The Sun Always Rises

Do not call to mind the former things,
Or ponder things of the past.
Behold, I will do something new,
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.

(Isaiah 43:18-20) New American Standard Bible

Fear in the Midst of The Virus
            “God, what am I going to do? My savings are plummeting, and I’m too old to start over. What about my bills?”
            Though I’ve made many mistakes along the way as there is nothing perfect about this writer, I have walked with the Lord most of my life. That night, however, there was no faith, only fear. Was it possible to find hope in the face of loss? While wrestling with urgent concerns, I felt the need to remember a time when God helped me. An experience from two years before came to light:
            Late one afternoon, tired and weary, I drove into my driveway. It had been a long eight hours of driving alone across three states. After parking and unloading the luggage, I later went out to move the car, but it wouldn’t start—the battery was dead and I needed a new one.
            I marveled how God’s protection had been upon me. My usual habit when driving long distances is to stop about every hour and a half and that day I didn’t deviate from that routine. With all the stopes and restarting of the car there was never any trouble. It was only when I was in the safety of my own driveway that the battery died. Along with this memory, words of a hymn that I hadn’t sung in years played out in my mind:
           
 OPEN MY EYES THAT I MAY SEE
Open my eyes that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hath for me;
Place in my hand that wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God Thy will to see.
Open mine eyes illumine me, Spirit Divine!
(Written by Clara H. Scott)

            There were two things that gave me peace and hope through these words:
Glimpses of truth Thou hath for me: A sense that God wanted to impart an important truth to me.
Ready my God, Thy will to see: Even in this dire time, He not only has a will for my life, but He is also in charge.

            One meaning of glimpses of truth and Thy will to see soon became clear. I had attempted to write a blog for over a year, but nothing worked. About a week after the above experience, I had an epiphany. Maybe, just maybe, stories of others who have survived and thrived might help some of the scores of people who are now grappling with harsh realities—the birth of a blog.

            Just a Thought:  Being able to recall the words of a song I hadn’t sung in years was the work of the Holy Spirit, but it was also a reminder of how important it is to consider what we allow to take residence in our minds.

Prayer for the Reader
            Lord It’s hard to hold on and believe when your life seems to be headed for disaster, but I don’t know where else to turn for hope. Open my eyes to your guidance. Please give me the grace to follow You and find your purpose and plan as I deal with this unwanted experience.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

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