Through it

Well, it has been a week of highs and lows, or as we call them at Faith works, Highlights and lowlights. I had a really great story that I have been working on that will help a lot of people. Maybe next week. Last night I was walking my spoiled rotten mutt at 3:30 am when I heard form God. Read on to see what he told me.


Through it.


When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Is 43:2


 Well, people's prayers in this part of West Texas have been answered. God sent rain. Then he sent some more, and then more still. When it stopped early this morning, the dog decided it was a great time to go out. I groggily put on my shoes and got the leash. We made it Ok for a few minutes and then began to have trouble picking out a route that did not include puddles. Not able to find a path I gritted my teeth and stepped into the puddle, completely soaking my Ked's. I told Benji, "Well I guess we gotta go through it." Immediately I was reminded of the old children's game, "Goin' on a Bear Hunt." I spent countless hours on my Grandpa's lap playing, with the cave being the fireplace with glass coals lit from below. I spent countless more hours with my children on my lap, playing the same game. After announcing that they are going on a bear hunt, the leader and children proudly announce that they are not afraid. They get to one obstacle after another such as a tree, a big rock or  a river depending on which version you play. They have to get past all the obstacles to get to the cave where the bear is hiding. No matter which version you play, there is at least one obstacle where this is the conclusion. "Can't go over it. Can't go under it. Can't go around it. Gotta go through it.!"


This feels like my life right now. There are several places in my life where I am sure God is working but I am having to wait and walk through it. I confess today that I am not very happy with God. A friend of ours passed away this week. I know all the Sunday school answers and the right things to say. I know she is with Jesus and I know she is not in pain and I know we will see her again, but I am still angry. I think God missed it on this one. Why would he take someone who was totally committed to Him, who was generous and helpful and compassionate and leave some of the turkey's who are actively spreading chaos and destruction? Do you know what I did? I told God that I was upset with him. I did hear the words I heard in church a couple of weeks ago about how "It came to pass, it didn't come to stay." That helped some but what helped more was just a reassuring sense of His presence, and a conviction that He was there with me, even in my anger. No lightning, no condemnation, but just a reminder of his faithful love.


Apparently I am not the only one to struggle with these things. Look at Isaiah 43:2.When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Joshua 1:9 says Be strong and courageous. Do not tremble or  be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you may go. God reassured Hagar that he is the God who see (el roi) in Genesis 16:13. So many other verses in the psalms and the gospels in particular tell us that God is with us in our struggles. We have to walk through some things but we do not have to walk through them alone. We have our God and we have each other. Hold on to both.

Light show

Welcome to Unseen today. It was a long week at my house, but God is good. Read on to find the remarkable reminder that I had of that this week.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalms 19:1

                This past weekend we had a balloon festival in Abilene. People packed into the park to see the colorful hot air balloons. There was live music from local bands and shrieks from children on air castles. The air was thick with the smell of all kinds of food that are not good for you. Those who were brave enough (not me) took tethered balloon flights. On Saturday night, they held a Night Flight. After dark, balloons lit up from the fire hovered on tethers. Hundreds of people came and “oohed and aahed”. Then came Sunday, when the balloons and booths were packed up and the trash cleared away. Sunday night was another story altogether. With much less publicity but much more splendor, God produced a light show. The lunar eclipse was fantastic. Not hundreds, but thousands upon thousands of people stood transfixed looking at the sky. The bright full moon was slowly blotted out by a planet crossing into our line of sight. Then the color went from dark to blood red, and slowly came back to normal, revealing the huge full moon again.                

                The science behind both of these events is awesome, especially to science nerds like my family. The ingenuity that it took to manufacture and operate the huge balloons was impressive, but it paled in comparison to the sheer majesty and wonder of the creator. Think again about a God who spoke the earth, the moon and countless galaxies into existence. Monday morning I heard a radio host talking about the eclipse and she was remembering when the Hubble Telescope first sent back images from space. She said she looked at the points of light and thought, "Oh, look at the pretty stars." Then the announcer explained that each point of light was not a star but a galaxy. Taking nothing away from the might and power of God, there is a more important lesson here.
            
               As I was looking at that fabulous "blood moon", I remembered the verses in Revelation about the moon being turned to blood. I remembered the beautiful verses in Psalms 19 that tell us "the heavens are telling the glory of God" (v 1-6). The next verse that came to me was Jeremiah , "I have loved you with an everlasting love.". (Jeremiah 31:3) Then came John 10.:29. "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from the Father's knowledge." Finally, was one of my life verses. Do not fear for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name and you are mine." Isaiah 43:1. The lesson for me was that not only was God awesome and powerful, but he was also loving and personal. This all powerful God loves not just us, as the human race, but me! He knows my name and he knows the hairs on my head and he has plans for my welfare and not for my calamity to give me a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) Of course the enemy has tried to make me feel inferior and insignificant this week because that is who he is and what he does. This week, though, I have been able to remember that he is a liar. Like no other religion or sect in the world, we serve a God who loves us.