Safety in Danger

 "in peace..."

Psalm 4:8

Psalm 4 is a wonderful, comforting psalm that had great meaning for me recently.  Its title is, "The Safety of the Faithful," and reading that title made it clear to me how grateful I am for His blessings in my life

We went on a trip a few days ago, with a lot of driving.  And unfortunately, in the early part of it, we got a flat tire.  We had driven over something large and metal, on a fairly desolate canyon road.  It's a tricky situation, dealing with that, trying to keep everyone safe and get the car fixed as simply as possible.  It was not quite as simple as "just put the spare on," for reasons I'll explain in a future post, but when it was all over, and I read this psalm, I was reminded that wherever we travel, He is with us, and though things will go wrong, it does not mean we are without His protection.

"Here me when I call, O God of my righteousness!"

Our cell phones allow for easy calling of the Auto Club, but that's not the first call we need to make.

"But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly;

The Lord will hear when I call to Him."

Know that He does hear you.  That's faith.  You are set apart for your faith.  You are His.

"Be angry, and do not sin."

Flat tires, overheating cars, road construction, traffic, a little too much family togetherness... Anger itself is not a sin.  But do not sin in your anger.

"Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still."

When the crisis has passed, rest.  And meditate on His protection, His mercy, and His blessings. 

"I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;

For You alone, O Lord, make we dwell in safety."

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.  That's faith.  Blessings all yours, and ten thousand besides.

~ "You have put gladness in my heart"

Psalm 4:7

~

You could just change lanes quietly, ya know...

"the teacher with the student"

1 Chronicles 25:8

Well today was an adventure!  My daughter had her first behind-the-wheel lesson today.  I went too, as I was curious about the instructor, and slightly uncomfortable with the idea of my girl driving off with a stranger, and because I'm passionate and possibly the teeniest bit of a control freak when it comes to my kids.

Just for the record, I don't plan on accompanying her on all of her behind-the-wheel lessons, just this one.

It was an uneventful journey, which is exactly what one hopes for when one's child is behind the wheel for the first time.  She was cautious at first, but as she gained a little confidence, she pressed on the gas more purposefully, and followed instructions more quickly.  She didn't make any U-turns, and she didn't back up, but she did just about everything else:  parallel park, perpendicular park, residential driving, and around town a little bit.

But here's the thing ~ and it shocked me.  When we were driving around town, she was behind a bus for awhile and when the bus stopped to pick up passengers, she of course was caught behind it.  The instructor encouraged her to just go around it.  There was room to stay in our lane and still go around the bus, but it was tight, so she did it very carefully, and I guess a little too slowly, because suddenly the car behind us leaned on their horn.  Honked!  At a car that has Student Driver written in big letters on the back!

I turned around to see the person who would do that, just in time to see the car pull out from behind us, and change lanes to go around us.  The driver was a middle-aged woman who glared at us angrily as she went on her way. 

I wasn't mad at her, even though she honked at my baby girl.  And that's progress for me.  After all, don't we all turn into momma bears when someone threatens our cub?

As we continued on our way, and the instructor told my daughter to just disregard rude people, I started thinking about a few occasions in my life where I've been treated similarly.  I remember particularly, driving in Utah several years ago to visit my sister.  It was winter, and it was snowing on the canyon road that leads to her house.  I don't have a lot of experience driving in the snow, so I was staying in the right lane, and driving cautiously.  There weren't a lot of cars on that road so it wasn't a big deal, but all of a sudden a car came up fast behind me, tailgated me for a few minutes, and then went quickly and recklessly around me.   Then he hastily changed lanes again, getting in front of us ~ a little too closely for my comfort.

It didn't really faze me; I'd been driving for long enough to know that every driver is different, and that I lean toward cautious, and that I'm not gonna be pressured by someone else.  That driver might have been fully competent and confident, but I was not.  I was new at it, and liable to over-correct, possibly getting into an accident.

I made the decision that day to make sure I never pressure another in similar situations.  Just because I'm comfortable under a set of given circumstances, doesn't mean everyone is going to be.

