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I was wondering about this intense devotion today when thunder boomed outside. Terrified, Roxie trembled. Aha! Her fear of the storm kept her close to her master.
You know what’s coming next, don’t you!
When confident in her own strength, she’ll rest in any old spot, but when the storm comes, she needs to be in the presence of her master, and so do I. Yes indeed. God uses the storms of life to draw us to Himself, our Master. When circumstances crowd in or fears rise up, we cry to the Lord in struggle. The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Ps. 9:9
And here’s a little secret. Truth be told, I kinda like having her so near and dependent upon me for her strength. I don’t want to sound like I enjoy my pup’s suffering. Not at all. But on most days, she’ll rarely sit still for long. She’ll snuggle for just a minute or two before she’s off again meandering from room to room, from inside to outside and back in again. Yet it’s in the storm that she recognizes her need and seeks solace in my presence, allowing me to comfort her. Too often, I am meandering as well, flitting from one task to another, consumed by my activity and, in my distraction, missing the presence of the Lord.
The Lord doesn’t enjoy our suffering any more than we do, but He does promise that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us (James 4:8). And so perhaps He does enjoy having us so close despite our trembling, renewing our strength in His presence.
I read somewhere that nothing improves your prayer life better than big trouble. There is value in the storm. It builds our faith, and it develops perseverance, maturity and wisdom (James 1:1-5). I only wish I didn’t wait for that big trouble before crying out to the Lord. I wish I was more faithful in the daily little troubles that I tend to tackle in my own strength rather than His. I want to be like a synchronized swimmer, every move I make in perfect harmony with Him.
How about you? Do you allow the storms to build your faith? And what about the peaceful times? Are you able to seek Him in the uneventful moments? He’s waiting for you…
So Lord, where are we going now?
Sept 1st.
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I set the date weeks ago.
The day both kids are off at college.
The day I will become organized, disciplined, focused.
The day I will start my healthy regimen of both diet and exercise.
The day I will block out a schedule for Tuesdays and Thursdays
(the days I don’t work from 8 am to 8 pm).
The day I set with Cheri, my accountability partner.
The day I woke up on my own at 6 am, eager to get started!
The day I went back to sleep, woke up at 7 am, went back to sleep and finally crawled out of bed at 8 am. Ugh!
The day I decided to go for a long brisk walk with my dog, but stopped to load some new Travis Cottrell worship cd’s onto my ipod first. Oh boy!
The day I stopped by the computer to check my email before I picked up my Bible to check in with the Lord. Uh-oh!
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Just yesterday I wrote about Christians who rarely read the Bible settling for just an experiential relationship with the Lord. I knew when I wrote it that I was the “chiefest of sinners” in this matter, and that I was speaking to myself as much as anyone else, yet here I was the very next day doing the same old bad habits.
I want to do what is right, but I can’t.
I want to do what is good, but I don’t.
I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
Oh, what a miserable person I am!
Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin…?
Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 7:18-19, 24-25 NLT
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I saw in my email that Cheri was organizing, exercising, being accountable.
Like I was supposed to be.
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I had a choice.
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I could say, “Today is lost already. I’ll just start Thursday instead.”
Or I could say, “Okay, you lost a few hours, but get moving now!”
I chose the second.
And my day went from desperate to glorious.
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As Roxie and I set out, the day was perfect. When I entered the neighborhood arboretum where I walk, I turned to the left instead of my normal route to the right and witnessed some beautiful new sights along the way as I worshipped the Lord with my new tunes!
A new gazebo was being installed.
A rainbow shimmered in the spray of the fountain.
A family of ducks gently skimmed their way across the pond.
A new bench was under the trees near a grove of 8 foot tall magnificent plants I never saw before.
My 20 minute excursion lasted almost an hour.
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At the beginning of our walk, Roxie rubbed her face on the ground because of the Gentle Leader around her nose (see her feelings about that here.) After a warning from me, she continued to walk ahead of me, but would often turn around to check to see if she was on the right track.
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After the Lord so gently chided me, I plan to keep checking with Him to make sure I’m on the right track!
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So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
And because you belong to Him,
the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin.
Romans 8:1-2
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My accountability email from Cheri ended with these words, “There are obvious blessings in this day……….and some not so easily recognized! I hope He makes you aware of all of them!!!!”
