Toddler Maturity

"Surely God is my salvation;

I will trust and not be afraid.

The LORD, the LORD Himself, 

is my strength and my defense,

He has become my salvation.

With joy you will draw water 

from the wells of salvation."

Isaiah 12:2-3

When I kept Addy a few weeks ago, we walked to a nearby field on pretty days to play with balls and bubbles.  One day, as we made the trek, we heard a dog barking behind a nearby fence. We were commenting on the sound puppy dogs make when the dog suddenly snarled viciously at us through the fence. Addy's eyes widened as she turned to bury her head in me and hold up her arms to be held. My protective instincts had kicked in so I met her half-way, leaning down to pick her up and get her away from there, fence or no fence. It was so beautifully  choreographed - her reaching up for protection and me reaching down to protect.  We made it to the field, enjoyed our time together, and forgot about the snarling dog.  

Addy, ready to make the trek
 to the field where we played.

Addy knew where to turn and she did. She took her eyes off the danger and buried her little body into the safety of mine. She didn't have far to go since we were already holding hands.

Robin, learn from your toddler granddaughter!  

1) Stick with God and He'll take you to some great places where you can enjoy His company and attention.

2) Hold His hand so you're walking as closely in step with Him as possible, and learn to trust Him.

3) Hold His hand so when danger crashes in on the scene, you can turn your eyes into His Presence and away from the danger.

4) Understand He is always alert and reaching down to carry you through the danger. 

5) Move on with God, sing and play, and don't let snarling dogs ruin the day.

"Surely You have granted him unending blessings

    and made him glad with the joy of Your presence."

Psalm 21:6

Father, forgive us for our fascination with danger, sin, borders, edges, cliffs, snakes and snarling dogs. Give us the faith of a toddler who is smart enough to recognize danger and turn to safety. May we see and hear the menace and run to You.  Train us to keep our eyes on You rather than facing threats on our own. Help us stay in step with You daily so we learn to trust Your heart and know You're more than ready, beyond able, and lovingly willing to grab us up into Your mighty and safe arms - whether we're in danger or just for the joy of our relationship!

In the Name of Jesus Who said, "Abide in Me" 

"I am the Vine, you are the branches.  When you're joined with me and i with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant.  Separated, you can't produce a thing.  Anyone who separates from Me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with Me and My words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon.  This is how my Father shows who He is--when you produce grapes, when you mature as My disciples." John 15:5-8 (The Message)

Windows May Not Be All They're Cracked Up To Be

There is no window in the office I share with Valarie.  We're getting our updates from those who come through: "It's sleeting;"  "It's snowing now;"  "Roads are slick;"  "Winds are picking up."  Both our husbands have called, "What's the plan if they let school out?"   "You might want to warm up the car before you leave for lunch - no, I'll just come get you."  A co-worker down the street just told me someone fishtailed by the courthouse.  Photos and warnings from local friends are popping up by the second on Facebook and it does look dangerous.  

"But when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid.
     He began to sink.
          He cried out, “Lord! Save me!”
               Matthew 14:30
Slick - slippery - messy - wet - cold - icy - gray - dangerous, but we'd never know it in this heated, quiet coccoon of an office. We have an extra heater going and it's pretty much business as usual, except that we've heard what's out there.  We're like personnel on a submarine - hearing blips, but not seeing it for ourselves and there are two ways to look at our situation:

First, we're missing out on seeing the sleet and snow fall, and that's tough on me because I'm a decisive weather junkie.  I like to see sun shining brightly, rain raining down hard, and snow blowing in gusts.  Overcast, gray days that can't make up their minds what to do are my least favorite. I've walked down the hall to look out the window a couple of times just to enjoy the sight of sleet blowing across rooftops and roads, but when I get back to work, that scene slips out of mind.

Which brings up the second way to see our submarine situation. We're getting along just fine, accomplishing what we need to accomplish and forgetting the threats of the outside world.  Knowing me, a window would distract (weather's too pretty or too bad, etc.) and keep me guessing at which way today (and tomorrow) might go. The way things are, we'll work til quittin' time then deal with what's left of it instead of all the what ifs beforehand. 

"Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the author of faith. He also makes it perfect. He paid no attention to the shame of the cross. He suffered there because of the joy He was looking forward to. Then He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Hebrews 12:2

Scripture after scripture tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus and our spiritual ears sensitive to His Voice.  Speculating about waves of potential future problems only distracts us from what He calls us to do today, right now, this minute.  The Apostles counted the cost for the moment, not necessarily for their lifetimes or they might not have walked away from paying jobs.  When Gabriel announced God's plan to Mary, she allowed herself to speculate on how the immediate problem of pregnancy would be solved, not on the million of other potential worry points.

Windows are nice, but they may not be all they're cracked up to be if what we see through them brings more anxiety than joy.  Maybe this explains why God allows us only small windows when it comes to the future but large, day-sized windows as a rule. 

"Don’t worry about anything. Instead, tell God about everything. Ask and pray. Give thanks to him. Then God’s peace will watch over your hearts and your minds because you belong to Christ Jesus. God’s peace can never be completely understood." 
Philippians 4:6-7