Tuesday, August 18, 2009

When I Grow Up I Want To Be Just Like Addie

Have you ever been surprised by God's revelation to you? Taken back with His choice of teaching? I had just such a moment this morning.


As I read in my devotional book "Jesus Calling", these words spoke to me: "Anticipate coming face to face with impossibilities: situations totally beyond your ability to handle. This awareness of you inadequacy is not something you should try to evade. It is precisely where I want you--the best place to encounter Me in My Glory and Power. When you see armies of problems marching toward you, cry out to Me! Allow Me to fight for you. Watch Me working on your behalf, as you rest in the shadow of My Almighty Presence."

One of the Scriptures for the day was from Psalm 91. As I turned there in my Bible, I remembered it well. The whole chapter. I remember during previous times in my life reading it as a prayer. It was completely covered in highlighters of different colors, beginning to fade with time. As I read I realized that more than the ink on the page had faded...so had my belief.

Not my belief in God, mind you. My belief that God IS Who He says He IS.

As I read verses 14-15, highlighted in pink and green and underlined in red, I realized I wasn't living day to day like I believed it at all. "Because she has set her love upon Me, therefore will I deliver her; I will set her on high, because she knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness--trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake her, no never]. She shall call upon Me, and I will answer her; I will be with her in trouble, I will deliver her and honor her. "

Then as I do every morning, I picked up my next devotional book, "GOD Calling". I read, "You seek My Presence and they who seek shall find. It is not a question of human searching, so much as human consciousness, unconditional surrender to My will in the small, as in the big things of life. This it is that makes My Guidance possible."

"You know the difference between taking a glad, loving, joy-springing child with you along a way, when the child anticipates each direction, accepts naturally each decision as to each turning--and the child who resists, and, rebellious, has to be forced, even though in its quieter moments it may say, 'Yes. I do want to go with you. I cannot be left alone, but I hate this way.'"

It is not the way, but the loving rejoicing in the way and the guidance, that matters with My disciples. You are ready for the guidance but you do not rejoice as you should."

That's when I remembered Meghan's (Adalie's mother) facebook comment from yesterday. "...at play dates or running errands or any activity outside the house she is so good!" I have seen that it doesn't matter where Meghan takes Addie. She is happy, content and joyful whether her Mother is strapping her in to the car seat to go to Target or across the ocean to Ireland. Addie "accepts naturally each decision as to each turning" because she trusts in her mothers goodness to her. She is at rest in her mothers presence.

As I consider the path that I find myself on today and the prayers I pray each day concerning my path, I see that I am the child who resists. Yes. I DO want to go with you Lord. I cannot be left alone. Yet each day, as walk "in the little daily stones of the way" and encounter problems, though I cry out to You for help, I continue to tell You "I hate this way"!!!! I do not rest in the shadow of the Almighty, watching Him work on my behalf because I don't trust and believe in the Goodness of the Lord.

So today, with God's HELP, I want to grow up and be like my precious Addie. I want to be the child that doesn't question that "the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises". (Psalm 91:15). I want to be she "who believes in Him (and) shall not be put to shame nor be disappointed in her expectations." (Romans 9:33) I want to walk along today's path knowing that He is not only holding my hand as I walk but is guiding my every footstep on this path.

"AND A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM". (Isaiah 11:6) I never could have imagined that the Holy Spirit would use my 15 month old granddaughter to teach ME about ME.

Thanks Addie.