And it's not just about driving.  We can be too confident in a lot of areas that might prove to be detrimental to someone else.  Especially when it comes to salvation.  A cavalier attitude about sin, just because you're sure of your salvation, can cause someone else to swerve.  Proceed with caution, and pray for others in your path.

~ "beware lest somehow this liberty of yours

     become a stumbling block to those who are weak" ~

1 Corinthians 8:9

~

The Waiting Game

"they shall drive"

Daniel 4:32

Man, what a day. 

It started off fairly normally, but then I decided today was the day to head to the DMV.

Thank you for your sympathies. 

Though my daughter is well past 17 years old, she has yet to get her driver's license.  When she was 16, she just didn't feel ready, and we certainly didn't feel the need to push her.  But over the past few months, she has taken and passed the class, so it was time to get her permit so that she could start getting behind the wheel. 

Now, these days you can make an appointment before you go to the DMV, but when I tried, the earliest appointments were several weeks out.  So I decided to take my chances just showing up.  (You can also go online to find out what the current wait times are, so when I saw they were low, we hurried over there.)

And it went pretty well.  We only waited in line less than 30 minutes, which seems fairly reasonable to me.  We had her birth certificate, we had her social security number, and we had her certificate of course completion of the Drivers' Training Class.  The man behind the counter looked at everything, assigned us a number, and told us we'd get called to a window in just a few minutes.

Two hours later, we were called to a window.

At which point, our paperwork was filed, and she was given the test to take.  Then my boy and I sat a few minutes longer and waited for her.  Then she turned her test in and the three of us sat for a few more minutes while her test was graded. 

She passed.  Yay!

My point is:  a lot of sitting and waiting.  A lot.  I read for a few minutes, and the kids and I played several rounds of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, but most of the time we just sat and waited, and people-watched. 

The DMV is a fabulous place to people-watch.  I think it's because there is no one who doesn't have to deal with the DMV.  It's the Great Equalizer.  Rich or poor, young or old, US-born or naturalized citizen, of every conceivable race.  And as I sat there and looked around, I thought of how God feels toward each of these people. 

I loved two people in that building ~ the two who were related to me.  But when we got called to a window, we had a little trouble (I had written down my daughter's social security number wrong and needed to call my husband to give it to me again.)  The woman who assisted us was so helpful and understanding; I felt like she was on our side.  

In addition, I did a little bit of chatting with a few of my fellow prisoners.  The woman in front of us in line, and two women sitting behind us in the waiting area. 

So by the time we left, I loved two people, and liked one person, and felt pleasantly toward a few others.  And it occurred to me that for the most part, liking people is all about knowing them.  The more you know someone, the more you like them. 

Now, of course, the more you know someone, the more you know their flaws, too, but that doesn't necessarily mean you won't like them. 

So there's God, on His throne, looking down on all of these people He has created... the young guy with all the tattoos... the woman behind the counter who never smiled.... the older couple who chatted quietly the whole time as if the rest of us didn't exist... and that mom and two kids who passed the time playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon...

People, people and more people.  In my county, in my state, in my country, on my planet.  And He knows and loves each and every one.  Amazing. 

~ "Behold what manner of love 

   the Father has bestowed on us, 

that we should be called children of God!" ~

1 John 3:1

~

Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to church we go

We made it safely to church and back on Sunday.  Praise God!

Normally I would be more nonchalant about our trip to and from church, but I got a good reminder this week about appreciation, especially when it comes to things we take for granted.

The Apple of my Eye was driving.  This in itself is unusual.  While he generally does the driving for the family, I drive to church.  This is for two reasons:  first, we go to church in my car, and I like driving my car.  It's fun.  ☺

 But also, first thing on Sunday mornings ~ like, really first thing ~ he plays pickup ice hockey with some friends.  Early on Sundays is when they can get the rink for free, and everyone can manage the time in their schedule.  So by the time we leave for church, he's already been up several hours and driven ± 20 miles, and he's quite happy to just sit, and let me drive. 

