Maybe you don’t know what that is like.
But I have plenty of memories of driving on a muddy country road, across the hillside or across a wet field and the back of the four-wheeler or farm truck started to slide sideways.
It’s not a fun feeling.
It was never something I was trying to do, but always a circumstance which resulted in causing me some fear.
Experience taught me how to avoid such in future and how to remain calm through the moment.
As a teen and young adult, I didn’t realize what valuable lessons those were.
Because life sometimes starts to slide sideways.
When things go wrong, stuff goes missing, people are sick or hurting, accidents happen, and all the plans of a day become “putting out fires”.
When life slides sideways it’s important to stay calm, to pray for God’s guidance, and to deal with the immediate need.
Most importantly: don’t panic.
It can lead to total loss of control and major damage, even death.
The same is true for life.
Panic leads to rash behavior, poor execution of duties, and at times total loss if control.
In my twenties if someone was to say, “Don’t panic,” I’d immediately come back with, “I’m not, just stressed”.
How much difference is there between the two?
Both are dangerous.
I have learned to do things differently.
When I feel life sliding sideways I find it helpful to praise God.
While dealing with the immediate, while asking for guidance, I remind myself who is in control of it all by worshipping God.
It’s not always easy to do when I feel afraid, but it always helps.
Because it gets my eyes off the circumstances and on the Savior.
I’m writing all this, because I got to walk in it this morning.
I woke up feeling tired, Anne wasn’t feeling good, some issues with a project which needs to be done, the house needing to be cleaned, laundry is overflowing, some things missing I need, I unwisely left a pan on the stove and it nearly caught fire while filling the kitchen with smoke,…you get the picture.
My husband came to the rescue and both kids jumped in to help with different things.
The immediate was sorted, so I looked up a verse.
Psalm 7:17 KJV — I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.
I will praise the Lord!
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for walking with me and my family this morning. Thank You for keeping my poor choice from starting a fire. Lord, thank You for using all my circumstances to remind me of what’s important. Lord Jesus, no matter how much needs to be done, nor what things go wrong I know You are using it all. Please continue to help me surrender my day, my expectations, and my desires before You. Lord, thank You so much for my family who love and support me. Thank You for my husband whose so loving and supportive. Lord, thank You for being all I ever needed. I love You. Amen.
patientlyhopeful 