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I’m thanking God that so far He made me aware of many of them, and I’m anticipating more to come!
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If you would like to join me in my quest for discipline, please let me know. You can comment on the blog or privately send me an email. We can be accountability partners through the miracle of the internet! Let us encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today… Heb. 3:13
the new gazebo . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the rainbow in the spray
the new bench by the grove
Susan
My little pup, Roxie and I took a stroll yesterday in the beautiful autumn weather. Now, this doggie of mine is a natural born “puller”. She always has been. Put the leash on her, and she is so excited, she can’t wait to get moving. It puts a terrible strain on her neck. We tried the choker collar to no avail. Tried one with teeth that cut into her neck, that was a nightmare. Then we found the “Gentle Leader”. It is a miracle. No stress. No pulling. No problem. It’s based on the theory of a horse’s reign. Instead of attaching the leash to the back of her neck, it attaches under her chin. If she pulls, her head will go down and she stops pulling immediately. The only thing is – she doesn’t much like putting it on. 
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When she sees it coming, she turns her head to the side. So like the mom I am, I start talking to her: “I know, baby, it’s not what you want, but it’s what you need.” Well, that reminded me of the Rolling Stones song my husband would sing to our kids when they were young: “You can’t always get what you want… you get what you need…”
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This episode got me thinking that I have a Gentle Leader too: “You will keep on guiding me with Your command leading me to a glorious destiny.” Psalm 73:24
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Our Lord is a most Gentle Leader, is He not? We want to pull this way or that. He knows that often what we want is not what we need, and He leads us in the right direction. We may resist or turn aside, but if we allow Him to direct us our paths, we will experience His best for us.
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Roxie overcomes her initial objection because she knows that it’s only with the Gentle Lead
er she’ll have that walk she longs to have.
In yesterday’s post, I mentioned the “treasures” I have displayed in MySpace. And I’d like to share a few with you.
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Two are items that we had given to our beloved Aunt Anna when she was going in and ou
t of the hospital and rehab during her last year before she went home to glory. One is a cross that bears the verse “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13. When I am certain that I cannot write another word, I am reminded that it is not I who is doing the writing. The other is a “promise box” containing Scripture verses to daily remind me of His faithful promises to His children.
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Around my desk, I have my books on one side and family photos on the other side, and the sweet journal that my daughter gave me in between.
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But the most prominent item is the rock collection atop my desk. Why rocks?? 
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My husband and I have a tradition that when God performs a mighty act in our lives, we save a rock from the event. When we started this, we didn’t even realize that this was a biblical tradition! Back in Old Testament days, the patriarchs and prophets lived nomadic lives. There were long periods of time in which they did not hear from God. So when they did hear from Him, they often built a pile of rocks, called an altar, as a tangible reminder of His work in their lives before they moved on to their next location.
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So what are some stories my rocks tell?
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-Our home/office was threatened to be taken from us by the state to build a new road. We were firmly told that there was absolutely nothing that could be done to change this action, so we prayed and asked many others to pray as well. Several months later, miraculously the decision was reversed with no reason given!
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-My husband was apprehensive about surgery that he was having in Canada. We made a family trip out of it, and throughout the entire journey, God repeatedly went before us in the most amazing ways.
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-We have a rock with 3 stripes, symbolizing the scars that I have from my knee surgeries and my daughter’s stitches on her knee, representing the stripes by which we are healed.
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-On my daughter’s first mission trip, she was unfairly given a disciplinary action. Called a “special blessing”, she was required to do some manual labor. As she was working, she had a spiritual awareness of how Jesus was unfairly treated, and during this time, she found a heart shaped rock.
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-There is a fish-shaped rock from Charlotte, NC, site of my first writer’s conference where God clearly spoke to me about my future in Him.
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-One of our rocks is not a rock at all. It is a piece of gas pipe. My husband discovered that in our boiler room was a gas pipe that the plumber had not connected. It was a complete miracle that it hadn’t moved, or spewed gas into a room with a constant flame, or blew the house up. My husband says that there was an angel with hands raised holding this pipe together for 2 years!
