Just a Glitch

“Visitors for Popa.” The officer propped open the heavy steel door, allowing us to enter. We held our jackets open as he wanded us down, front then back, one by one. Satisfied that we were weapon-free, he unlocked the next steel door leading into the room where we would visit our son. To my left, a wall-length black window hid the officer who would supervise our visit. Ignoring him, my eyes scanned the several small cubicles on the right. There he was, silently waiting behind the thick glass. We bent down under the counter and watched for the flashing light that would signal us to pick up the phone and begin our awkward, recorded 30 minute visit. This is our Sunday routine.

As I gazed into my son’s eyes through the glass today I realized how deeply I miss him. Regular sleep and three meals a day… he looked healthier than approximately 75 days ago when his drug-addict lifestyle had brought him in. Laughing shyly and retelling a funny experience, the glint in his eyes drew my heart in to him. For a brief moment, the innocent freedom of joy connected our hearts and we were one again. This child, who was energized by risk-taking and lived outside the box, who took more of my time and energy than all my other children combined, could also make me laugh more than anyone in the world. As we laughed today I realized the huge void I feel with him gone.

What do I do with my life now? My children were my job and they’re leaving. Maintaining emotional equilibrium has never been my forte, but I don’t recall ever feeling so consistently weak. Anxiety closes in and I feel lost inside, frantically trying to find the door in the dark.

My youngest son says my brain is glitchy. We laugh, but in reality this isn’t funny to me. There is a brokenness in me somewhere that I can’t fix.

 A glitch is when I think about myself way too much, making it hard to concentrate on the world outside. Underlying all this self-focus is a pesky lie that God will not take care of me. I have been a Christian for nearly 50 years. That’s a long time to walk with the LORD and still glitch. You would think by now I would trust Him unwaveringly.

It says in Hebrews 10:23(NIV) “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” God is faithful… trustworthy… he will do what He has promised.

What has God promised me?   Peace, joy, hope, fruitfulness, steadfast love, forgiveness, righteousness, beauty, protection, guidance, wisdom. He promises me that He will speak to me, bless me and my children, teach me, answer my prayers, lead me in good paths, make me a fisher of men, hold me secure, never leave me. He will rejoice over me with singing, empower me to do whatever He calls me to and surround me with His favor as with a shield.  I will not throw away my confidence.

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” Hebrews 10:35(NIV)

Jesus loves me, even though I waver. He actually chooses weak people to be His dearly loved children. He says to me “Weakness? No problem… it’s just a glitch!”

I would never have survived this many glitches without Jesus. He is my only stability, and if it were not for Him I would always glitch, not just once in a while.

In times of emotional chaos my strong Savior understands me. He holds me and says “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9(NIV)

He also says “…let the weak say, I am strong.” Joel 3:10(KJV). Jesus sees my weakness more completely than I do, and yet He invites me to say “I am Strong!” What makes a person strong? Is it how they feel? Isn’t it rather who they are in their core? I have the Spirit of the resurrected Christ in me, in my core. The truth is… He has all of my needs covered and He is bursting for me to get out there and release His strong love onto a lost and hurting world.

 

LORD, thank-you for Your Strength that lives in me. I am Strong! Your joy lifts up my head. Your faithfulness leads me out of frantically trying to protect myself.  Thank-you for loving me, for tenderly taking care of me, and for covering my weakness with grace.  Please teach me to trust You without wavering.

 

Send Someone!

Jesus always makes the first move to draw people into His arms, into knowing Him and how deeply He loves them. He doesn’t just sit back and wait for us to figure it out.

When I have felt lost, I’ve felt LOST. I’ve had no clue how to find my way. I’ve wandered in circles. But God, who is full of compassion for lost souls, intervenes and pursues His children.

I probably sound like a broken record, writing that truth week after week. But it’s because over and over I need to remind the enemy of my soul that I am not listening to any of his lies. I am drowning them out. I am standing on the truth of God’s Word, that God is pursuing my children, God is pursuing my children, GOD IS PURSUING MY CHILDREN… with a fierce, unrelenting passion.

In Acts 26 the Apostle Paul tells King Agrippa his true story of how Jesus supernaturally appeared to him, when he was way off track, and called him to be His witness… such amazing grace and redemption. Paul was to go out and tell people what he had personally experienced of Jesus. Acts 26:17,18(NIV) says…

 “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

I believe these are verses we can pray. God looks for people willing to be sent. “LORD, send me!” And He also hears a parent’s cry, “LORD, send someone to open my child's eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God…”

 

"Remember Your Servants..."

As a beloved child of The Most High God, I am God’s servant, seated in a position of great honor in the LORD’s sight. Of course, it’s all by pure grace, unearned in any way. It is such a lavish gift, this position I now hold in His affection, His cherished daughter, guarded as the apple of His eye. And God is gracious to my children simply because of His overflowing affection for me. Isn’t that worthy of shouting and dancing hysterically with joy?!!

More often than I’d like to admit I have been guilty of being joyless. I think I must have a naturally low threshold of serotonin balance or whatever chemicals in me so quickly get out of whack. But I cannot hold the tiniest hint of a grudge without getting depressed. I have to fight to keep my mind focused on truths such as were presented in the opening paragraph. We are in a war, and I cannot retreat from the fight. So I am returning to this blog after a month of retreating and floundering, because having to write requires that I hold onto truth firmly or I cannot proclaim it. Actually, I think proclaiming it cements my grip.

So today I proclaim to you Deuteronomy 9:26, 27.

Moses prayed to the LORD, “O Sovereign LORD, do not destroy your people, your own inheritance that you redeemed by your great power and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin.”

I am struck by the phrase “Remember your servants…” Moses’ appeal to God on behalf of the rebellious Israelites was based on God’s love for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses knew that God’s heart is tender toward His servants, and thus for their sake He would have mercy on their children.

When in some way my children should turn away from God, I can appeal to Him to move on their behalf… because of this amazing, unearned place of grace and favor that I hold in His heart as His servant.

Today I will shout and dance hysterically for joy (after I close the curtains) because I think that is the only worthy response.

 “Dear LORD, remember me when You look upon my children.

 Thank-you for Your unrelenting faithfulness.”