February 7 ~ Jeremiah 14:7-9
Our terrible sins may demand that we be punished. But if you rescue us, LORD, everyone will see how great you are. You're our only hope; you alone can save us now. You help us one day, but you're gone the next. Did this disaster take you by surprise? Are you a warrior with your hands tied? You have chosen us, and your temple is here. Don't abandon us!
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
One day about 25 years ago, I got up for work early one morning. I wanted to get to school and accomplish a zillion things before my kindergarten students started arriving at 8:00. I hurriedly dressed, ate breakfast, gathered my tote bag, lunch and my purse, and headed to the garage, where I promptly backed the car out…without raising the garage door. My heart sank as I heard the loud “THUNK!” and looked in the rearview mirror to see the door bowed out… metal bent, wood splintered.
I walked back in the house and found my husband and (being overly dramatic) I said, “Just go ahead and file for divorce now” – figuring he was going to be very upset with me. Wouldn’t most husbands? I explained what I had done, and he quietly went out to the garage, surveyed the damage, and figured out how to raise the door so I could get to work. The car was not really hurt, and the door was not damaged as badly as we first thought – my husband was able to repair it later – thankfully, with not much effort.
I didn’t deserve to be treated so kindly. He really should have yelled at me and chewed on me to slow down and pay closer attention to what I was doing. But he understood how stressed I was – all of the challenges I was facing at work – and he did what had to be done to keep me going, and then he quietly kept going about his routine.
There are so many days when we back the “car” that is our life smack into the garage door, and God picks us up, dusts us off, and keeps us going. We don’t deserve this. We deserve to be punished for being so careless and preoccupied – for letting our relationship with Him lapse to a point where troubles begin to creep into our lives. But God rescues us. He sets us upright again and loves us. He never abandons us!
Today, when you ask God to protect you – and to help you through the day – remember to thank Him for mercies we don’t deserve. Thank Him for loving us so well… and for coming to our rescue. And remember to look behind you before you exit the garage!
©2009 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment