Still Learning

It's been a bit of a rough week. I feel as if someone mistakenly enrolled me in the "How To Get Closer To God in One Short Week" class. Apparently, the syllabus for this class requires you to undergo intense experiences which offer no other alternative than collapsing at the feet of the Father in desperation.

OK, maybe that's just real life, and I'm experiencing it in spades this week. Of course, I've already told you about our experience with the adjuster, and we haven't heard back from him yet. I don't really expect to until next week sometime. So, I'm at peace with that one.

Then I had a pretty intense falling out with a friend. I was really hurt by an accusation that was made and worried myself sick over it for two days. God really confronted me with all I've learned about forgiveness in the past. Papa always uses these opportunities to remind me of the ways in which I have committed the same offense in our relationship and how He has forgiven me. I can never hold on to my hurt and anger after that. My friend and I have reconciled, for which I think both of us are relieved and glad.

I'm still dealing with the third scenario - no money. I keep praying that my Father will go ahead and show us some sunlight in that darkened corner, but He hasn't cracked the blinds yet. I'm still on my knees for that one.

Overall, it's been a difficult week, but it's also been wonderful. Perhaps I should categorize it as wonderfully difficult? You know, sometimes we need those tough experiences to refocus our attention right where it needs to be - on God. I tend to get into "handle things" mode, and I sometimes forget to factor God into the equation properly.

Remember math - way back in school when you were doing Algebra? Do remember the phrase Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally? You used it when you had to work out those complex equations, and it stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add, and Subtract. You know, if you didn't follow the order of operations, the answer came out completely wrong. It was so frustrating to work for ages, and still have the answer be utterly incorrect.

It kind of works that way with God. If we don't do things in the right order - talk to God, then follow His instructions, everything comes out wrong and life gets absolutely frustrating. Really, I don't know why I cannot seem to get that order of operation correct - there are only 2 steps, after all.

So, as I step out of this week and start planning for next, I am looking forward to my first trip to St. Bernard Parish. We are going to be there for a couple of days next week to meet with the pastor, let me have a look around town, and just try to get more direction. On this one, we definitely had the order of operation correct. Father told us explicitly that a visit to the area is our next step.

Well, that was my week in a nutshell. And what is the moral of this convoluted story? I suppose that if I had to nail it to a wall, it would be this: stay sensitive to Papa's voice in every aspect of your life regardless of how inconsequential it may seem at the time. You never know when a word from Him will change your approach to a situation and completely save the outcome.

Blessings!

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Am I Really In Good Hands?

If you're old enough, you remember the slogan "You're in good hands with Allstate." That was before the ex-president from 24 became their spokesman and talked about how people are more important and that's why they give out teddy bears to little children affected by catastrophe. It's a nice thought - an insurance company that cares. I hope that just because their slogan has changed doesn't mean that I'm not in good hands anymore.

Our adjuster (from Allstate) paid us a visit today. We took him through the house and showed him all the water spots, bowed ceiling, blown away fence, etc. He came back in the house and started explaining a few things. He said he was submitting our roof as a repair instead of replacement because there were areas where just a few shingles were missing. I asked him a question about why he would recommend repair instead of replacement because (as a roofer friend and others with knowledge had told me previously) when your roof has been through a storm like Ike, you may have more damage than just missing shingles. Often times the seals (the sticky part on the back of the shingle) is broken, which means it can rain into your house even though it may look like the shingles are fine.

He first disputed that there was a seal on the shingle. Then he basically asserted that I was angling to get more money than was owed me. He said that "Allstate and any other insurance company out there is more than happy and wants to repair your home to its former state, but they're not going to build you a new house."

Now, if you've seen my house, you know that it is nothing fancy, but I have no cause to want more than I have. That's pretty much what I told him. My response was, "We are not dishonest people. I'm not asking you for more money than I should receive. I don't want a new house; I liked my house just fine before the storm came and damaged it. I simply want to be sure that it is repaired properly and we are awarded enough money to do so."

He seemed taken aback that I didn't wilt like a shrinking violet. He quickly backtracked and stated that he'd had an angry client before he arrived at our home, which had put him in a cranky mood. I totally get that it can be frustrating to deal with people. I've been there, but in my experience it helps not to alienate the client who is asking a civilized question. Otherwise, your difficult clients will start outnumbering your happy ones.

I'm hoping and praying that everything works out in the end. Mostly, I hope that my calm and direct response was enough to show him that we have no dishonest designs in our dealings with him or Allstate. We've been loyal customers for years. We were treated fairly after Rita. I'm praying that I can say the same after Ike.

I do know this: I am still in good hands. I am in my Father's hands. He will see that all my needs are met. My Papa owns the cattle on a thousand hills, so taking care of my meager, paltry needs will be no sweat. That's what I know.

So, "Are you in good hands?"

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Changing The Landscape

There are things that happen in life that change us. We may choose to have those things happen - college, marriage, kids, job, or we may not choose them - death, tragedy, kids, job. I guess what I want to say is that there are times in life where we come to a place where it is appropriate to build a memorial.

The Bible tells us of a time in the lives of the children of Israel when they did just that: built a memorial. Let's look at Joshua 4:1-7

¹When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ²"Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, ³and command them, saying, 'Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.'" ⁴Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. ⁵And Joshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, ⁶that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?' ⁷then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever."

So, what do I mean with all this memorial talk? Am I telling you that you need to take up sculpting? No, for I would be a poor sculptor I am sure. I suppose the things that are taking place in my life right now - hurricane Ike, the move, not knowing how I will pay my bills - are causing me to realize that I depend on those old memorials in my life.

That is not to say that I don't talk to Papa now. I just mean that when we live our lives it is important to remember how Father has been faithful in the past. It keeps us steady when we get cold feet. It serves as a reminder of His strength in our lives. After all, we humans can have really short memories in times of panic or stress.

Take Israel as an example. Moses leads them out of Egypt. They cross the Red Sea on dry ground. God takes out the whole Egyptian army in one fell swoop. And a few short days later the Israelites are building a golden calf with the help of Moses' mouthpiece and brother, Aaron, so it can be their God.

We should set up memorials to remind us of our present when it becomes our past and we are afraid for the future. Translation: if we do not mark the events of today while they are fresh in our memories, we may not have those memorials to refer to when we need them.

My point is this: we need to remind ourselves sometimes that God has everything under control. It may not always turn out the way we think it ought to, but He didn't leave things on cruise control and go to the fridge for a soda while we're freaking out. He is ever mindful of what we are living through. Occasionally, our memories just need to be jogged, so we can stay focused on Him.

Things happen. Life happens. In many cases there are days that will come and go and will be less than a blip on the radar screens of our lives. However, there are moments in our lives that change everything. They rewrite the landscapes of our lives. They are epiphanic moments that need to be landmarked in this journey. Jacob had one when he wrestled with the angel and his name was changed to Israel (see Genesis 32:22-32).

Just as hurricane Ike has forever changed the coastline of southeast Texas, so too do circumstances in our lives forever alter who we are. Mark those times in your heart. You may not recognize His faithfulness completely in the midst of it, but it will be easier to see in hindsight. You needn't use large rocks as the Israelites did. There's no need to start chipping away at a great block of stone to carve a memorial. But write it down or purpose in your heart to remember.

Let us not forget who Papa is in our lives. Let us be quick to recall His loving kindness. Let us be ever thinking on His faithfulness to us.

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