Candles, Cookies & Storms
He clopped up to my door in his fireman rain boots proudly holding his new umbrella and pronounced, “It’s going to rain Grammy!” I could hardly contain my joy at seeing my precious grandson, four-years old and all grown up, dressed for a downpour. Not a drop yet, but he was ready.
During the hour I watched him and his little sister play in my living room that morning, the topic of rain continued. “If a thunderstorm comes, we go into the basement or the bathroom,” he told me. “That’s right,” I said in confirmation, “That’s what we do.”
“Why Grammy?” I chuckled that this question followed on the tail of such an intelligent statement. He knew what to do, but could not comprehend the reason for such action, nor the dangers such action would avoid.
Silly me, I launched into an explanation of the effects of a tornado blowing out windows and how, if you’re close to them when they burst, you may be cut by the glass. His eyes grew big as Frisbees as his mind processed the new information. With both hands on his face, he said, “Thunderstorms will break my window and cut my face?”
A rush of regret rolled over me as I realized I may have instilled a fear of rain and thunderstorms in this little boy; I quickly differentiated the words thunderstorm and tornado, distracting him by practicing the word tornado. It was all I could do to suppress a burst of laughter when it came out of his tiny lips as tomato.
From there I attempted to describe a tornado and separate it from a thunderstorm in his mind, since he was so excited—and prepared—for a rain shower, but it all became convoluted and soon I was frantically looking for an exit door. I found one and thankfully, he didn’t seem spooked by the new information. I’d like to believe that he was able to trust me with the details of what a “tomato” could do to his house and that if one came, he would know to run to the basement.
I tell that story because it reminds me of several things I had forgotten. First, information is not the same as understanding, nor is it wisdom. Second, just because you know what you should do, doesn’t mean you understand why you should do it; third, God doesn’t always explain why things happen the way they do because if He did, we would get spooked by the information.
Isn’t that how it happens? We get some information and think we understand it, but inside we still want to know why. Then, when someone who is wiser than we are tries to explain it, we get spooked by fears and become emotionally paralyzed. From then on we avoid the topic altogether and rob ourselves of the wisdom that tells us when to run to the basement!
You might have read my column earlier this year titled, “Mr. Safety.” If so, you know that my Daddy was all about having a plan. Now, as a grandmother, I see in the eyes of my grandson what my face must have looked like when Daddy tried to explain to me the reason why we were sitting in the basement with candles and cookies during a bad storm.
As a Christian, I also see that I am not able to comprehend all the information behind why I need to listen when God tells me in Proverbs 4:23 that I need to guard my heart. A deeper search in Proverbs on that topic shows me, “People may cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they’re deceiving you. They pretend to be kind, but don’t believe them. Their hearts are full of many evils.” Of such behavior—like last month’s movie massacre in Colorado—are the storms of this life: wicked people doing wicked things to good people.
Since last September, I’ve been reading a chapter-a-day from the book of Proverbs in my Bible. On the first of the month, I read Proverbs 1, and in months with 30 days, I read Chapters 30 and 31 together. Why not adopt this great habit for yourself? You’ll soon find its timeless wisdom is relevant to every storm, danger or troubling circumstance you face in life; you’ll learn the signs of oncoming storms and know when it’s time to run to the basement.
When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation. Proverbs 10:25
CCS
P.S. As you can see by the picture above, it rained later that day! 🙂
Mr. Safety
If you’re a teenager, you probably think your Dad is a dork. His quirks, habits and rules seem so alien that you swear you’ll never be like your parents. Good luck with that.
I used to call my Daddy “Mr. Safety.” He seemed so obsessed with safety precautions that I dreaded riding with him in the car. He did the exact speed limit and not one mile-per-hour over. It was so excruciating, I subconsciously began pressing my right foot into the floor. It didn’t get us there any faster.