But this week, I was trying to help my daughter with something, and it made us a few minutes late in leaving the house.  Not a lot, but enough that he had decided to save a little time by starting the car and backing it out of the garage.  So she and I just ran out of the house and hopped in.  And off we went. 

We hadn't gotten far ~ only to the first major intersection on our route ~ when my hubby made a left turn and nearly hit a cyclist who was crossing the street when it wasn't her turn.  He braked hard, and the kids and I all flew forward in our seats, and the cyclist looked up with an expression that could have been "whoops!" if you were generous, but really seemed more like, "hi, how are you?" 

Which seemed a surprising response, considering we could have killed her, if my hubby hadn't been aware, and had a quick response.  But, ya know, to each her own.

Then as we turned into the parking lot of church, we had another near-miss.  This time it was us making a left turn, when all of a sudden we had to brake hard ~ again ~ as a car that we thought was going to turn before it got to us, didn't.  It was coming straight, and we were in its path.  It wasn't coming fast, and they slowed down, allowing us to go ahead into the parking lot. 

Neither instance was anything more than a small error, with huge possible consequences.  But in both cases, everything turned out fine.  Disaster was avoided. 

I hadn't prayed for a safe journey when we left the house.  But I was certainly thanking Him for it by the time we arrived.

Preventative Maintenance

"be armed, ready to go"

Numbers 32:17

I ran out of gas in my car once.

But only once.  Because when my father arrived to bail me out, he said, "There is no excuse for running out of gas."

He wasn't mad. {Although he was probably justifiably irritated at the inconvenience of having to come rescue me!}  So it wasn't an anger-fueled comment, he was simply stating a fact.   There is no excuse.  Gas stations are everywhere, and you have a gauge to tell you when you are low.

It was a lesson that stuck with me.  Obviously, since it was ± 25 years ago, and I still remember it.  I think about when my gas tank gets low, which is probably what my father had in mind.

But I also thought about it recently, when I had a full tank of gas.  It was on the same day that I had the oil changed in my car.   And when I have my oil changed, they also do all those other checks, air filters or other fluids or whatever.  And they rotate and align the tires.

I drove home that day feeling equipped; ready for anything.  I could go anywhere and do anything I needed to for my family without any worry about my equipment.   I had full confidence in my car.

I mean, I know I was still vulnerable to a surprise flat, or unforeseen engine trouble.  But I had done everything I could to be prepared.  That's all we can do.

And that's what we should do.   Know in advance what the possible problems might be, and take steps to head them off.  When my kids were little, I used to remind them, when they were going into a difficult situation, that they needed a weapon.  And based on Ephesians 6:17, our weapon is the word of God.  So I would tell them to have a verse in mind that would strengthen them.  To be ready.

Ready for anything

There's so much that is unpredictable in life.  All the more reason to prepare in whatever way we can.

~ "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God...

that the man of God may be complete,

thoroughly equipped for every good work." ~

2 Timothy 3:16,17

~

Lying Fallow

"the land shall rest"

Leviticus 26:34

As I've shared, we went to visit family for Christmas last week.  The Apple of my Eye, our Awesome Girl and Amazing Boy, and I, drove for hours in the family sleigh, over the river and through the woods, to my sister's house in Nevada.  It was a wonderful time with my sisters and brothers-in-law, my parents, and for my kids and their cousins.

Our drive took us up through a lot of California.  From our home in the southern and coastal side of the state, to my sister's home in northern Nevada ~ which, by the way, is pronounced Nuh-vaa-duh, not Ne-vah-dah.  Spread the word.

For a long part of the trip, it was the same as the drive we had taken when we went camping last summer.  I wrote about that trip, and the beauty of the scenery we saw, celebrating fruitfulness in the land of fruit and nuts. 

So there we were seeing much of that same scenery again.  It was interesting how different it was from six months ago, and yet the same.  I mean, obviously the same plants, in the same places.  It was all very familiar to me.  After all, I've made that drive dozens of times in the years I've lived in California.

