Ann's Anecdotes - Father's Arms

Today finds me sitting on the wide expanse of porch not 15 minutes away from the beach.  But instead of bright sunny weather marking the beginning of the new day, it is raining.  In our mind, rain is for the mountains;  we come to the coast for sunshine.  In reality, both destinations require precipitation, whether we want it or not.  In reality, no one controls the weather, but God.  This particular morning, neighbors are resting from the cleanup after a hurricane.  They are appreciating the soft rain after the massive winds and downpour.  As human beings, we want our desires to be met.  Sometimes, those desires can be quite self-serving.

Some women in the church are studying the book of Haggai.  (If you didn't join in, I suggest you buy the book on your own and watch the posted videos.  Shameless plug). Today, God was telling the people of Israel, us, to:  Set our hearts on the journey.  The people had set out to rebuild the temple, but they got caught up with their own desires.  They forgot why they had taken the journey to begin with.  This is so typical in the lives of people.  We get all excited about what we're doing, but it never takes long for our minds to wonder and then to venture off to our own agenda.  Pretty soon, we totally forget what we are doing for the Lord because we are just too busy to be bothered.

Remember being a kid and how excited even the smallest adventures could be?  Children can be so exuberant in their discoveries.  If you take them out in the woods, there are endless opportunities.  There is a host of things to look for, hills to climb, fallen trees to walk.  When the girls were small they couldn't wait to walk.  As they grew, more coaxing was required in order to get them going, but once in the woods, they always had a good time.  This provides us with a picture of how we might look to God.  As new Christians, we are ready, full throttle.  But with the aging process, we want to pick and choose how to serve the Lord.  Sometimes, we are just plain lazy and want to stay in our "paneled houses" for comfort's sake.  It is amazing anything is accomplished in God's Kingdom with what He has to work with.  But....

As my sight drifts across the road to a neighbor's house, a young father drops off his little girl for daycare.  While holding an umbrella to shield her from the rain; she looks up and smiles.  Holding tight, she is guided across the yard to the shelter of the porch.  Our Lord is the same, no matter how old we become.  He is so patient and kind, wanting our best.  Not just for His children, but also for those who do not know Him.

If ever there was a time to stay in our houses; if ever there was a time to be about the Lord's business...  Let us just reach up our hands in faith and allow God to work in us and through us.  Let us be exuberant in our discovery of His perfect plan for our lives.