Psalm 127:1-2
Without the help of the Lord
it is useless to build a home
or to guard a city.
It is useless to get up early
and stay up late
in order to earn a living.
God takes care of his own,
even while they sleep.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Ever since I was a small child, I’ve had occasional bouts with allergic reactions – particularly hives. We never could determine what triggered them, but in high school, I suffered a serious reaction after taking an antibiotic treatment for a sore throat. The hives and swelling became so severe that I had to be hospitalized for four days. A few years later, the school nurse where I taught rushed me to a medical clinic for a shot of epinephrine when swelling and hives I was experienced required immediate attention. But it would be another twenty years – and several bouts with hives and other symptoms of an allergic reaction – before we determined that my apparent culprits are corn …and possibly chocolate.
Apparently, as my “minor” bouts with hives and other allergic reactions occurred over the years, my body accumulated the affects. So while people sometimes “grow out of” allergies… mine actually escalated to the point that the reactions became more frequent and severe. My physician prescribed three things… an oral antihistamine, a medical alert bracelet that I wear anytime I leave the house, and “epi-pens” that I carry with me in case of a life-threatening reaction. Thankfully, I have not had what I would consider a serious allergic reaction in a very long time… and I have never had to use the epi-pens. I attribute this to diligence about encounters with products containing corn and chocolate. I am also persistent about keeping my medications with me and wearing the alert bracelet.
I am so grateful that my allergy is controllable – and not nearly as severe as those other people experience. I had students who were so severely allergic that even a whiff of their allergen could evoke a reaction. One child with a peanut allergy lay on his living room floor where a sibling had earlier dropped a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and the entire side of his face swelled. But by the same token, I would never be so dismissive as to help myself to corn chips or a chocolate bar… or to use products on my skin that I know contain cornstarch. My Mam-ma Polly used to tell me, “If you would just ignore all of that and eat what you want and forget about it, you’d be just fine.” That was simply not a true statement… and to do such a thing would be incredibly reckless!
I wonder how many of us are this reckless about our daily living. We know how important God’s care and protection are… how vital it is that we always carry the Holy Spirit in our heart. Yet far too often, we are careless and irresponsible with God. We step out into life on our own and test the waters. One little sample of “life” can’t hurt… can it? A little lie here… some gossip there… and an occasional bout with cheating might make us uncomfortable and “itchy” for a little while. But the symptoms will subside and we’ll move on… and we think we are no worse for wear. What we fail to realize is how these actions and consequences are accumulating…how the results can one day escalate into an “epic fail” of some sort that leaves us wondering what went wrong and how we got to that point!
We cannot afford to be without God… even for a minute. We cannot chance even a tiny taste of sin and disobedience. We can’t risk “leaving God at home” – not even for a few hours! He must be present and operating in and through us at all times. Even though I feel I am thoroughly protected, I will occasionally encounter something that apparently has a trace of my allergens in it. Thankfully, I have an arsenal of protective measures that I can utilize to attack this and keep me safe. We need God “on the clock” at all times, because the devil is waiting for even the tiniest opportunity to slip in and give us trouble!
I’ve gotten to a point where I don’t think much about my allergies… and staying alert for the culprits has become somewhat second nature. I don’t take them for granted, but I know that I’m doing all I can to stay protected. GOD is our protection against the attacks of the devil and the sins of the world. Through His wisdom, we have the best chance of recognizing potential dangers and pitfalls – and avoiding them in the first place. With His grace, mercy, forgiveness, love and strength, we are redeemed in the instances when we do slip and stumble. We must never take His care for granted…but under His watch, we can live in confidence and peace.
God’s care and protection is readily available… but always optional. We must choose to accept Him… we must invite His Holy Spirit to live in our hearts. We must put forth the effort to keep the lines of communication with Him open. I can’t imagine why anyone would elect to “leave home without God”… can you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment