There are some new guests outside our apartment building. Two sets of Canada geese, each with a brood of goslings, wander around eating grass and swimming in the pond and lake behind us. The males hiss if my dog, Lexi and I get too close, as the females lead the goslings toward the water. The broods are well-protected by the adults.
The geese families remind me of the picture painted by Psalm 91. “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress… He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge,”
Is work stressful? Do your days feel long? Are there nights when fear stops your sleep? Our God promises to keep us safe in His care, offering refuge in times of need. He’s got us covered!
As I continued studying the Sermon on the Mount yesterday, cross-references led me to Psalm 27:4-5:
One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
The phrase “all the days of my life” brought me up short. I felt aggravated about things that were out of my control. A person wanted their way, and they wouldn’t take no for an answer. So be it—they got their way, and I found it frustrating.
Though someone’s actions got on my nerves, every day I may ask the Lord if I may dwell in His house. In His presence. By the power of the Holy Spirit in me. God’s comforting presence prevailed after the conviction subsided. I drew close to Him again.
When situations and reactions force me to see my human failings, when I am reminded of my sinful nature that wants to rule (but won’t, by grace and faith), I remember my purpose. It is revealed in these verses: to see God’s beauty, to live in awareness of His presence, and seek to be closer to Him by gazing at His beauty. In her book, Revelations of Divine Love, Julian of Norwich writes, “We love our Maker and seek Him, praise Him, and thank Him, and endlessly enjoy Him.” My prayer: Lord, may I enjoy You today and all the days of my life.
It’s been a rainy spring, but now that tulips and daffodils brighten the landscape, I count the rain a blessing. My former neighbor doesn’t think as fondly of water as she used to. In February, her apartment flooded because of a sudden winter thaw that burst the sprinkler above her. All her furniture was ruined. She recently started over, moving across the state line into a different senior apartment building, and she’s thrilled with her new digs and furniture. Last night she gave me a tour, and I celebrated with her how the Lord has provided.
From one Bible verse to another I am reminded that God sends rain on the earth, and the result may be bad as well as good. The same plague of hail that battered Egypt helped Moses deliver the Israelites to the Promised Land—a fantastic outcome for God’s people but disaster for Pharaoh and Egypt.
In 1986, doctors discovered that our baby-to-be had hydrocephalus, a condition that could cause mental disabilities. He would face surgery immediately after birth. Talk about a rainstorm! What a scary time—we didn’t know what the future held for Ray. When they predicted he would not walk or talk, I cried and prayed. Step by uncertain step, I learned to trust the Lord through c-section delivery and each new phase of his care and growth.
Fast forward three years, and as the photo above shows, Ray could ride his rocking horse and soon would walk and run. By that age, he could argue with his big sister like any little brother. Sometimes we wished he would just be quiet—he got so talkative. He still is today.
I’m proud to say that in 2013, Ray graduated from Shepherds College www.shepherdscollege.edu. He has special needs and lives in a supported apartment. In May he starts his ninth year with a local nursery, working part-time through spring, summer, and fall.
Looking back, my concern for Ray’s future differed greatly from reality. God sent the flood of fear and from it brought a harvest of joy beyond anything we could imagine.
A Goldilocks Life 