June 17, 2018

God Always Helps Us

The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper.

– Psalm 118:6-7a

I was beginning to think she was never going to have that calf. Until she did. Naturally, being a new mother and a little bit unsure of it all, she forgot where she’d left it. And, naturally, she expected me to locate the tiny little bundle of joy.

At first, she believed she’d left the calf in the area we call the branch. It’s an overgrown section that borders one side of the pond. It houses two streams and all the runoff from a nearby highway. Did I mention it is also the home of moccasins? I am terrified of snakes.

I do some of my best praying when duty calls me to that area of the farm. I rarely see a snake until after it has seen me. If I’m to avoid a close encounter, it is up to God to protect me. I’ve flunked that test too many times to count. It is all on His shoulders. I repeatedly remind Him of this as I go through the area.

That’s the thing about God: He never leaves us alone. He’s my constant companion and my very best friend. He always has time to listen and provide help. Searching for a newborn calf is like trying to find that needle in a haystack. I’m sure you’ve heard that cliché. And God was right there with me during every terrifying step.

As it happens, the calf wasn’t in the branch. Nor was he in the upper pasture as the cow next believed. She stood there bellowing, beyond distraught. I wanted desperately to remind her that a good mother wouldn’t have left her newborn calf alone. I didn’t. She was upset enough without my input.

I wonder if God thinks that about us sometimes. Does He ever look down at His distraught children begging for His help and want to remind us that we’re in that predicament because we made a bad choice? How frustrated God must get with us.

Of course, God never turns us away. He may let us learn a hard lesson but He stays right beside us on the journey. God always helps us make a better choice. If we’ll listen.

I didn’t abandon the desperate cow either. Her baby calf emerged and he and I headed across the pasture toward his still bellowing mama. She was so full of anguish that she refused to see him toddling toward her.

Finally, she quieted down and gave a low call. The baby hurried forward and started sucking. She wasn’t overly happy about that and danced around a bit. But the baby was determined and, well, she knew it was the right thing to do. I watched, glaring occasionally, to make sure the baby got plenty of nourishment.

Afterwards, the baby toddled around and she followed, occasionally glancing longingly at the cows on the other side of the property. I knew she’s end up repeating the same mistake, leaving her baby so she could rejoin the herd. Some of us are like that. We need to make the same mistake again and again before we finally learn the lesson God wants to teach us.

I drove mama and baby around to the herd. And then I shut the gate. I didn’t want a repeat the next day.

Sometimes God does that for us. He blocks us from making the same mistake again, teaching us to rely on His wisdom until we can grow enough in faith to make wiser choices. Through it all, God remains steadfast. He is our helper. He is the One who loves us enough to never give up, no matter how many times we take a wrong turn.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Take Time To Be Thankful

You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.

-- Psalm 118:28

What are you thankful for today? Family, friends, home, health, job. The list likely could go on and on. Most of us today will eat too much. We may watch a little football. We’ll likely share a few laughs. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll take a few moments to thank God for all He’s given us.

It’s a lot different from that first Thanksgiving back in 1621. The Pilgrims, as they’ve come to be called, were thankful for health and food. They’d come over the year before and endured a harsh winter. Only half of the Mayflower’s passengers and crew lived to see that first spring.

But some wonderful people from the Wampanoag tribe took pity on the settlers and taught them how to plant and grow crops, how to fish, how to thrive in the new land. And the two groups celebrated a fine harvest that November.

The Pilgrims had traveled to this land for different reasons. Some sought the opportunity to freely practice their faith. Others sought prosperity. Some wanted the chance to own land. Whatever their dreams, they no doubt were filled with gratitude that first Thanksgiving.

Sometimes I wonder if we know what heartfelt gratitude really means. We’re so busy looking forward to what we want in the future, that we don’t always take time to look around and see what we have today. We never let ourselves be content with where we are. We never seem to let that peace settle over us.

