Monday, July 23, 2012

When It Rains, It Pours

Last week was "one of those weeks."

Our grill broke.  No big deal, our grill is old and was fixed quickly for $17.  But, our grill broke on a day when I had a lovely dinner prepared - ready to go...on the grill.  Entirely.  The entirety of our meal was going to be grilled.

No big deal.  We still have an oven.  And food to eat.

But, the grill broke on the same week when my car has an oil leak, tire leak, and an unidentified engine problem (when, yes, we just put several hundred dollars into the engine).  And Rob's truck has a cracked windshield.  And the disposal broke.  And we had an ant infestation.  And, my alarm clock died.  It's dumb (and hyper sentimental), but it was a present for my 7th birthday...and it's been part of my life for 20 years.  Clearly, it's lived a good life, but now I have to figure out a new clock, which I hate having to do.


All of this stuff is totally normal - but it begs the question, "Jesus, what are You trying to teach me right now?  What are You trying to show me?"

Sincerely, as frustrated (and to be honest, anxious) as I've been about all of these mild annoyances to my otherwise comfortable existence, I trust that God is trying to show me something.


God has used this week to reveal areas of pride in my life that I hadn't previously even seen... and showing me, again, my need for dependence on Him.  He is the provider, and He LOVES to care for His children.  While in my pride I feel so independent figure out how to solve the problems of our lives...and try to fix things, I forget who He is.  I often struggle with feeling "able" to do certain things, and with twisted reason, I think I can (and should) fix things on my own - so that I wouldn't be a burden to a God who has other things to care for.  But, that's not who my God is.  My God LOVES to spoil and provide for me.  Not necessarily to give me a bunch of stuff - but to meet my needs in such a way as to give glory ONLY to Himself.  It is pampering to me when the Creator of the Universe lovingly provides for me.  When He communicates that I am so important and precious that I am not forgotten, and that His plan for me is so intricate and delicate that He would align circumstances in ways so meticulous that only He could have done it.


This week, in particular, He has reminded me of these truths.  He has provided for us in such specific and tangible ways, that I have been overwhelmed - and blessed to remember the meticulous care of our loving Father.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Rapture

Do you ever get the feeling you missed the rapture?  That many people have disappeared and you didn't make the cut.

That definitely happened to me this morning when I pulled into work a few minutes before 9 (which seemed like a perfectly reasonable time to show up for work)...and there was no one there.  Even the receptionist desk was unmanned when I walked by, which gave me a mini-panic attack.

When these things happen, I start to rack my brain to think if there's something serious going on in the world that I missed, which, to be honest, is very plausible.  Then, I wonder if maybe it was the rapture and I've been left behind.


No lie.  As I was typing this, my dear pastor, Mike Minter, popped my head into my office and said, "It's like a ghost-town in here.  Did we miss the rapture?"

I told him I thought the same thing, but that I felt better that he was here.

Phew.  Dodged a bullet there.