But where everything was lush and fruitful early last summer, it was dead or dying at this time of year.   Where there was green and full, there is now brown and grey.

And yet, in it's own way, it was still beautiful.  I've always loved the colors of winter.  Autumn is always lovely, with all its shades of reds and golds; but winter is beautiful too.  I love the starkness of trees without leaves, dark gray against the light gray of a cloudy sky.  And there are shades of brown, and rust and ochre.

I love the colors of the plants in winter, but I also love the knowledge that they are going through this season of "dying".  Because, of course, many of those plants and trees that look dead, are not.  They are simply going through the stages of life that God designed for them. 

So take heart, if you feel like that's you.  If you're in a season that doesn't seem to be characterized by growth and fruitfulness, just wait.  Know that you're in a season of resting, or waiting, and that spring will come soon. 

And know that you're beautiful, all year round.

~ "To everything there is a season,

a time for every purpose under heaven" ~

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Being a Light in the Darkness

"on a cloudy and dark day"

Ezekiel 34:12

I really like my car.  Which is a blessing to me from God.  Not just the car, but the fact that I like my car.  I live in Southern California, in a car culture.  We do more driving here than in other parts of the country, so I'm very glad that I get to enjoy driving.

I love that it's comfortable to drive ~ not too big and not too small.  I love that it has a sunroof.  Although, my kids would tell you that I consider it my all-weather-roof.  The only time I don't like to have it open is when the sun is shining too brightly.  I love having it open all other times, even at night, and in rainy weather.

And I love the color of my car.  I think the manufacturer called it teal, but it's more complex than that.  There's a sort of undertone of gold, but it's not always noticeable.  You can really only see that when the sun is shining on it.  If the sun is not shining directly on it, it's just a teal color.  Lovely, but just your basic teal.

But on cloudy days, the car takes on another color entirely.  It's a color I call Chesapeake, because it looks like a murky sea on a rainy day.  Gorgeous.  If you like that kind of thing.  Which I do.  And I've gotten a lot of compliments on it.  There was even a time when a woman caught up to me in a store and said, "Is that your teal car?"  I told her it was, and she said, "It's such a beautiful color."  And that was a cloudy day. 

So not only is it a cool color, it's two colors ~ one in the sunlight, and another on cloudy days.

There's a pretty good contrast.

The weather has finally turned to Autumn, here in sunny Southern California.  So a few days ago, when I walked out to my car and remembered how pretty it is on a gloomy day, I took it as a challenge; a reminder that I don't have to be dull and colorless when I'm walking through clouds in my life.

What color are you when things are dark?  Are you dismal and dreary, or is there a depth to you that draws others?  What is revealed in you, in the light, and in the dark?  We can be beautiful, in Him and through Him, no matter what our life is like. 

~ "your heart will rejoice,

and your joy, no one will take from you" ~

John 16:22

~

Dry

"out of season"

2 Timothy 4:2

It's evening as I write this.  It has been a long day.  I was up and out of the house first thing, then stopped back at home long enough to have breakfast.  Then I left again for an appointment. 

Then I came home, and left again ten minutes later.  That time I was gone for a couple of hours. 

When I came home from that excursion, I was home for a couple hours, but I was exhausted and having trouble motivating myself to accomplish anything before I left again.

And leave again I did.  My hubby's car is in the shop, so I needed to pick him up from work, and drop my Awesome Girl off to do some volunteer work with her friends.  Then I came home and had dinner with my boy and my man. 

Then an hour later I left to pick up my girl.  I don't think I drove to any location more than 15 miles from my house, but I put about 75 miles on my car today.  I got very little done, and I'm exhausted. 

I can't say that I didn't pray today, but I have no idea what I said to Him, or if He said anything back to me.  And I never read the Bible.   I will before bed, but I gotta be honest ~ I feel spiritually dry today.  It made me think of this verse in 2 Timothy:  "Preach the word!  Be ready in season and out of season.  Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." 

