My Reflection Part 3

The Lord helped me absorb this all even more yesterday because my daughter called me and needed encouragement as her husband lost his job recently, which is pretty scary for them. She told me He'd given her the scripture that "His grace is sufficient for her for His power is made perfect in her weakness", (2 Cor 12:9) which helped, but as she put it, it's still so hard.... She said she didn't see why it was hard because she knew she trusted Him. Which is of course exactly what the Lord's been teaching me about. So I was able to share a story with her that the Lord brought to my mind, that helped us both.

I told her a made up story about this very famous guy who did a high wire act. Anyway, he was going to walk across someplace like the grand canyon, and there was a huge crowd there to watch him do it. Everyone was all excited. He kept yelling to them asking them if they really believed he could do it and they kept yelling back that they did. After all he'd done similar walks and I think he may have even walked across the grand canyon once before too. So they were all sure he'd make it across just fine. Finally, he asks them if they think he could do it pushing a wheel barrow in front of him and again they start yelling, "Yes!" He kept asking if they really believed and they insisted once again that they did. Then came the real question.... He told them if they were positive that he could do it, then which of them would sit in the wheel barrow while he pushed it across? There was dead silence.

That's just how we are with the Lord. Yes, we believe, and we trust Him, we really do. But, when it comes time for us to actually climb into that wheel barrow, we start to have doubts. We start to question. We start to fear and think, what if He can't do it? It's downright scary to be in that wheelbarrow! Which is of course, why the Lord gives us each wheelbarrow times in our lives. To help us see just how far our trust in Him goes. And not just to find out how far it goes, but to help us grow in our faith and trust in Him.

We have to get to the other side and the only way across is to get into that wheelbarrow, so sooner or later, we've got to climb in. Often, the first few times we have to do this, we make all kinds of trouble for Him, trying to jump out, rocking the wheelbarrow, etc, with all our doubts and fears. But He's very patient and thankfully in control, and keeps us safe so that eventually we do get to the other side. Sometimes, we're so relieved to have gotten to the other side, we even forget how we got there and just hug the ground not wanting to ever get up again lol. Again though, eventually we realize that it was the Lord who brought us to the other side and that He got us there safely in spite of ourselves.

You'd think that would make the next time easier wouldn't you? For some reason though, we get so comfortable walking on the firm ground with Him, that each time we have to cross over an area in the wheelbarrow, we're taken by surprise, and up pops all our doubts and fears again. Or so it seems anyway. As we begin to understand what's happening consciously though, we find that this trip helps us do away with our questions, doubts and fears. We find then that each trip really is easier then the one before and our faith does in fact grow. I don't know if we ever get to the place where knowing we have to climb into the wheelbarrow again doesn't bother us, as I haven't gotten there yet myself.

But I am finding myself feeling MUCH more secure now that I understand what's going on. I was able to look at my situation and see it with the mind of Christ instead of with my corrupted mind, and realize that the Lord who loves me dearly is the one that's in complete control of the wheelbarrow. so I have nothing at all to fear. He sustains everything with His powerful Word, including me, so no matter how scary things look to me, I know that He will take me all the way across this trial to the other side of it and that I'll be completely safe the entire time. No harm will come to me.

I think I'm going to try and just enjoy the ride this time instead of squeezing my eyes closed, screaming, and throwing tantrums like I usually do.