I was washing dishes yesterday when I heard a loud scream coming from a small voice. It was Jacob. Now to be quite honest when Jacob screams I do not go running. It can mean many things. It can mean "leave me alone," "I am hurt'" "I don't like you anymore," "there is a bug," "I can't get my pants down to use the bathroom..." The list goes on and on. I figure if there is blood or something is broken I will soon find out. This scream was loud, followed by what every mommy knows as the "hurt cry." I walked out to see what the trouble was. Jacob was holding his arm. "Oh No" I thought, "Not another broken arm." And that is exactly what he said, "Caleb braked my other arm again." As I researched the situation further I found out that Matthew and Caleb were playing tug of war and Jacob's arms were the ropes. You know the game, "He's my brother." "No, he's my brother." POP. Jacob was convinced his arm was broken and had already picked out the color for his next cast. We took him to the Dr. and discovered that it was "just" popped out of joint. I watched as he sat nervously and waited for the Dr. to do his thing. Our Dr. was wonderful. He was very gentle and kind and held that tiny elbow. He asked Jacob to hold his fingers and squeeze and POP! He popped that sucker right back in place. Yes, Jacob cried and yes it did hurt to return things back to the way God created them to be and that's when it hit me. Tug of war can hurt when you are the rope. Many days in my life I feel like the rope. So many things are tugging and pulling at me from different directions. So many people, activities, responsibilities and temptations tug and tug at me until POP. Something is pulled out of joint in my spiritual life. Maybe it is the way I respond to a situation, maybe it is my careless words, maybe it is my sinful thoughts or attitudes, but they are out of joint. And I want to tell you that it hurts to make them right again. Just like Jacob's poor little elbow hurt to pop back into place and just as he favored it for the rest of the day and nursed that soreness, we too must face the consequences and the ache of a life that has been out of joint. I was thinking about how we could have prevented this injury in the first place. We couldn't! Not with Jacob and his brothers. They were just being brothers and they didn't know Jacob would get hurt, but how can I prevent it from happening in my own life. Don't be the rope, don't allow the tug. When I am walking so close with my Savior that I do only that which He calls me to do then I don't POP. So many things beg and scream for our attention, but what do we do? Only that which He has called us to. For this reason I place everything before Him. I never allow myself to be the rope. I make very few decisions on my own. "Father, show me if you want me to go on this field trip. Lord Jesus, give me a peace if it is ok to allow this child to spend the night away from home. God, lay on my heart what I should cook for supper to bless my family and to accommodate our schedule. Jesus, lead me to the grocery store you would have me shop in today to get the best deals and to open doors for ministry. And on and on it goes as each decision is made each day." Let me just say that this is so freeing. I AM FREE! I do only what He tells me to do. Then, I let the rest go! It is those days that I do not communicate with my Savior and I make the decisions that somewhere along the way I pop out of joint and then I suffer the consequences as I go through apologies, repentance, reconciliation and grieve and hurt over my sin and those I have wronged. As a mom, it is so easy to feel like a rope in the midst of a tug of war game. Let it go my friends. Wake up each morning and ask the Lord what His lesson plan is for your day and then walk in constant communication with Him. Listen for His voice and obey. You can walk in freedom and keep all your joints in place.
- Isaiah 30:21 NIV
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
- Jeremiah 6:16 NIV
This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."
"pray continually"
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death"
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