ForgottenWoman

He is our Constant!

Luke 11:1   As one of the disciples asked of Jesus,  “Lord, teach us to pray!”

I hope your week has been blessed as you seek to walk with the Lord one step at a time. If it has been anything like mine, then you are comforted by the fact that no matter what is going on around you, there is a constant presence of an Almighty Unchangeable God.

Constant communication with my Heavenly Father is what carries me through the ups and downs of every week.   As I share personal stories with you occasionally it is with the one objective of transparent sharing: for the encouragement of each of us. If my life experience is only to serve to teach me and not others, then so much is lost.   Bear with me as I divulge.

Today, I share from a journal entry pulled from several years ago.

Last week began with plans to accomplish much in my home. I have so much to plan for the coming school year, so many books to purchase, so much money to come up with to purchase the books, and so much of my home to get reorganized and cleaned. One son has been involved in All-Star Baseball, meaning games every night.  We had our weekly teen service on Tuesday, one daughter is leaving for art camp on Sunday, and normal daily life in the midst of all.

Sunday morning I woke with pinched nerves in my neck and spine which relegated me to the bed on ice for the best part of 24 hours. Normally this is not a good place for me: too much to do and nothing is working except my mind! On Monday, though still in pain and barely moving there was just too much to do. After the morning of getting everything going, my newsletter was out, other communication responsibilities were handled, lists of house chores and the shopping for those needs were done. In the afternoon a few of the chores were accomplished, laundry was caught up and dinner was served.  Once I finally arrived at the baseball fields with 7 children in tow, all I could do was sit with the ice pack as part of my wardrobe.

As is often the case, Mom not acting normally set off our little Chris. He was not faring well in the game, and I asked one of our oldest sons for help. As he attempted to help, and Chris got more and more violent, Dad became involved. The stress of the situation became a very public battle of wills between the three. Exactly what Satan loves, huh? And exactly what I was helpless to do anything about, except pray.

The week continued on just as unpredictably. Tuesday’s teen service was especially powerful as the Lord spoke through Josh, who was still struggling with the emotions of the previous night. Keys locked in the car of one of the parents afterward, and the need for several teens to talk left us leaving extremely late.   As previously planned,  I headed to Greenville with the 7 youngest kids for the night. After arriving at Grandmother’s house after midnight, we spent Wednesday working in her yard and doing some shopping in Greenville. Arriving home late on Wednesday, I received the call from our eldest son, who serves in the Air Force. After serving as a bearer for Arlington funerals for the past year and a half, he has just been chosen to become an instructor. That meant that his last day to carry for funerals in Arlington was Friday. You know what’s coming, don’t you? Yes, I had to be there!   I frantically began planning and getting things together for a daughter who would be going to camp on Sunday.  We got the house in order as much as possible, went to the ball field for Thursday’s evening game, and Josh, Cameron, and I left from there for Washington DC. We arrived at Bolling Air Force Base around 3:30 a.m. to attend the first funeral of the day at 9 am.  We had a wonderful day, watching and taking pictures of the incredible 5 ceremonies at Arlington Cemetery, where Joey and his friends serve. This was followed by a gathering of around 60 on the base, where I met the guys our son works with daily, and mostly stood back and observed the young man God has made him into.

Several times I had to walk away as the tears flowed. God is using my son in a place I never imagined he would be and in ways I never understood He could use him in.  I saw respect given to him from all of those around:  all ranks. They recognize that there is something about him that is different. There is a quality to his work, a purpose behind his doing everything to the best of his ability, and a presence in his demeanor. You and I know that it is the presence of the Holy Spirit, and I recognize that it is a combination of the answer to thousands of prayers over the past 23+ years. After spending Saturday with him and his wife and listening to more of the guys express to me the appreciation for him, we left DC at 4:30 Sunday morning and drove back to Brevard, where I  helped Hannah pack and headed down the mountain to get her to art camp. After getting her settled, I took some time alone back at Mom’s house to unwind, pray and catch my breath.

Last night, it was with an audible “WHEW”  that I looked back over the events of the past week. Nothing has gone as I had planned; nothing that I had planned to accomplish actually happened,  except that Hannah is at camp.  Much of the week was an emotional roller-coaster, and at many moments the ride made me physically sick. What was the constant? I was loved, held, and protected by my Heavenly Father.   When I was feeling especially alone and vulnerable, I just needed to call on Him,  give up my needs to Him, and rest. There’s an old saying, “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.”  This week I’ve changed this saying for me. It is now,  “When you get to the end of your rope, stop, pray, and wait on the Lord!”

He’s truly Almighty. He’s truly the answer to every twist and turn that your life throws in your path. When there are no answers, there is Christ. When it seems you are alone, He is there. When you don’t know what to do next, wait on Him. He will direct your steps literally one at a time. So now it is off to another week of adventure. I’m going to walk with my hand in His. I hope you will as well.

I read over this journal entry of mine from several years ago, and I realize one thing – not much has changed. 🙂 The challenges and reasons for the busyness of the schedules look different, but the truth remains that it is only through resting in Him and taking it all to Him that we can navigate this life! I’m so thankful that He is the constant.