Psalm 94:18-19
When I felt my feet slipping, you came with your love and kept me steady. And when I was burdened with worries, you comforted me and made me feel secure.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Sometimes “life” kicks us in the gut… and for me, the 1990s was a long decade of “gut-checks”. In July 1992, my father-in-law died suddenly from an aortic aneurysm. He was not quite 70, and we were shocked and stunned by his unexpected passing. In October 1997, my dad underwent a “routine” arteriogram to search for coronary blockage. A few hours later, he was fighting for his life, as “cholesterol showering” had caused shavings and sprinkles of cholesterol plaque to block his kidneys and other body organs. By November, he was in full-blown renal failure and placed on dialysis.
My dad spent much of the next six months in and out of hospitals (mostly in). While we “carried on” with a family Thanksgiving meal, my mom ate her turkey dinner in a hospital cafeteria. A sudden life-threatening episode sent Daddy back to Little Rock to the hospital in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve… so we celebrated a week later when he returned home. By February, the doctors had told him that there was no cure… that he could choose to stop dialysis and probably live only a couple of weeks longer. Daddy chose to keep going.
Meanwhile, my 37-year-old brother, Tim, was battling liver failure. He would have good days, and very bad days… and in September 1998, his body gave out. Thirteen months later, my dad would undergo a “routine” surgery followed by a massive stroke the next day… and then he suffered a fatal heart attack. As if this were not all more than enough to bear, Tim’s beloved dog Carmen (who had become Mom’s constant companion) contracted tick fever in the spring of 2000 and died. AND… my Mam-ma Polly’s dear companion of seven years, Deb, succumbed to bladder cancer. I’d call all of this a “gut-check”… wouldn’t you?
Today, I learned that a dear friend – and fellow church member – is getting her own “kick in the gut”. Her husband died in February. Just a few weeks ago, her dog became very ill and had to be put down… and now she has learned that her brother’s oncologist is saying things have taken a drastic turn, and he probably only has 2 weeks or less to live. Sometimes, life is incredibly messy – even for the most faith-filled Christians. I would imagine that my friend very much feels like her feet are slipping… that she is burdened with worries and insecurities and wondering how on earth she will ever put one foot ahead of the other again.
Here’s where Psalm 94:18-19 comes in - and why I shared these personal experiences with you…when our feet begin to slip, the worries and insecurities overcome us and sheer panic sets in. God is there to lift us up and keep us steady. He will carry us when we cannot walk. He will comfort us and make us feel secure. He will do this by sending friends and family members to surround us. God will allow our own messy “gut-checks” to serve as encouragement for others as we say, “He got us through this… and He’ll get you through, also.”
I don’t mean to diminish grief and suffering. Just writing a note of encouragement to my friend brought back a flood of thoughts and memories of my own brother and all we shared in his last days. But at the end of the day, I have tremendous peace. I have experienced incredible joy and blessings in the last 2+ decades… even in the midst of great sorrow and loss. And it’s all because God’s love came and kept me steady. What He has done for me… He will most certainly do for you.
Many are worried and burdened today… and you may be among them. I want you to feel God’s presence. As your feet begin to slip, feel His hands under your arms…lifting you and steadying your gait. Recognize the rhythms of God’s steady breathing as He draws you close to Him and says, “I’ve got this!” Relax and sink deep into His loving arms… rest in His peace… trust Him. This will most likely not change the outcome of your circumstances… but it will change how you are affected by them.
God understands your grief and sadness… your frustration and pain. These are natural reactions. But He offers supernatural peace and reassurance. Take refuge in His nurture and safekeeping. Know that God is leading others to pray for you… to love you and serve as His hands and feet on this earth. Don’t let your “gut-check” become a fatal blow. Feel the steady “grip of grace” that surrounds you… and rest in God’s peace - today and always.
©2013 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label kicked in the gut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kicked in the gut. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for November 18, 2012
Psalm 34:18
If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I haven’t “had the breath knocked out of me” in years…can’t even remember when it happened last. But I do remember the feeling… that momentary shock and fright – and wonder if “this was IT!” Then the breath returned, and other than maybe being sore from falling so hard, everything returned to normal. Usually, this happens in a group – like playing kickball as a kid – and others rush to your side to make sure you are okay.
When my grandmother fell last Christmas Eve on our driveway and hit her head, I am fairly certain she was momentarily dazed – if not unconscious. We hurried to her, and I held her head off the pavement until the ambulance arrived with EMTs to assist her. The night my dad suffered a massive stroke, I remember my husband going to the car to retrieve his C-pap machine (a device that aides in breathing if you have sleep apnea). When my husband returned from the parking lot, the doors to the waiting room swung open, and there on either side of him were two of my dearest cousins who had come to support us. I know beyond any doubt that they were real-life angels sent by God. And did we ever need them, because my dad did not survive… and our hearts were broken.
Let’s face it… life kicks all of us in the gut at least once or twice. And for a moment, it’s like having the breath knocked out of you. We wonder what to do, maybe even panic a little – and fear the worst. The GOOD NEWS is that God is right there with us, and He will give us everything we need to catch our breath. He will mend our broken hearts… maybe not right away…but in His time. He will show us a way out of whatever dilemma we face. God will never leave us.
If we will just hold on to this thought…if we will simply trust that with God, all things are possible, then the “kicks in the gut” that are bound to happen in life won’t seem fatal. We really have no clue what we can endure with God’s help. I’m not asking to find out… but I am certainly aware that I can deal with whatever comes my way. If God can give Jesus’ mother, Mary, the courage and strength to watch her Son be tortured and crucified on a cross… don’t you think He can help you manage your “gut-checks?” Don’t give up hope. Cry out to God, and call on Him to draw near. You’ll find He was already there all along.
©2012 Debbie Robus
If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I haven’t “had the breath knocked out of me” in years…can’t even remember when it happened last. But I do remember the feeling… that momentary shock and fright – and wonder if “this was IT!” Then the breath returned, and other than maybe being sore from falling so hard, everything returned to normal. Usually, this happens in a group – like playing kickball as a kid – and others rush to your side to make sure you are okay.
When my grandmother fell last Christmas Eve on our driveway and hit her head, I am fairly certain she was momentarily dazed – if not unconscious. We hurried to her, and I held her head off the pavement until the ambulance arrived with EMTs to assist her. The night my dad suffered a massive stroke, I remember my husband going to the car to retrieve his C-pap machine (a device that aides in breathing if you have sleep apnea). When my husband returned from the parking lot, the doors to the waiting room swung open, and there on either side of him were two of my dearest cousins who had come to support us. I know beyond any doubt that they were real-life angels sent by God. And did we ever need them, because my dad did not survive… and our hearts were broken.
Let’s face it… life kicks all of us in the gut at least once or twice. And for a moment, it’s like having the breath knocked out of you. We wonder what to do, maybe even panic a little – and fear the worst. The GOOD NEWS is that God is right there with us, and He will give us everything we need to catch our breath. He will mend our broken hearts… maybe not right away…but in His time. He will show us a way out of whatever dilemma we face. God will never leave us.
If we will just hold on to this thought…if we will simply trust that with God, all things are possible, then the “kicks in the gut” that are bound to happen in life won’t seem fatal. We really have no clue what we can endure with God’s help. I’m not asking to find out… but I am certainly aware that I can deal with whatever comes my way. If God can give Jesus’ mother, Mary, the courage and strength to watch her Son be tortured and crucified on a cross… don’t you think He can help you manage your “gut-checks?” Don’t give up hope. Cry out to God, and call on Him to draw near. You’ll find He was already there all along.
©2012 Debbie Robus
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