~ "That wasn't in the travel brochure..."

David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. (1 Sam 17:37)

I have noticed that in the past five years, there are certain things that no longer bother me; things I am no longer afraid of.  Why?  Quite simply - because where I go, the Lord goes with me.

I was on one of God's journeys one day.  Those are the ones He lays on my heart, the ones Satan tries to dissuade me from, the ones I know will bring glory to HIS name.  My faithful GPS took me through the streets of Philly without incident until the little checkered flag popped up and told me I'd reached my destination.  Well, the place I was headed was not there.  Being smarter than the GPS, I drove a bit, turned around and drove back thinking that maybe I should have made a left instead of a right.  After a block or two, I pulled over at a corner and called the place I was headed.  "Where are you?"  So I announced my coordinates..."We'll be right there".  Within less than a minute, there were two smiling faces saying "follow me"...so I did.  Long story short - I was sitting on the worst possible corner to be sitting at.  I was not phased by this news, just shrugged my shoulders and said "oh".  God was with me, what was there to fear?  I was going to see what kind of assistance I could offer this little mission because the Lord laid it on my heart to do so.  

When I was reminded  that I want faith like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, I was reminded also that David went places that weren't very popular either.  He faced some pretty serious enemies in his day and God never let him down.  He fought a giant and won, he faced the lion and came out unharmed, he proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that God will protect and provide for those who commit their lives to Him without hesitation, without question.  

Most of us live relatively "safe" lives.  We don't do anything purposefully to put ourselves in "harm's way".  We deal with our demons and our problems quietly and often shamelessly.  We forget where we could be if God removed His hand from our lives.  Not all of us were fortunate enough not to fall prey to the drug and alcohol scene, the the prostitution of the body, to the thievery that lurks deep in the heart or the anger that consumes the mind.  Are "those people" not children of the King?  Were they not created in His image?  Do they not deserve the chance to choose and to have Jesus save them as well?  One person asked me - "well, couldn't you find a mission in a "nicer" section of town?" -- I'm not going to even justify that with an answer!

When I was about 10 years old, I'd save my allowance and send it to a missionary organization based out of upstate New York.  They'd send me a little magazine every month.  One day I got a letter from the then head of this organization and we became pen pals.  He had received a letter from my father, explaining how it was that my contribution came to him.  I loved the idea of bringing Christ to others then, I still love the idea today.  It was not in God's plan for me to serve in that "capacity".  I had to experience the life I've experienced in order to serve Him the way He is calling me to serve.  

Go where He sends you, do what He asks you to do!  Live the life HE has prepared for YOU - even if that plan takes you places you never dreamed you'd go or would never want to be.  He is there!

~ "My help comes from the Lord..."

(photo by Celia Darrigo)

And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. (Acts 22:10)

"Okay, Lord, now what???"  These were the words uttered l when I found that my income had been reduced to nothing once again.  I wanted to shout to the heavens that I had done everything He's asked of me and now I'm in worse shape than I was two months before.  I wanted to tell Him that I don't feel His presence like I used to.  I wanted to tell Him that I'm afraid.  I wanted to scream at Him for allowing all the things that have happened in my life to happen.  I wanted all the suffering to end and to just be done with all of this.  But God has a way of making your see with your soul what you cannot see with your heart, your mind or your eyes.  He does whisper in sweet, soft tones and reassures you that everything will be just fine if you trust in Him.

My response to that whisper was very simple:  I trust in you, Lord, it's the people around me that don't have that same level of trust in you, nor do they think for a minute that you can and will provide for me.  I have to deal with them on a daily basis and it's getting tough.  I know I am where you want me to be, but right now I don't know what to do...PRAY!!!

The very essence of our faith lies in the belief that everything will work according to His plan.  When we give ourselves over to Him, do what He asks us to do, will He not see that we are cared for???   Will He not wrap His heavenly arms around us and protect us from the earthly enemies that seek to destroy us?  Will He not make our seemingly horrific situations a testimony to His good works?  Will He not preserve us as we wander around in the furnace???

I laughed to myself when I remembered that some months back a friend and I were talking about "faith".  My comment to her was "I want faith like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego."  In Daniel 3:26, their faith protected them from the fires of the furnace and they walked out unharmed  - they didn't even smell like smoke!  My desire was to have faith like that!!!  Well, in order to have faith like that, one must endure similar situations and not "cave" under pressure.  

I am not now, nor will I ever be, a "perfect" worshipper.  I don't always take the time to sit and offer Him the praises He deserves.  I make excuses for my short comings some days, I ask forgiveness for them and begin again.  What I don't do is walk away.  There have been moments over the past year that I have been angry with God, disappointed, I've felt rejected and left alone.  I will even go so far as to say there were moments of hate directed towards Him as a result of certain situations I found myself in.  But no matter how miserable life on earth got, God never left my side and continued to whisper those words I've become so familiar with..."I am here - you are MINE".

Whatever you face, you do not face it alone.  Reach out the Lord of heaven and earth and entrust your soul to Him.  Hand over your problems and your worries.  He'll shine them up and hand them back to you so that you can see what needs to be done, if anything does, in fact, need to be done.  He will offer you the solutions you need if you're listening.  They may not be the ones you were hoping for, but they will be the ones that are right for you.  Trust in Him, have faith in Him - listen...