He’s Working All Things Out

My story picks up on a Saturday. I’d spent the day prior baking and decorating the wedding cake you see in the photo. It was different from anything I’d ever done and required about 14 hours of intense work, much of that with poor posture and very little intake of water (a problem every time I bake…I forget to hydrate). Anyway, I woke up on Saturday morning with what I call a “killer” migraine. I somehow stumbled out of bed, took meds, and drove myself to my writers’ meeting at Lupe Tortilla.

Five minutes into the meeting I knew I was in trouble. I couldn’t eat (couldn’t keep anything down) and felt like I was going to pass out from the pain.

I somehow made it home and fell into bed. Still, there was that issue of delivering the wedding cake. I knew I needed to leave my house around 3:00 to get the four-tiered cake to Cleveland Texas….but there was just now way. By now, I was unable to keep anything down and nothing was touching the intense pain. I did what any mother would do….I called my kids. Within twenty minutes my oldest daughter (Randi Morrow) was there to deliver the cake. Her husband (Zach Morrow) just happened to be in the area, and stopped in to help her lift the cake into the car (something she couldn’t have done alone). And in the middle of all of that, my other local daughter (Megan Kimbrough) arrived on the scene, loaded me into a vehicle, and drove me to the hospital. A short while later, the cake was delivered and set up, and I was on my way into a private room in the ER for a migraine cocktail, (injections of Phrenagan, Imitrex, and Benadryl). These meds, of course, knocked me clean out. But when I awoke a couple hours later, the pain was manageable and I had the satisfaction of knowing the wedding cake had probably already been sliced and served. Everything ended well.

This morning, as I relived that horrible day, I was struck by something I’d never fully considered before: God was already working behind the scenes to meet my need before I even asked. The right people “just happened” to be nearby, ready to sweep in and do the very things I needed, (right down to the son-in-law, who was on his way somewhere else, but had just enough time to swing by and lift that cake). It made me wonder how many times God has worked behind the scenes in advance of my need? Zillions, probably!

I don’t know what you’re going through today. I don’t know what sort of crisis you might be facing. But I feel strongly led to tell you that He’s already working behind the scenes on your behalf. There’s no need to panic. He’s got everything in place. Rest in Him. Trust Him. This morning, as I laid there thinking all of this through, the lyrics to a song came to mind. I began to sing them (albeit silently) as an act of faith. Maybe you need to sing them, too.

I count on one thing

The same God that never fails

Will not fail me now

You won’t fail me now

In the waiting

The same God who’s never late

Is working all things out

You’re working all things out

He is, you know. Even in the waiting. He’s working all things out. He won’t fail you. He never has, and He never will. But while you’re waiting, go ahead and do what the next part of the song says:

Yes I will, lift You high in the lowest valley

Yes I will, bless Your name

Oh, yes I will, sing for joy when my heart is heavy

All my days, oh, yes I will

He’s already working on your behalf, friend!

Soak in His Presence

The sweetest thing happened in church this morning. The musicians started a worship song by Cody Carnes called Nothing Else. Instead of standing, I felt led to sit and soak in the presence of the Lord as these words poured out:

I’m caught up in Your presence

I just want to sit here at Your feet

I’m caught up in this holy moment

I never want to leave.

  • Soak in His Presence

Ahhh! It felt good to just sit there and soak, soak, soak! As I did, God showed me a word-picture. I saw a dried-up, pink sponge tipped up against a kitchen sink’s faucet. It looked completely useless. But then I caught a glimpse of that same sponge dipped into water. Those little “pores” were serving their purpose. . .allowing the water to fill them to the fullest extent. Once they soaked up the liquid, that little sponge grew to an impressive size and was completely useable.

I don’t know where you are. Maybe you’re feeling as dried up as that little pink sponge. Maybe you’ve been feeling small and useless. Maybe you’re in your golden years and wondering if there’s anything left for you. You’re trying to figure out why other people are having deep, spiritual encounters and you’re not. The answer (I promise) is to spend time in His presence.

You don’t even have to do anything. Just quiet your heart and let Him know that you’re ready for an encounter. Turn on some quiet worship music…or don’t. Just set yourself apart for a while with your heart set on meeting with Him. (Honestly? I wouldn’t even pray, beyond the words, “Meet me here, Lord.”) Open the pores of your heart and wait in His presence until that river begins to flow. He will meet you there, I promise. And if you keep going back to Him, even when you don’t feel like it. . .if you sit at His feet and soak, soak, soak. . .He will fill you until you’re useable once again.

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

(Psalm 62:5 ESV)

This Might be Day Seven

Like so many others, I’ve been spending a concentrated amount of time in prayer, worship, and Bible study over the past several months. Every day I listen to a song that might be unfamiliar to most of you – Never Lost by Tauren Wells.

  • This Might be Day Seven

In the middle of the song he stops and does a little mini-sermon about the walls of Jericho. He references scholars, who say that when the walls finally fell, they fell in such a way that they became ramps into the city. Then Tauren goes on to say that the very thing the enemy has been using to keep you out (whatever walls you’re circling) will be the very thing God will use to take you to the finish line.

I don’t know what your Jericho is today. I have a few, and sometimes I feel like I’ve marched around those walls more than my fair share of days. When it comes to prayers for our nation, I feel like I’m on day 53,625. Approximately. And when it comes to more personal issues, I feel like I’ve spent years circling those walls and haven’t yet seen them fall. It’s easy to get discouraged.

This morning, when the Tauren Wells song ended, another song immediately came on. I’m sure you’ll recognize the opening lines:

Walking around these walls

I thought by now they’d fall

But You have never failed me yet.

I think God wants to remind us today to keep marching, no matter how long it seems to be taking. Joshua would never have taken Jericho if he’d decided to take a hiatus. We can’t stop, no matter how discouraged we might get.

Remember, the walls of Jericho DID eventually fall…and became ramps into the city. And also remember, God required MORE of Joshua on the final day than in all the days prior. (On that final day he had to circle the city seven times and then the priests were instructed to blow their horns, which is what brought the walls down.)

This might be Day Seven.

Victory ONLY comes to those who don’t quit.

Keep marching.

A Change of Perspective

I’ve been doing some work in my tiny backyard, trying to liven things up a bit. I replaced my broken bird bath (finally…yay!) and pulled out some paint to bring new life to a very old/rusted trellis, which I hung over a section of the fence that Bella (my ornery dog) has scratched up. I touched up the paint on my metal flowers and moved things around a bit.

A short time later, I decided to spend some time on my wicker bench, just soaking in the perfect weather. When I sat down, I glanced over at my new birdbath and smiled, so happy to have it in place once more. Then, as I got to looking a bit closer, I noticed the basin was sitting a bit lopsided in the base. (You might recall the last one fell and broke….hence the need for the replacement.)

In that moment, I felt God tug at my heart. I heard the word, “perspective.” From up above, everything looked fine. But when I changed my perspective, I could see the problem. Seated on that bench, all was revealed.

God wants to change our perspective today. He wants us to begin to see all that’s swirling around us from an eternal perspective. Too often we come up with non-eternal thoughts/answers to problems that really require a different perspective. We don’t see how lopsided the basin of our heart/thoughts/actions really are. We need to ask for His eyes to see and His ears to hear what’s going on–not just in the world around us, but in our personal situations, as well.

If we could catch a glimpse from his point of view, we would know better how to pray. We would fret less. We would expand our faith. We would walk in the assurance that He’s in charge. You know, my good friend Kathleen Y’Barbo always says (when things go wrong): “God hasn’t fallen off His throne.” It’s true! I repeat that phrase to myself when the world seems as off-kilter as my bird bath basin was. (Yes, I fixed it!) He’s high and lifted up, seated on the throne, and there He will remain, no matter what swirls around us, down here on earth. We’ve got to get our heads and hearts into that realm so that we can truly begin to trust the One seated on the throne with every single area of our lives.

We can, you know. He’s a trustworthy God. Let the mountains tremble. Let the earth quake. Let kingdoms rise and fall. He will still be right there, seated on that throne, seeing all of it in light of eternity.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.“

(Colossians 3:1-2)

Use the Red Straw

I have very few carbs in my life these days but what I do have are usually consumed in the morning in the form of a fruit smoothie. I use unsweetened frozen fruit, so only natural sugars. (I’m not diabetic or anything…just feel led to mention that in case someone wonders.)

Anyway, every morning I mix it up in my Ninja and reach for a straw (see photo). Every morning I see the red straw in the front, push past it, and grab ANY other color but red. Why? Because, when I was a little girl my mother once told me that red and pink don’t go together. For that reason, I can’t use a red straw in my pink smoothie.

I’m weird, I know. But I wonder, (since we’re all creatures of habit) how often we allow these random habits/routines to control our actions? How many times do we reach for a cookie, just because it’s there? Or, how many times do we order that goodie from Amazon, simply because we love to shop and don’t feel the unction to stop? How often do we curl up with a good book instead of taking a walk in the fresh air?

God wants our habits. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

If you’re struggling with the inability to give something up, remember that He’s ready to take that from you and to turn that habit around (and use it for His glory). Today I’m replacing the yellow straw in my pink smoothie with a red straw. I’m giving up that silly old habit and picking up a new, freeing one.