Blessed assurance <3
Happy Bonus day 2024!
When I went to do my Chronological read through and daily devotion this morning, neither had an extra day built in for the Leap Year. Of course, I can’t get off a day. Normally when I do my read through, I would have just read my number of pages to get ahead, or caught up or whatever.
But my Bible study has Day #___ and the date and my daily devotional has Day #___. So if I had done Day 60, March 1 today I probably would have thrown off the whole schematic of the universe and I couldn’t be accountable for that mess, so here is what I did.
I used my time to explore one more section of “Winter” in the Ruth Chou Simons’ book, Gracelaced: Seasons of the Heart that I told you about earlier. Because tomorrow, I will be moving on to the section marked “Spring”!
It was a lovely study and I thought I would pass along to you what I gleaned, as you may have the same battle with these two characters that I fight.
My arch enemies…Fear…and Dread.
Let me give you an example of how these fellows hitch a ride to most of my days.
The sun is shining brightly on a delightful and unseasonably warm day in February. We load up three of the four grands knowing Graham is having a fishing outing with a friend. A perfect time to let them burn off their post-school, post-homework energy.
Russ pulls our car into a spot at the playground, which is already brimming with like-minded children, parents and guardian type folk. But I am scanning cars for any strangers who are sitting parked, facing the playground with nary a chlld in sight.
As the motor dies and doors fly open, I call out to watch for cars..the ones they might hit with our doors or the ones that might hit them as they scamper off to play. My head is on a swivel as I expect some wayward driver to back out, spin around the corner or otherwise take out one of these children that hold my heart.
They swing the gate open and hightail into the park, with me calling behind them to be careful for little ones. A game of tag invariably ensues and I circle the play equipment like a hummingbird around a hibiscus trying to catch a view of them.
I call out to watch for those who might be descending the equipment as they ascend, I pray for little fingers to not get caught in the odd rollers of the slide that like a conveyer in the luggage claim area. I warn them about climbing too high and running too fast and slipping from the monkey bars whilst they hang upside down.
Fear and Dread.
My magic charms that keep us safe.
As long as I am afraid, we will be okay.
But God says…
Fear not.
Do not be afraid.
Be strong.
Be brave.
Do not be dismayed.
Do not dread.
What have you to fear?
For I am with you.
Always.
And nothing….
No thing….
Can separate Me from you.
Oh, but I argue…I remind Him that I have been in near misses and full on impact calamities. And it seems that these always happened when I least expected trouble. So…if He was with me…why?
And Ruth’s words in her writing for Presence bring clarity to me today.
He does not promise:
- Victory on our terms
- Safety according to our idea of comfort
- A timeline that always makes sense
However…
- He is faithful
- He is near
- He is ever present
- He does carry us through the wilderness, the fire, the rising tide, the darkest of nights
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39
And behold…I am with you always…in All Ways…all the time in every season and circumstance to the end of the age and Forever and ever…amen
From Matthew 28;20
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.
John 14: 16-17
Amen and amen <3