From the Limo to the Gurney!

01/23/2008

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.
For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9 (NLT)

From the limo to the gurney…I got this title from my daughter-in-law Holly, who came to visit me the other day. She came to bring dinner, and the grandkids, because I was down for the count. We joked with each other and we talked about how when I turned 50 last year I rode in a limo to dinner, and this year as my 51st birthday approaches, I rode on a gurney instead!! We both agreed the limo was much more fun!!

The highs and lows of life… It’s in those times that we begin to wonder, is this really what life is all about? We’re having a little trouble seeing where God’s going with all this…even when we read about Paul’s trials in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 (NLT). We might wonder why God would put him through so much. After all, Paul was a very faithful servant…where’s the rhyme and reason in God’s plan for Paul’s life? For our lives? It’s easy to be bold and courageous when we stand strong and healthy beside someone else’s bed, but when we’re the one in the “bed” facing some of those same things…wow, it’s a lot harder!

Here’s what Paul had to say about weakness in 2 Corinthians 12:5 (NLT): “I am going to boast only about my weaknesses.” Paul knew how weak he was, and he knew how strong His God was, and as God goes on to say in verse 12:9, “My power works best in your weakness.” Paul’s reply was, “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me.” It’s vitally important to get to know our Savior very, very well in this life…so when the darkness that longs to consume us moves in, because it will, it can be controlled by the power of God within. We need to know how Satan can be defeated at the Throne of Grace!

It’s hard sometimes in this life, to understand how differently God has designed all of His children, and all of our circumstances in life. When we are strong, we have a hard time understanding when others are weak. When we are weak, we are perplexed by those with seemingly superhuman strength. And in our misunderstanding it becomes easy to judge one another, and to even judge God. But when truth be told, we are all just making our way through this life as best we can, and in all of it, God does have a perfect plan. If we’re not focused completely on our Lord, but instead listening to the lies of the enemy, the pit of despair can be deeper and darker and lonelier than ever. We can feel isolated in strength; we can feel isolated in the weakness…it really doesn’t matter to our enemy, as long as he can keep us isolated!

Wherever we go, let’s make sure our Traveling Companion is Jesus Christ, and also CARE so much for others that when their hands start slipping, we can be the hands that God will use to help them hold on….and they can also do that for us when we’re tempted to let go! What’s most important is that everyone’s heart will be opened to an eternity lived with God in Heaven forevermore!