It's a tough verse.  It's not one I want to be reminded of on a tiring day.   How can I preach the word, convincing, rebuking, exhorting... when I've barely given Him a thought all day?  But Paul is telling Timothy here that circumstances do not amend or invalidate our duty to "go out into all the world".

I first came across this verse during a long dry spell in my spiritual life.  For weeks, I felt like I was in a desert.  I don't know if it was due to some disobedience on my part, or a time of struggle that He had planned for my growth.  I do know that I felt lonely, but not alone.  My time with His Word, and my time in prayer, were a struggle.  I knew He was with me, but He was silent to me.  I missed the joy of my pencil pouring forth His thoughts to me, but I did not despair.  I knew He had not changed.  I knew His love for me had not ebbed, not even a bit.

Whether by His design or our life's circumstances, we are occasionally "out of season".  We cease, temporarily, to produce fruit.  But growth is still taking place.  His Spirit has not gone, and the harvest will soon come.  But we must always, always be ready ~ wearing the armor of God, alert in prayer, always listening for His direction.

And I'm grateful to remember that even on a day when I haven't opened my Bible, I have His Word.  That's the beauty of "hiding it in my heart".  I only have to relax my mind and allow Him to bring me verses of peace or instruction.   So even on days when I don't feel ready, I'm ready.

~ "He awakens me morning by morning,

    He awakens my ear to hear as the learned" ~

Isaiah 50:4

~

I could have had a V-8!

"have I any power at all?"

Numbers 22:38

My family went apple picking last weekend.  And by that I mean, we went out to the country and picked out the varieties of apples we wanted to buy.

Usually we drive up to this area to actually pick the apples ourselves, but we went up earlier in the year than we normally do, and the you-pick orchard we normally visit told us that it was too soon in the season to pick.  There were other orchards open, that weren't you-pick.  So we were happy to buy a few favorite varieties, and try a couple new ones.

It's a bit of a drive from our house ~ maybe two hours away.  And normally, the Apple of my Eye does the long (and middle) distance driving, but he wanted to get a little work done, so I drove.

I love driving ~ when it's my car.   It's just the right size for me, and it's a smooth, comfortable ride.  But my car was in the shop (trying to become a smooth, comfortable ride again) so I had to drive my sweetie's car.  His car is, well, less of a smooth, comfortable ride.  It's big, and manly and takes more concentration for me to drive.

And as we were tooling up the mountain road, my sweetie looked up from his work, realizing that we seemed to be losing a little momentum.  He glanced at the speedometer, grinned at me and said, "You can push harder on the gas pedal.  It's a V-8; use the power!" 

See, my car has 6 cylinders, so if it's having trouble going up a steep hill, there's not much I can do about it.  I don't want to ask the engine to work harder than it can, so I keep steady pressure on the gas pedal, and let it do its thing.  I'm not really one who needs a high performance car, I guess...

But with my hubby's car, I was able to ask more of the engine.  It's a more powerful vehicle, and I wasn't taking advantage of that until he reminded me.

Power that's not being used when it's needed is essentially going to waste.  It's not like conserving something so it will last longer.  The car has 8 cylinders, and that's not going to change.  I can either take advantage of that power, or deny myself the ability.

And I'll bet I do that more often than just in his car.   My faith is in the God who created the universe.  He keeps the world turning; He keeps my heart beating.  And He is the source of my faith, my courage, and ability to obey Him.  Whether it's the difficulty of loving others, or taking a scary step of faith, He's the power I need ~ if only I call upon Him.

~ "In the day of my trouble,

  I will call upon You,

     for You will answer me" ~

Psalm 86:7

Jesus, take the wheel...

"you have kept My command to persevere"

Revelation 3:10

See this picture?  This is from a couple of years ago.  I went boating with a group of friends on a nearby lake. 

There are several ladies there, and I know it's a little hard to see, but it's important that you know that I am one of the ones who is standing.

I'll explain that in a minute.

This is not a boat that belongs to anyone on the boat.  It's a rental boat, property of the city, or the Lake Association, or something.   So no one has to have a license or any training whatsoever to drive it, or pilot it, or whatever you do to a boat...