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-2 decorative rocks were gifts to me, each bearing a Scripture verse:
“The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress and My Deliverer.” Ps. 18:2
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil 4:13
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-1 small rock (a gift from my son) imprinted with – “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.” Jesus Christ
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Epilogue:
When we got our dog 5 years ago, we were brainstorming to find a name for her. My daughter suggested “Roxie.” My first thought was of the character Roxie Hart from the movie “Chicago” that had been released shortly before:
“Name my dog after a murdering adulteress?? I don’t think so!”
But then Lauren explained her reasoning:
She said she was thinking of things about her family that are unique, and she remembered our rock collection.
“Name my dog after the great works of God? Oh, yeah, that works!”
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Susan
For as long as I can remember, fear has been a most unwelcome companion of mine, a curse you might say. I’ve tried to raise my children to be strong in the face of fear so that they would not have to deal with some of the stuff I’ve endured. But my dog? Well, she’s just a scaredy-dog!
She absolutely loves people, sometimes too much. My daughter says that Roxie has no concept of personal space. When visitors are over, she is right in their face, her tail wagging her whole body. But she does not like other dogs, no sir-ree. On our walk today, we came across the tiniest dog. Quaking with fear, she ran behind my legs and encircled the leash around them. I nearly fell over. It was not pretty!
Later, the plumber arrived. Roxie would have loved to be right under the sink with him, so I had to block her off. And what did I use? Something else she is afraid of – paper bags!
So here is Roxie trapped in the dining room behind four empty paper bags from my morning grocery shopping excursion. If she so much as sneezed, they’d blow over. But now, she is a prisoner of her own fears.
Too often, what we are afraid of is just substance of our own making. You have probably heard of the acronym F-E-A-R = False Evidence Appearing Real. It’s true that some fears are based on very real situations (a diagnosis from the doctor, a child or spouse in the military, job layoffs, economic disasters), but unfortunately, all too often, it’s just our emotions run amok.
While on the retreat a few weeks ago, the group leaders shared a common thread that was mentioned in each of the groups. When discussing what prevented the group members from fufilling God’s calling in their lives, most mentioned fear. Fear of speaking to someone, fear of taking a stand, fear of moving out of their comfort zone, fear of the unknown, fear of repercussions, fear of failure, and so on.
Over the years, I’ve learned that there is only one fear we ought to have – the fear of the Lord. There is nothing else to fear. I’ve heard that “fear not” appears 365 times in the Word. This means that there is a “fear not” for every single day! Fear has served a purpose in my life. It has kept me on my knees. I know God can supernaturally remove it, and He has done so on occasion. But, if He doesn’t, I understand that it causes me to go to Him.
When the entire nation of Israel was terrified of the giant Goliath, young David had another perspective. He utters one of my favorite verses in the Bible, “Who is this uncircumcized Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” When I am facing a fearful situation, I now try to keep an eternal perspective, and not feel overpowered by it.
These verses have ministered greatly to me:
“Thou wilt keep (her) in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because (s)he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”1 John 4:18
“In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” Psalm 56:4
“For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind..” 2 Tim. 1:7
What is it that you are facing today? If you seriously think about it, is it just a paper bag? Or is it real? Can you see beyond the immediate situation to view this problem from an eternal viewpoint? Whether real or not, will you make it a matter of prayer today? Will you send me an email or a comment so that I can pray for and with you?
In those famous words of FDR, for most of us “there is nothing to fear, but fear itself.”
Susan
ps – On Saturday, June 6th, I will be speaking at High Mountain’s Ladies Tea on this subject of fear. Won’t you join us? It’s a great event. I’m sure you’ll be blessed.
Roxie Panzica
Saddest face ever 🙁
When she sees it coming, she turns her head to the side. So like the mom I am, I start talking to her: “I know, baby, it’s not what you want, but it’s what you need.” Well, that reminded me of the Rolling Stones song my husband would sing to our kids when they were young: “You can’t always get what you want… you get what you need…”
This episode got me thinking that I have a Gentle Leader too: “You will keep on guiding me with Your command leading me to a glorious destiny.” Psalm 73:24 Our Lord is a most Gentle Leader, is He not? We want to pull this way or that. He knows that often what we want is not what we need, and He leads us in the right direction. We may resist or turn aside, but if we allow Him to direct us our paths, we will experience His best for us.
Roxie overcomes her initial objection because she knows that it’s only with the Gentle Leader she’ll have that walk she longs to have.
Oh, so happy! 🙂
