Last month as winter finally decided
to peak its head through fall, I endeavored to try my hand at lighting the old
fire pit in our back yard. It was a cool
and crisp afternoon when I finally sat down to enjoy the warm glow of what I
thought would be a relaxing time. Things seemed to be going pretty well until I
noticed a small lizard trapped in the bowl and frantically making its way
around the then simmering cylinder of the pit. And because the fire was ever
growing and the heat steadily increasing, his movement quickly became more
frenzied. So in response to this emergency, and as the animal lover that I am,
I quickly reached my hand into the pit to escort our little friend to safety.
The only problem was, he seemed to
be resistant to my overtures and even began to run from the very hand that
wanted to save him. As a result my hand was feeling quite uncomfortable as I
was forced to place it so very close to the fire in order to accomplish my
rescue. And after a few minutes of failing at my task, the lizard continued to
run under and around the fire, and my hand began to feel the pain of the now
forming burn against my skin. At one point I even got a hold of his tail but he
quickly lost it as he pulled away from my benevolent grasp. Finally as the pain began to cause me to
question whether I should just let him go, I was able to pin him against the
side and quickly remove him for release to a safer place.
As I sat there next to the fire for
the remainder of the evening, I thought about how God must feel as he
continually reaches down into our situation to guide us through to the place he
desires. But so often, because our circumstances seem so overwhelming, his hand
appears to be part of the problem rather than the solution. We become confused
and scared of what he is actually doing within our pain.
One of the great ways to recognize
the hand of God, hear his voice, and accept his guidance is to listen to him in
prayer. It’s in these times of silence and solitude, that we encounter a God who
is willing to bear the burden of our circumstances, stand with us in our
frailties, and even hurt with us in our pain. Will you join me today in seeking
our benevolent God through prayer?
Pastor John
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