I worked hard to keep all my comments and opinions about his driving to myself and for a while I was sure my Dad was oblivious to my frustration. Then one day, we’re in the car going somewhere (very, very slowly) and out of the silence he says, “If you always do the speed limit, you’ll never have to look over your shoulder.” We had just passed a car pulled over for speeding and the point was made.
When he bought me my first car, I was required to learn how to change its tires, spark plugs, oil, oil filter and air filter. I learned what an alternator did, where the crank shaft was and why I should always check my fluids. At first I thought Daddy just wanted me there to hold the light while he worked on my car. Not so. Our garage was a classroom and I was the student. “Are you paying attention?” he’d ask when I’d start chatting about some non-auto topic. “Cheryl, you’ve got to know this stuff in case you break down on the road and you’re all by yourself.”
Honestly, at the time I was not real thrilled to be hanging over a greasy hot engine in a stinky, cold garage. I was scraping spark plugs with sandpaper while other girls my age were shopping. Today, I’m thrilled that Mr. Safety taught me all the auto-stuff.
Daddy hid copies of keys to the car and the house in really cool places. I never had to worry about being locked out and I always listened as he told me why it was important to return the keys to their hiding places if I ever had to use them. This, too, seemed obsessive, until the day I forgot my house key and no one was home to let me in–or the day I locked myself out of my car which was parked in a not-so-friendly place.
Yes, each of those fatherly preparations has indeed kept me safe throughout my journey on this big blue ball. Still, none were as valuable as the safety precautions
Daddy instilled in my soul. “If you always obey the Lord,” he would tell me, “you will never have to worry about falling into sin.” Though I was too self-absorbed to grasp the value of those spiritual warnings, his wise words were waiting for me down the road when my soul was running on fumes and the spark plugs of my heart weren’t firing right.
Yes, Daddy was dorky. He was fashion-challenged and his jokes were corny. But he loved us and he was wise enough to know that as a human father, he could not keep us safe at all times, so he made sure we knew humanity’s only source of safety: “This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” Psalm 91:2
Now that Daddy is in heaven, his obsession over safety is my obsession. In this dangerous world where words are a dime a dozen and most are not worth a penny, I find myself doing what Daddy taught me to do: pay attention and obey both God’s law and the laws of the land, and continuously educate yourself so you’re prepared for emergencies on earth and for holiness in heaven.
“Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.” (Proverbs 28:26)
27 Reasons You Can Be Sure Your Prayers Are Answered
Found this list in an old, neglected pile of papers …
27 Reasons You Can Be Sure Your Prayers Are Answered
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And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 1 John 5:14
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But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! John 15:7
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I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. Mark 11:24
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For you have given him his heart’s desire; you have withheld nothing he requested. Psalm 21:2
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And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28
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The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. Psalm 34:17
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Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Psalm 37:4
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Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory. Psalm 50:15
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But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. Psalm 55:16
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Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. Psalm 55:17
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I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble, and you will answer me. Psalm 86:7
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Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7
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I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! Isaiah 65:24
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Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. Jeremiah 33:3
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Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Isaiah 58:9
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Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! John 14:14
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When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. Psalm 91:15
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And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. 1 John 3:22
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“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. Matthew 18:19
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Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
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You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it. Matthew 21:22
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For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Luke 11:10
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And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. 1 John 5:15
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Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Romans 8:32
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Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. Psalm 37:5
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And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6
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If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. Jeremiah 29:13
So get to prayin’!
CCS
Remembering for Safety’s Sake
I’m at that age now where teasing me about being forgetful is a new family game. As long as it is purely recreational, I’ll allow the jabs, but after this past week, I find no more humor in such reminders.
Every day since this past Sunday I’ve spoken with my Mom on the phone, me in my Illinois home and her in her hospital room in New Hampshire. Though our physical distance was frustrating, our mental distance petrified me.
Mom couldn’t remember how she got in the hospital. By Wednesday, she was crying like a prisoner. Nothing I could say to her would realign her memory. She thought her mother was alive–my grandmother died when I was 16. She thought she was in Ecuador with my Dad–a trip she took with him decades ago. Her mind was playing tricks on her and no matter how many times my Dad explained to her the nature of her hospital stay, she would instantly forget and grow increasingly frightened.
It turns out an infection got into her blood stream and was causing her delusions. As the week crawled by I was buried in an acute sadness for my Mom’s condition. It dawned on me today that we are all in danger of becoming delusional.
I had recently started another 28-day challenge on Facebook titled, “Forget-Me-Not” and so the topic of remembering was still fresh on my mind. The deeper I studied the subject of why God wants us to remember Him and His word, the more I realized the pandemicity of this seemingly harmless habit, especially so in light of my Mom’s recent bout with memory loss.
True, forgetfulness can be harmless, but it can have dire consequences, too. It can be “three strikes and you’re out,” or one strike and you’re done. Something as simple as forgetting to put on your turn signal can end someone’s life. A forgotten fact can change the outcome of a lawsuit or a college exam.
A forgotten God can steer you down a road to Hell.
Remembering is always for our good, our advancement, our safety. Signs line our highways to remind us of the speed limit. Employee guidelines remind us of our employer’s expectations. Laws remind us that we need to live in peace with our neighbor.
My thing right now is safety. I want to be sure that I know what God expects of me and to be sure I do it His way. I’ve been too slack in that area and I am now living the consequences of my forgetfulness. As I searched the Scriptures using the keyword “remember” I found direct quotes from both God the Father and God the Son from Genesis to Revelation warning us to remember Him–to not forget His laws or His love.
Out of all the “rules” to following God, I want to pay most attention to those quotes. I challenge you to do a word search in your Bible on the word “remember” and renew your understanding of what it means to truly follow God. Here’s a list I created for our May challenge: Forget-Me-Not Study Scriptures.
In this crazy world of relativity, subjective truth and talking heads, it’s easy to allow false doctrine to mix with our faith if we’re not paying attention to God’s word. If we’re not careful, lies can infect our soul and cause our minds to become delusional.
CCS
Raising Ideas
It’s amazing how a simple idea can give birth to so many tangibles. As you can see by the book cover to the left, I’ve written a book inspired by the “28-Day Sweet Lips Challenge” I launched on a Facebook Page late January.
The February 2010 “28-Day Sweet Lips Challenge” was just an idea that dropped into my heart on a mid-January night when I was wrestling with my Muse to leave me alone so I could sleep. He won. By 1 AM I was out of bed plucking away at my keyboard and at 4:30 AM, I knew I had been given something that needed nurturing–I had to raise an idea.
It wasn’t until the next morning when I realized where this idea was to germinate: Facebook. So, I created a FB Page and from there created a virtual “Event” for people to attend.
It took off. Maybe not as huge as some events, but it was definitely “going viral” as the new lingo goes.
The best part was that “Sweet Lips” was changing lives. “So how does this idea grow,” I asked my Muse. The answer came through those who took the challenge: what’s the next challenge?
And so the idea grows into a series of consecutive monthly challenges accompanied by paperback booklets under the name: “BEE HOLY 28-Day Challenges” on Facebook and “BEE HOLY Booklet Series” in paperback.
The idea was simply the method to deliver the message. It wasn’t that the topic was new, in fact, the topic is as old as humanity itself: GOD FIRST.
King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, most eloquently wraps up the whole purpose of life in the last two verses of the book of Ecclesiastes:
“Let us hear the whole conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, whether good or evil.”
Doesn’t it make sense then, that if our purpose is to put God first–to please Him with everything we are, that we should work at it? None of us needs reminding that we fight the law of gravity–not just physically, but spiritually. Thus the need for tools and methods. Some work better than others and so each of us must find what works.
Do you have an idea that you’re sitting on? Raise it! Give it a place to grow and let it work for the bottom line: GOD FIRST.
CCS
P.S. Who’s my Muse? The answer is somewhere on my site. Oh, and you can buy my book on my SHOP page!
writer ~ editor ~ speaker 