Fighting to keep focused on peace... not security...
It does not matter how any of this is received...
I do not have to protect myself...
I do not have to defend anything...
tenuously trusting Him...
This is my state... as I stepped to the stove to begin making breakfast... then I see it... less than an inch from the toe of my flip-flop... a scorpion... in my kitchen...!
Do you know how many scorpions I've seen in my house...? ever...?
NONE... ZERO... Never...
Remembering it is but a member of the arachnid family... just a weird spider... I remove my flop... and... smack... not once... but twice... then I put my shoe back on and step... for good measure...
But default mode... it kicked in... thoughts of how to protect my home from further invaders... Who do you call to fend off scorpions...?
Security... I need security... from scorpions...!
Any shred of peace... I had... was now gone...
Then I recognized... the battle... the test... the lie... Peace is found in security....
So as I scooped squashed scorpion up with a paper towel... and stuffed him into an empty chip bag... to keep him secure... and unable to poke his stinger through the garbage bag... causing pain even in death... I remembered... the Scripture from Wednesday afternoon... the one I taught the sixth graders yesterday...
For everything created by God is good,
and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
1Timothy 4:4-5
(emphasis added)
Everything... created by God... is good... if it is received with thanksgiving...
My mind... it went to the prayer exercise... the one we did at the end of class... a breath prayer...
(Breathe in...) Lord, I receive _______________.
(Breathe out...) Lord, I give thanks for _________________.
You fill in the blank... with whatever... God has brought into your life...
As they prayed... they filled the blanks with things that were good... life... love... ice cream... accessories...
One... he hesitated... I suggested... Homework...
A groan erupted... from the whole room...
I shared... that even hard things... things we don't like... are allowed to enter our lives... by a Sovereign God... who always works for our good... and His glory... so giving thanks for things we see as bad... is good... an act of faith... trust...
A lesson that came back to haunt...!
A challenge... a test... to choose peace... rather than security...
A test that showed... just how far I have to go...
So I prayed... by faith... without much fervor...
Lord, I receive... the scorpion in my kitchen...
Lord, I give thanks... for the scorpion in my kitchen...
The episode... it rattled... feeling spiritually shaky... I went about the rest of my day... wrestling for peace...
And all went well... but even if it hadn't... I hope I would choose peace... and give thanks... for this is God's will... in Christ Jesus...
[Side note...
I read an article recently that reminded those who study Scripture the importance of taking each verse in context... to not ignore the before and behind... a warning about isolating a verse...
The context of 1Tim 4:4-5... has to do with the prohibition of marriage... and certain foods... by teachers who have been influenced by demons...
So... I'm also grateful... that I didn't have to eat the scorpion... Amen...]
Around my house we see them all the time. After lots of trial and questioning we haven't found anything that will get rid of them for good. And so my family has become familiar with these stinging creatures. We don't really worry about them much anymore. Could it be that becoming familiar with something can bring peace? Just a thought!
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