Wednesday, November 20, 2013

A Lamp, A Light, and Dark Places

Rick brought up a good point yesterday.  He made a comment on my "Oh, Poop" blog post about how blessed we are.  You can see how lucky I am to have him!  He was the one fishing Tucker and toys out of the insulted tub, and watching diarrhea make a sloooooow descent down a drain that chose quite a moment to show its true clogged colors, and cleaning the tub later with Maisy trying to barge through the door to watch in fascination... but he turned around and said how blessed we are.

And it's true.  Even if every one of Tucker's diapers is dirty today, and we're 3 for 3 so far, it's true. It can be an overwhelming time, but I know we're in a good place right now, and I'm thankful for that.  I know we've come out of darker times, and I know that there will be darker times unknown yet to come.  So this place, this place of 3-year-old mood swings and dirty dishes-laundry-diapers-everything, it's a good place.

I know that those of you reading this are in all different places right now.  Some of you are in a dark place.  This post is mainly for you.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see.  Hebrews 11:1

I was just a kid when I found this Bible verse, and I memorized it on the spot.  I was a worry-wart of a pre-adolescent.  I don't remember why I didn't ride the bus to school like my brothers that day, but I do remember Hebrews 11:1.  I was sitting on our piano bench, staring out the window, waiting for my friend's mom to come and pick me up.  And waiting, and waiting, and waiting.  I started to worry she wasn't coming at all!  I don't remember how it happened, but somehow I picked up my Bible, and I found Hebrews 11:1.  I memorized it, right then and there, in that minor, silly child worry moment.  It became my go-to Bible verse.

...yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...  from Psalm 23

I was in college, and it was a sad time.  We'd lost a friend, unexpectedly.  And the hurt and confusion I was feeling was all tangled up with another dark time from back in high school, another tragedy.  I was home for the weekend, in my home church, and we had a guest preacher.  He preached about Psalm 23.  To be honest, I cannot remember what he said about it!  What I do remember is that he spoke right. to. me.  And I was comforted.  And I was changed.

Give us this day our daily bread.  Matthew 6:11

 During another dark time, not too long ago, I prayed the Lord's Prayer every day.  I prayed it with sincerity and with absolute desperation.  Give us this day our daily bread.  Get us through THIS day.  I'll worry about the next one later.  (If you didn't read my blog back then, and you want more details, you can look back at my post from a couple of years ago: Manna from Heaven.)

I can think of other examples now, of times when God's Word spoke right to me, in my moment, in my place.  Sometimes I was looking for it, and other times it just found me.

So if you're there today in a dark place, or some murky in-between, I'm praying for you.  On Day 10, I'm praying for you.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31  

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