Is God Trying to Get Your Attention?

Greetings,

As of last Monday, I am my precious grandbaby’s caregiver.  Monday thru Thursday Ms. Ellie arrives in the morning and goes straight from her car seat into my waiting arms.  We are having so many beautiful adventures, and her favorite time of day and mine is when we lay face to face on the bed and babble to each other.  She says, “sssssshhhhhhhrrrrrrrssssssshhhhhh,” and I say it back.  She giggles every time, and I try to not cry at every little cute and adorable thing she does!

All this attention the baby requires means Hershey Pie is not quite the center of the universe like he used to be.  And this morning he reminded me that he still needs me.  I opened the door to the terrace, and all his toys were displayed on the rug.  One by one he brought them there and put them where I could see them as if to say, “Mommy, I want to play too! Remember when we used to play fetch?”

Of course, this broke my heart into a million pieces, and I immediately went outside and threw his basketball around for a solid 10 minutes until he collapsed on the floor exhausted and happy.

Maybe God does not pile all our toys on a rug to get us to redirect our focus on Him, but He does have ways of getting our attention.  If you have a distinct lack of peace and sense of well-being, if you can’t quite put your finger on what is making you so blue, or even if you can, God is waiting for you to turn to Him so He can give you rest.  God is just outside the door gently knocking. God is close by, ready to answer your call. God is willing, ready, and able to meet you in your need.  But first, you must lay aside all distractions, no matter how cute they are, and engage with Him one on one!

“I know what I am doing.  I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you. Not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on Me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. When you come looking for Me, you’ll find Me.  Yes, when you get serious about finding Me and want it more than anything, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed” (Jeremiah 29:11-14 THE MESSAGE Version).

Go back and reread this encouraging passage of scripture.  God is in control, He has wonderful plans for us, He wants up full of hope, He wants us to pray, He wants us to find Him, and when we do, He will make sure it was worth the effort!

The first step is to pray!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for Your precious promises.  We lay aside everything else clamoring for our attention and worship You for Your goodness and for Your willingness to bless us when we seek You.  We need You so much, and we are grateful that anytime we have a lack of peace, or feel down, or experience any other negative emotion, we have an open invitation to come to You and receive Your help.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Prepare for God's Arrival

“Prepare for God’s arrival! [clear away the obstacles]; Make the road straight and smooth” (Isaiah 40:3).

Greetings,

In less than two weeks a little baby will be joining our family, and we have been busy preparing for months!  The nursery is painted, the diapers and burp cloths are neatly stacked on the changing station, along with every conceivable lotion and potion, and all the clothes and shoes are organized by size in the closet.  There has been a meet and greet with a pediatrician, a government-approved car seat has been installed in the car, and there are enough toys to stimulate the baby’s brain for years.

Also, the mommy-to-be has been keeping up with all doctor visits, and was even taking pre-natal vitamins behind my back for the past couple of years! Talk about being prepared!

Imagine if none of the above had taken place yet, or if we waited to start doing it all until a couple days before the birth? It would be reckless and irresponsible!

God is on His way as well, and we have things to do to be ready to receive Him.  We must clear away anything that stands in His way. Sometimes it’s busyness, and sometimes it’s harboring unforgiveness.  Whatever is blocking our relationship with God needs to be purged and removed. 

Being prepared makes for a beautiful and easier arrival. 

God is giving is a choice in how easy or how hard we want to make it for Him to get to us.  I hope we are all saying “YES!” to making it straight and smooth because in doing that, God will get to us in a jiffy.     

PRAYER: Dear Lord, How wonderful that right now as we pray, we are preparing for You in our lives.  Come to us, precious Lord, and bless us and our families.  Grant us wisdom, health, peace, joy, and hope.  In Christ’s name, AMEN!

Eager to Let Him In~

John 6:16-21 That evening Jesus' disciples went down to the shore to wait for Him.  But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn't come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernum.  Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but He called out to them, "Don't be afraid. I am here!" Then they were eager to let Him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!

Greetings,

Years ago I sat in the audience and heard the testimony of a young pastor and father who was in a rush to get to where he was going and therefore, brace yourselves for the horror, neglected to properly buckle his six-month-old baby, who was inside a car seat, into the car.  He sped off with the fully loaded car seat still on the roof of the car.  When he heard the clatter he stopped, instantly sick to his stomach, afraid of what he would find for he realized his carelessness.  

The baby was 100% fine, without a single scratch! AMEN! But that poor daddy/pastor cried so much during that testimony. I believed him when he said it would never ever happen again.

That testimony is a powerful example of what happens when we are in a hurry. When we grow impatient and leave Jesus stranded by the shore, when we take off without waiting for Him, without asking for direction, without praying for guidance, and without seeking wisdom.  We can find ourselves in choppy, churning waters.

However, Jesus does not get upset that we bailed on Him.  He comes to our rescue when we get stuck - no matter the circumstance or location - and says, "Don't be afraid. I am here!" The disciples were willing to take off without Him, but oh were they eager to let Him in the boat when the going got rough.

And once He was on board there was no mention of their impatience, no reprimands for leaving without Him.  They, like we, know when we have messed up.  We do not need to feel any worse than we already do. All Jesus wants to do is get in our boats. Our eagerness, willingness, and gladness to have Him join us on the journey is all it takes.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We are eager for Your blessings, guidance, protection and provision in our lives.  Forgive us for those times we have rushed on ahead without You.  We willingly and gladly invite You to join us for every step we take.  In Your name, Amen~