So what are you thankful for today? I’m grateful that we live in a country where Bibles are plentiful and we can worship wherever we choose. I’m grateful that we can freely express our opinions without fear of prison. I’m grateful that I have plenty of food to eat in a world, in a country, where people go hungry every day. I’m thankful for overall good health. I’m thankful for the eyeglasses that help me see. I’m thankful for clean drinking water. I could go on and on. When I start naming my blessings, I can’t seem to stop. God has been so very good to me. I am grateful for my blessings.

This Thanksgiving I’ll probably eat too much. And I’ll laze around and plot my Christmas shopping strategy. But I also want to take time to thank God, really thank Him, for the blessings He has bestowed on me. I am so grateful that He calls me His. I am thankful that one day I’ll be celebrating in God’s Presence. I have quite a bit to be thankful for. How about you?

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Thank God For Protection

I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. -- Psalm 118:21

What was important to you yesterday morning? What was the focus of your life? Were you busy getting the kids to school and yourself to work? Were you stressed about a job situation or worried about money? Or maybe you just felt overwhelmed by the demands of a life on the go?

It’s amazing how quickly everything can change. When the sirens sounded and another storm approached, most people thought it would be just another small event. Oh, there might be some destruction. A few people might even lose their homes. But nothing major. Nothing widespread. Nothing that would impact on anyone you might know.

The storms killed close to 200 people in Alabama alone. That number may go up. Tuscaloosa looks like a war zone. Neighborhoods in Birmingham are gone. Rubble and chaos reign throughout so much of the northern part of the state. Citizens are too busy trying to find people who are missing to even consider the enormity of rebuilding shattered lives.

The tears flowed from the survivors. Of course they did. But there was an overwhelming sense of thanks. One man stood in front of what had been his home. Splintered wood and shattered glass mingled with remnants of a life. He pointed to a bathtub. He’d rode out the storm inside it, hanging on as it swirled and moved in the wind. He’s alive and grateful for that.

A young mother and her two young children hid in a Birmingham-area basement with relatives who lived nearby. Their house is gone. Of all the relatives in the area, only one house remains. They gathered there in the darkness to await a shattered dawn. Yet, there was reason to smile. They were alive and healthy. And the children’s dog, feared lost in the storm, was found alive and unharmed. Joy amid the dark devastation.

Life has forever changed by those impacted by the storms. Even those who had only minor damage will understand what could have happened. How fragile life is. How quickly all those things we value can be destroyed.

One man asked today why it takes something so devastating to make us treat each other with kindness and compassion. I don’t know. Maybe it takes something awful to make us look up from our self-filled world and see the people around us for the valuable, priceless creations that

Friday, March 25, 2011

Freedom

In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. -- Psalm 118:5

We are slaves to the opinions of others. Even when we don't want to be. Who among us doesn't want to be popular, well-liked, respected, valued? Who doesn't want others to seek their company? Those inner desires make rejection so very painful.

Yet, why do we care? Why do the opinions of others matter so much to us? We can easily be led astray by trying to win the esteem of others. Just ask anyone who drank too much because he tried to keep up with his friends. Or spent too much because she wanted to shop like her sister. Or denied herself because she wanted to get along with the "in" crowd. I could go on and on.

God's opinion matters. That's it. He's the only One. And, really, that is so very freeing. We don't have to pretend to be someone we're not. We don't have to pretend to have money that isn't in our bank accounts. We don't have to own the nicest car or the best house or lots of possessions. As we stand before God, we can just be who we are.

That's where we get to bask in His glory and wisdom. That's the place where we feel the full impact of His advice and His blessings. When God's opinion matters before all others, somehow everything else seems to work out. Oh, other people might still reject us. People don't like those who are different. But it won't matter so much as we seek God's praise.

When the world and its opinions get to be too much for you, cry out to the only One whose opinion matters. He can set you free from the bondage of popular opinion and lead you to the peace of His perfect truth.