This weekend my husband and I are staying at my son's house and watching their dog while the kids take my grands to the beach. Easy job, almost like a vacation for me right!?

 Well, almost! Let's start at the beginning of my day. My husband and I wake up to face a beautiful morning. We have coffee, breakfast, and he decides to run over to our house to pick up an item or two. After he leaves, I open the door to the deck to let the door out for a few minutes. Nala, the dog is lean and fast and loves to run. Out the door she goes like a bullet but is barking up a storm. The last couple of days I have seen three deer at the back fence from the woods. The thought ran through my mind that the deer had paid another visit. So I walked over to the windows to look out but no deer. But I could see Nala springing back and forth at the side fence. Hmmmm, wonder what that is all about! So I walked out onto the deck and what did I see with my little eyes...two armadillos running back and forth on the inside of the fence.

 Ok Colette, what should you do now!? Well, you need some shoes but then grab your cell phone in case they attack you. I guess they weren't really going to attack me...or would they...that would be a question for my friends from Texas. Grab some shoes and I saw a leash in the garage so make sure Nala is safe. Get her in the house. Luckily is she a very obedient girl and I was able to get her inside without having to leash her. Now grab your phone and call my son. Maybe while I am talking to him this whole situation will go away. It could happen that way couldn't it? Before I put in the call I snapped a picture for evidence that I had a real problem. Just so others would understand what I was dealing with. Then I made the call. My son informed me that I had to get those weird looking guys out of the fenced yard. What I expected to hear but not what I wanted to hear.

My first step was safety, my second step was communication, and the third step seemed to be headed straight to weapons! Now, I have an evaluation not a criticism. My son keeps TOO clean a yard. Yep, his yard is way too clean...no pine cones lying around to throw, no long sticks to poke at these critters, not even short sticks. At this short notice all I could find was a branch with thin branches and dried leaves hanging from main branch. And I had to retrieve that from his fire pit. Really not a weapon, more like a sweeper or broom with no handle but maybe I could whisk them down the fence line to the gate. The sight of me shaking that branch at these two creatures was really comical. Thank goodness my husband called from right around the corner and was able to be there in a short minute.

We decided we needed a shovel, a metal rake, and finally a pistol. Do not be disturb about the pistol part. My husband made the decision that wouldn't work so we put it back inside the house. It took us some time and we had to change plans several times but we eventually got those armadillos out of the yard and they run off into the woods. They were happy to be gone and we were happy to see them gone!

And then God spoke to me! In particular my husband and myself are dealing with some medical issues. There are other members of my family as well that are dealing with "hard life" right now. God spoke to me and showed me the parallel between the events of this morning and with how to approach the day and weeks ahead. Give the next part of this post a little thought...

When faced with trials in this life we cannot, CAN NOT handle them on our own. We need to face the problem, not just wish it away. It is okay to assess the situation...that is not being negative but don't run. God's word tells us that we can do or get through anything with and through him. "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13. A little denial when faced with hard issues is human but this scripture is filled with hope, encouragement and strength in itself.

Our next step is communication...communication with the one that can overcome all things! The one that can lead and direct, the one that can heal, the one that can comfort, the one that gives peace, and the one that has already paved the path ahead of us! So go to your safe place and communicate with our Father. "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments' and unfathomable are His ways!" Romans 11:33. Pour out your heart to him, bare your fears and your concerns, give your burden over to him. Let God know you need him. "It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him." Daniel 2:22. And forward we go...

Now we pull out our weapons! Pray, which we have already had a conversation but that needs to become constant and continually. This is important. God already knows the future and the desires of our hearts. Prayer is not just about asking for things we need or desire. It is about the relationship, faith, trust, and thanks. Prayer is about drawing us closer to God. That is why I like, at times, to use the term conversation. "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." Romans 12:12. And even when your thoughts and prayers may be all over the place that is okay also. Read this for those times..."Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Romans 8:26.

Next we don't need to take up a shovel, an iron rake, or even a gun. Instead we need to pick up our bible and immerse ourselves in God's word. His words are food, are medicine. They also give us strength, encouragement, direction, hope, and grow our maturity in Him. God's word is food for our soul, medicine for our aliments. "In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?" Psalm 56:10-11.

And then we have our community of believers...your family, your church, your people. When we have hard things to walk through we need our circle. We need those that know God to share in our journey so that they may hold us up, pray for us, spur us on, and rejoice with us. God gave us each other to walk alongside our good times and our difficult times. "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor; if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm, alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

There are so many of us out there that are in places that they did not see themselves in. Places that on the surface seem so unsavory. In life it is not WHAT we go through but HOW we manage the day to day, hour by hour of those trying times. With God by our side and the tools I have mentioned we will gain a deeper and strong bond with our Lord, we will discover strength and maturity we didn't realize was in us and we will be able to manage our purpose here on earth with peace, grace, and humbleness...Building HIS KINGDOM here on earth. Thank you for reading this...I hope that if you are struggling it sparked something within you. And I know I can count on your prayers and praises for our family...

 

"TO YOU, O GOD OF MY FATHERS, I GIVE THANKS AND PRAISE, FOR YOU HAVE GIVEN ME WISDOM AND MIGHT, AND HAVE NOW MADE KNOWN TO ME WHAT WE ASKED OF YOU.." Daniel 2:23