As I stood gazing out the kitchen window this morning, my mind missing Kyle; my spirit giving praise to God for His goodness, His strength, His love, His forgiveness; my heart prayerful...for the hurting, the broken, the lonely, the seeking, the sick; while my hands were sunk deep in a sink full of hot, sudsy water, my attention was caught by the flag whipping & blowing on the pole in our front yard. The immediate realization... It's warm & cozy in here yet it's breezy & frigid out there... One wall protects me from the elements. One wall shelters me from the wind, the snow, the rain, the cold... One wall. Seems like a no-brainer, I know...but how often do we take time to notice things of such? And as I was processing what seems like something so remotely simple to most, God ever so clearly spoke to my heart, "I am the wall sheltering you from the elements of the world... One wall that shelters you from that which seethes & strives & works to destroy you... Jealousy. Greed. Selfishness. Complacency. Bitterness. Anger. Pride. Self-pity. Negativism. Gluttony. I Am the wall..." As I meditated on what He was imparting unto me, I was reminded that just as I wouldn't go out & subject myself to the elements of the winter we are currently enduring, how ludicrous would it be of me to daily subject myself to the vulnerability of the spiritual forces that work against me... For at the same time that harsh forces of nature may work to destroy the body, evil forces of the spiritual realm work to destroy the heart of the inner man who is intimately connected to God. We make certain & go to extreme measures to protect the body (multiple layers...coat, hat, gloves, thick socks, shoes & for sure a warmed car) albeit temporal, yet we daily "go out " vulnerable & unprotected spiritually, suppressing the fact that what lies within is eternal. We reason that, "We will get to it later..." or "Eventually I will have time..." or "Someday I will get serious about walking closely with God..." when I wonder if we realize that by thinking/living/choosing in such a way we are walking around unprotected...just as if we walked out our front door this morning in short sleeves & shorts, with plans to be outside all day long...
Unfortunately we place greater value on that which is temporal & more often than not,
ignore that which is eternal...
Unfortunate...
Unnecessary...
Dangerous....
As I stood at that sink this morning...
Praying...
For one I know who is trying to find healing for a broken heart...
For parents who are not only grieving the loss of a child but trying to make sense of & work through the crippling details, the traumatic events, the gut-wrenching pain of the uniqueness of the situation...
For a young man embarking on exciting opportunities in life...
For frail bodies who have lived long lives & are now dependent on others...
For a niece recovering from complications in childbirth & for her new family...
And for another niece who although is miles away is ever close at heart...
♥
For a young mom preparing to go through the process of a bone marrow transplant in order to hear the words, "Cancer-free... Remission... Healed..."...
For a neighbor whose health is struggling...
For ones I love who are lonely, confused & trying to see God through it all...
For a husband who is seeking divine wisdom & direction for our family...
And a daughter who is finding contentment in waiting on the One who loves her most to reveal His plan & His purpose for her life...
I pray...
And God says, "I am their wall..."
Do you see God as your wall?
The One who protects you?
Shields you?
Shelters you?
Is He
truly your Shelterer?
Your Shield?
Your Protector?
Or do you leave yourself vulnerable?
And wait for the day that may never come...
While your spirit, second-by-second, pines away...
As a result of the elements that work against you...
Whether you're already a Christian & need to return to your First Love...
Or you've never made that decision & need to step out in faith...
God wants to be your wall...
May today be the day...
