My Path...My God...and a snake

Before I begin…be warned…this is long….

One of the hi-lites of my vacation last week was enjoying my daily run. Each day, as I tied up my running shoes, slipped on my head phones to my ipod, I could hardly wait to get on the running path. For me, running is a great time for me to be quiet, listen to my praise music, and pray and meditate on God. It’s during my running times, God and I discuss a lot of things. Things like, life issues, family decisions, directions we are seeking, his perfect will, or areas he is working on in my heart.

One day in particular as I was running I was focusing on God, and listening. As I continued on my path, out of the corner of my eye I spotted a small garden snake coiled up on the path directly in front of me. In that very moment, I gasped, and my total focus went from God, to that snake. After I passed that snake, the Lord whispered to me, “see how easy it was for you to take your focus off of me when you saw that snake? Do you not know that that small little snake is far more afraid of you, than you of it?”

As I pondered what the Lord shared with me, he began to speak to me about how easy it is, to take my focus off of HIM, when an uncomfortable situation enters my pathway.

John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”

As I believer, satan CANNOT steal, kill or destroy me, because “greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the world.”

Little did I know that as I began my new routine, many things would unfold in the coming days that would cause me to ‘slip’, and take my eye’s off of him, and focus on my situations and circumstances. Little did I know, that my faith would be tested…..to the fullest.

After arriving home from this very run, my circumstances began to change. Our mini van broke down while our son was out running errands. What followed was dealing with our car being in the shop for 9 days unfixable. The shop couldn’t figure out what was wrong, which resulted in us canceling our 4th of July plans to travel home to see family.

To say we were disappointed that we couldn’t go home would be an understatement. We all began to “unpack” our luggage as we’d now be staying home.

We talked, discussed, reasoned, and tried to figure out what could possibly be wrong with our van. Like most people, we did what you would do, we went to “google” to seek his opinion. (NOTE: did you notice we forgot to pray????)

Of course, what google told us, rocked our world as we were certain our vehicle had this certain type of “unfixable” problem which would mean our van was dead.

Yes, this new news affected our weekend, as we began to be filled with worry, fear, and anxiety as the thought of purchasing a different vehicle just wasn’t in our plans. We began to look at schedules as we now were faced with needed to get 4 people….to four different places each day of the week with one vehicle.

Fast forward to Monday of this week. My husband called to tell me that he thought he really should check with the dealer that we purchased our car from to see if they might have a solution for our van. Of course, they were sure they could fix it.

That news, began to birth some “hope” in our hearts, and as we traveled home from work that evening, our hearts felt lighter as we were sure our vehicle might be fixable after all. And, in this very moment, I looked at my husband and reminded him how we had been putting our hope, and faith, into the mechanic to fix our vehicle, and when we thought they couldn’t fix it, we allowed our circumstances to dictate our hearts attitude.

My mind quickly returned to my jog the week before, and how God was dealing with my heart about allowing my circumstances to dictate my hearts attitude. Boy does conviction sting!!!!

My husband and I continued our talk about how we allowed an ‘unknown circumstance” to affect our weekend…when now, we could NEVER have those days back! It was so very sobering to realize we allowed worry, fear, and anxiety to settle in our hearts, instead of resting in Jesus.

We arrived home and the boys got busy doing what they were doing and I headed out the door on my run! This run was no different than my past runs, where Jesus kept reminding me to “rest” and “focus” on him. He kept reminding me that nothing I face, would be unbearable with him by my side.

As I began the final stretch of my run it began to rain, and the rain was so warm as it was coming down and I felt God’s total peace. I felt his peace, until I reached the end of our street and I noticed the boys backing our truck in and out of the garage and I knew something was wrong.

AGAIN…my heart jumped from calm, and peace, to worry and fear!!! As I entered the garage, there before my eyes sat a smashed up front end of our truck….our ONLY working vehicle!

My first thought was, “how much more God….are you going to allow us to go through?” Do you know how he responded? He said, “until you learn to ‘rest’ in me…you will remain in my school of waiting”. OUCH!!!!

After picking Ashley up we returned home and the boys had already talked to our insurance and had everything lined up with the adjuster first thing Tuesday morning. You could almost feel the defeat we felt in the air. Ashley being the strong person that she is, instructed each of us to get our Bibles, and meet in the living room for a prayer meeting. (duh…why didn’t I think of that??)

As a family, we prayed, wept, read scriptures asking God to “make a way” where there seemed to be no way. We prayed that God would “change our heart”….helping us to “focus on him” rather than our situations. The hour and an half we spent before the Lord was so amazing, and I honestly believe each of us had a great nights sleep as well.

As I woke the next morning, fear began to creep in again, and God reminded me of Philippians 4:8 which we prayed and agreed upon as a family which says:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”

As I began to meditate on Philippians 4:8 my cell phone rang and I saw my Mom’s name on the caller ID. At first I thought, “why did she call me now!” because I knew I’d loose it once I’d hear her voice. (and yes, I did lose it J)

My Mom was calling to tell me that my Grandfather had been in a bad car accident while traveling to Texas to visit my Aunt. (he’s ok) I then told my Mom about Andrew’s accident and the smashed up truck, and the hopes that our van may be fixable, to we now have to come up with a deductible for our truck, and money to fix the van, to I’m weary in my well doing. Sigh….here I go again…..worry…fear…anxiety!!

By the time I finished my conversation with my Mom, I was feeling SO much better!! I then went on my way, making coffee and breakfast and getting everyone up for our busy day.

And wouldn’t ya know that God had gone before us, (just like he always does) making a way where there seemed to be No way?

The boys took the truck to the adjuster, and were given a rental car right away (totally paid for by our insurance) and our truck is in the shop getting fixed as we speak.

Next, then got our van from the car shop, to the car dealer and they found the problem and it’s totally fixable!!!!

We will be able to pick our van up first thing tomorrow morning, and our truck next Tuesday and we’ll be back in business with running vehicles.

Last night on our way home from getting Ashley from her nanny job at 9:30pm, I couldn’t help but smile as I listen to the laughter and sounds coming from the kids in the back seat as we pulled throw the drive thru at DQ. God gently reminded me how easy it is, to loose our childlike faith!

Truth be told, our worst day with Jesus, is better than our best day without him. I’m certain, in the near future, I will be faced with another life challenge that will require me to make a choice on my journey/path. Will I choose faith, hope, and peace found in my Jesus? Or, will I choose worry, fear, and doubt, the things the world has to offer that do not provide anything?

The life lessons of the past two weeks have forever been etched in my heart and they have forever changed me as I’ve watched the hand of God move, in our families life.

My prayer is that whatever situation, trial, or circumstances you may be facing, God will make a way…..because he did for me!