A year or so ago, I had a roller-coaster morning that started out with some quiet coffee-and-Bible time. On my drive to work, I had some serious follow-up conversation with the Lord about trust, His plans, His presence, and the seemingly unmet desires of my heart. I begged for some pity, and sang a little, and maybe almost accused Him of abandoning me while simultaneously praising the glories of His grace. Overall, it wasn’t pretty or even close to logical. But it was real.
As I parked my car, I saw a dear friend and prayer buddy sitting in the otherwise empty parking lot, waiting just for me (Wow!), but also on a phone call and not quite ready to chat. So then I looked at my phone and saw a text from yet another sweet and holy friend, asking me to pray for… his patience.
Wiping away actual tears of… what? Relief, mostly (I’m known! I’m heard! I’m waited for! I’m helpful! I’m not alone!), I walked into my office and saw the truth I had taped to my cabinet:
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you;
He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31:8
And then, as is often the case when I’m actually listening, I heard my Father’s soft chuckle. My friend came in from the parking lot, and through our prayerful visit together, God said these words, which I think He wants us all to hear in these days:
“If I am always right beside you AND have gone before you…. If I can walk on water and you can hold My hand there… If I can enter your darkest hell and pull you out of it with Me… then, Child, why do you try so hard to circumvent Me? Do you think you can not only wiggle out of My compassionate embrace but also manage to run on up ahead of the Fact Of Me in your future, in that beautiful place I have already prepared for you? And if – heh – you were somehow ever successful at that, Dear One, whatever would you do once you got there, without Me? Oh, My Love, be still. Trust. Wait. Hope. Be patient. Breathe. Cry if you must, but I got this.”
In His grace and peace,
Marian Bart
Evangelization Coordinator