the hero, he's the actual hero). But it seriously made me think about my comfort zone.
Ted's Adventure 
He left on Thursday afternoon while I was at work. This is when it's not good to have a writer brain. Because writer's brains write the worst scenarios. So on the way to work, I was brain-writing his eulogy. Once he called between his connecting flights, I'd talked myself out of the necessity of writing his eulogy, only to have my heart pound while watching his flight on my flight tracker app over the Caribean when my phone rang with the caller ID that read: Washington DC.  I was now sure it was the TSA calling to inform me of flight-down in the Gulf of Mexico. (Again, think: crazy writer woman!!) But alas, it was someone with a thick accent trying to sell me a credit card--seriously?Unbelievable, that never happens. Finally, happy that I'd seen his little airplane icon land on my flight tracker app, I breathed a sigh of relief---but still wondered what happens on a flight tracker app when a plane goes down? A little burst of flames icon?? Kicking myself, I thanked God and hopped in the van hoping to dodge an incoming thunderstorm carrying hail with it, grateful that a mere thunderstorm was far safer than hurricane waters of the Gulf. But alas, out of the sky fell a huge golfball sized hail ball and broke my windshield. Oh wait, it WAS a golf ball. No hail. Tragedy dodged. Phew. I would live to face tomorrow, very happy to be in my "safe harbor" thank you!


The next night on the way home, I turned on the local Christian radio to hear a preacher talk about getting out of my comfort zone...seriously, again? I sense a theme here, Lord. The speaker even said to the audience, "what's the opposite of keeping it safe?" The first person to respond on air, actually shouted my thoughts: "adventure!" Hmmm, how did my thoughts just broadcast on public radio, God??

Next day, Saturday, I was sitting on the patio (AKA back yard sanctuary, AKA safe harbor) talking to God about writing my next book.
I asked Him to please inform me what the spiritual theme might be. He basically said, haven't you gotten that yet? Adventure vs. safety. (duh) Stepping out in strong, courageous faith. Ok, got it. So I closed my eyes, and tried to be a good listener, absorbing the instructions....when off to my left I heard a little scurrying. Probably a chipmunk (writer brain: epic FAIL). The scurrying came closer, and louder, and I opened my eyes to find a ginormous groundhog look up at me two feet away from my bare feet!! AAAHHHKKK! I screamed and he just looked at me and ambled away...as if I thought my back yard was a safe harbor.
Very funny, God! Ahaha! I hear you. Nothing like a God who brings the adventure right to the feet of the skittish type!

Sunday morning. Up early to study the Sunday School lesson. Oh boy. "Be Strong and Courageous." About the children of Israel entering the promised land. Something I didn't know....they'd been there 38 years before but didn't enter into the promised land....because they were too afraid. Hmmm. (get out of the safe harbor, even if you are afraid? or risk missing something huge?)  And the sermon? Oh, yes. It was Jonah. (very funny, God, didn't you know my husband's the one on the boat?) Yep. Because if I don't listen, there's always a three day time-out vacation in the belly of a whale. Or the only person I might have a write a eulogy for would be, ah, me? Hmmmm.


So, adventures happen even when you weren't the one to get on the plane.
God has a sense of humor, and apparently doesn't mind using groundhogs to make His point.
When God opens a door....walk through it...because it might not open for another 38 years...or you might get swallowed by a fish (or attacked by a groundhog...or golfball?)
God is at work in His Kingdom, why should I be so afraid to go see what He's up to? 
And why should I let my pride & fear get in the way when He's the one doing all the work?
-------------Blog post by Anne Love-




Writer of Historical Romance inspired by her family roots. 



Nurse Practitioner by day. 



Wife, mother, writer by night. 



Coffee drinker--any time.


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