It's not a fast-moving boat.  It's no big deal to stand while the boat is in motion, although I'm sure there's still a small amount of risk.  It is a moving vehicle, after all.  For the most part we're sitting while we're moving, unless someone's getting up to get something to nibble on, or passing something to nibble on, or getting a napkin because they've dribbled what they've nibbled on.

The only person who can't stand, is the one who is piloting it.  Or driving it.  Or whatever you do to a boat...  You have to be in a seated position to speed the boat up, or slow it down; to change from forward to reverse, or back again; and to steer.

So what you can garner from the fact that I am standing, is that I am not sitting. 

I am not driving. 

Or piloting. 

Or whatever you do to a boat...

I wasn't driving the boat because no one would let me.  Not that I was trying all that hard; I don't care who drives.  But I had offered to take a turn the previous year, and, um, had a little trouble docking the boat.  No damage; just a little bumping.  But a year later, they were still teasing me about it...

You see, it's very tricky to steer a boat.  You have to turn the wheel ever so slightly, and then wait for the boat to respond.  It's not really like driving a car.  It's easy to turn the wheel too hard if you don't realize you have to wait for the boat to respond.

Believe me, I know.

Or you might turn the wheel slightly, and nothing happens, so you panic and turn it harder, and then you feel it starting to turn, and you realize it's turning too much, cuz you turned it too hard, so then you turn the opposite way, and fall into the same trap. 

Believe me, I know.

I thought of all this silliness the other day when I was talking with a friend about making decisions.  Sometimes we pray about things to do or not do, and we read the Bible, and we get advice from friends who read the Bible ~ and we're still not sure what to do.  So then we just make the best decision we can. 

But then sometimes life, or people, or opportunities don't happen, or react, or turn out the way we thought they would. 

So then we panic and go the other way.

And I think the lesson here is: give it a chance to work.  Sometimes this applies to our prayer life.  God does not work at our pace, and sometimes we pray, and when we don't feel an answer is coming fast enough, we go the other way, and decide to do something about it ourselves. 

And sometimes it applies to a decision we've made.  So pray, and read Scripture, and ask God for wisdom, which He promises to give in abundance.  Then make the best decision you can, and have faith in Him.  Even if you've made a mistake in your decision, He won't abandon you.  He will guide you back to His will, and He will use all things for good.

He is a God of order, and detail.  And He has a plan for us.  Sometimes that's working His will in our lives, and sometimes it's working with our free will.  But we need to trust Him to see us through when we think we're going the wrong way. 

~ "Indeed we count them blessed who endure.

You have heard of the perseverance of Job

and seen the end intended by the Lord - 

that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful" ~

James 5:11

Road Trip

"Traveling in the greatness of His strength"

Isaiah 63:1

Thoughts after a 12 hour road trip...

I love when I cross a state line and find that the culture and the topography have changed dramatically.  People and places are not the same everywhere you go.  Learn something from those He places in your path, even if only briefly.

Switching-off drivers is a good idea.  Being the one "in charge", alert and responsible for everyone else, can be hard work.  Some are better at it than others, but no one should do it all the time.  So take a turn at navigating and making conversation.  Let someone else take the wheel ~ literally.   

We're not created to sit for long periods of time.  So get up and get moving! 

A car's need for fuel on a regular basis is a reminder to us that we can't just continue on for long periods of time without doing an assessment of ourselves and our needs.  Wash the windshield, check the oil, empty the trash that has accumulated since the last stop, take a look at the tires.... Take a good hard look at yourself on a regular basis.  Maybe in prayer once a week?  Instead of just asking Him for things you want, and maybe instead of just being thankful, also make sure you ask Him if there's any way in you that needs tending to.

Rest Stops have what you need.  But only the basics.  This ain't luxury, people.  And why?  Because you're not meant to stay long.  Refresh yourself, then get back to the journey.  You've got places to go, things to do, and people to see! 

~ "It came into his heart to visit his brethren" ~

Acts 7:23