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10 Minutes Peace
by Susan McGrath
We have dubbed our two-year-old the "mountain goat", among other names. He thinks he can and should climb everything -- and he does! No matter the obstacle, he finds a way to scale it.
Mostly the climbing is the result of wanting to be independent. Unfortunately, this sometimes has a bad outcome.
He hoists himself up on the bathroom counter to reach his toothbrush in the cabinet, usually bumping his head on the door. He scales the piano top (no pun intended) to put loose change in the bank, but steps on the keys in the process. He has even learned to climb over the gate at the top of the stairs -- going down! Any day I expect to find him on top of the refrigerator or playing with the squirrels in a nearby tree.
Usually when he's told to stop climbing and wait for help he ignores the voice and strikes out on his own only to end up falling down, falling off or breaking something!
I wonder if God ever wants to tell me, "Hey! Just wait a minute and I'll help you get that. You can't quite do that on your own, but if you let me help then you can reach it safely."
God provides me with so many stepping stones -- His Word, prayer, other Christians to encourage and lift me up. But I still need Him. Sometimes a situation requires a boost from the Divine.
The weekly schedule I have packed so full of practices and services and things that have to be done, but barely left time for a quick prayer or quiet devotion, may become a jumbled mess. Simply because I was sure I could do everything myself.
After all, I am a parent, a wife, a youth leader, and could claim other titles as well. I'm capable of handling the day to day. Aren't I? Perhaps I left out my most important title -- child of God. To claim that one, I have to let Him be the parent.
We are all probably familiar with Psalms 121:1, either from a song or from the slight misquote it receives in The Sound of Music, "I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."
He's the creator of the universe and he doesn't even need a day planner! I think he can handle those little obstacles I see as mountains.
Psalms 30:2 says, "O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me." and in 18:6 it says, "In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears."
I have to remember that God wants to help me in the good times as well, when I may not take time to come to him for guidance. In Psalms 20 David says, "May (the Lord) give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. . . May the Lord grant all your requests."
David knew about asking the Lord, getting the desires of his heart and what happened when he didn't wait for God's way.
As you seek peaceful time this week wait on the Lord. Ask Him for help in reaching the desires of your heart. He is a loving Father and will hear you.
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a recovering journalist trying to encourage others and glorify God through writing;
living the small-town life with husband Tim and sons Lincoln, 12, and Sawyer, 6;
completing a few put-off writing projects while using chocolate for therapy.
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