Stumbling Into Refreshment

We whistle at our kids and pets to get their attention, teachers might clap their hands to call attention to the front of the room, sirens get our intention in times of emergency, timers and buzzes on our ovens alert us to when food is ready...all examples of how easy it is for us to get a little caught up in ourselves and our own little world, until something catches our attention.  In fact -- I'm the queen of busy and I rely on all kinds of alarms and attention getters every day to remind myself what I need to be focusing on at that given moment.

All too often -- this business has us going, going, going with little focus on God.  At times it's a little stumble that draws our focus back to God.  I've come to appreciate these chances to slow down, check my heart, and spend some time with God.  Kind of like restarting our computers after an update.

I had a little stumble yesterday when a new friend said some harsh and inaccurate things about me...and it stung just a bit.  In fact it ruled over my thoughts most of the day yesterday.  I didn't understand why anyone could think or would say such things about me.  In the end it's a total misunderstanding and mostly due to the fact that this person doesn't know me very well yet.  Still...why was I so caught off guard by it?

Do I think I'm perfect? No, I most certainly know that I'm not.  Do I think this person is perfect?  No, I know that isn't true either.  Should my faith be in man?  Absolutely not!  Time and time again, we put faith in man and are disappointed.

God word tells us in Psalm 118:8
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.

Now can we really go about our lives NOT trusting ANYONE?  No, that's not realistic.  We trust others everyday.  We trust caregivers to watch over our children, we trust bus drivers and pilots to get us safely to our destination, restaurant workers to prepare and handle our food safely, we trust the bank to accurately deposit our paychecks etc.    The point isn't to stop trusting others but it is to remind us in WHOM our ultimate trust should lie.  And not to despair when we have a little stumble.  All of us need a little reminder now and then to shift our focus back on Christ and to rely on him alone.
Do the words about me yesterday still sting?  Yes, but I know that God knows my heart and that little stumble yesterday resulted in some refreshing time spent with God last night and this morning taking time out from my "busy work" to soak up His truths and His promises.  I hope these little hiccups in your life might do the same for you.

Here is a song I sang on Sunday with one of our team members.  We were both a little surprised to hear the congregation singing with us right from the beginning...which says to me...we know these words to be TRUE indeed:
Lord I need you oh I need you, every hour I need you.  My one defense my righteousness, oh God how I need you.

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