In the still of the night

Ending my day, on the patio, sitting on the swing in my Wonder Woman pajamas (thank you, Becky) and robe (thank you, Candy). My ladies are so good to me, always presenting me with special stuff like this. I tell them I appreciate it but I hope they really, really know it. By the way, Susan, I know you are reading my blog like you do every day and night so let me say I am also sitting here wearing the vanilla perfume you gave me last Wednesday night. :-) So, here I sit again in the stillness of the midnight hour, just reading Come Away My Beloved, by Frances Roberts. I have a warm and inviting man inside the house waiting for me, but first I want to spend some time with the One who loves me most...God Himself.

This grabbed me tonight ~ "Write those things I say to you. Write and hold back nothing of all I shall say to you. For I shall speak to you in the darkness and shall make your way a path of light. I will cry to you out of the confusion round about and you shall hear my voice and shall know that which I do. For my way is hidden from the rebellious, and from the disobedient, and from those who seek to walk in their own wisdom."

When I read this I thought about the fact that often there is confusion round about me with other people.. So many times, I don't understand why they do what they do, what motivates them, why they make the choices they make, why they can't see God's Word or will more clearly, or why they can't see something is so wrong. This is with anything from where they spend their time, lack of holiness, not being Kingdom minded, refusing to be planted in God's house, divine appointments, relationships, or refusing the power of the Holy Ghost. Really it can be anything -- and many people truly puzzle me, or should I say, they amaze me.

I have come to realize that this can be really disappointing, or I can just realize that although the world around me may be confusing many times, I myself do not have to be confused. I can wait in all of that for God to speak and have my path as clear as noon day. (The Bible says the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter...) While I may not ever understand people, I can understand God's will and His voice as He speaks to me personally. and really as long as I do that, I'll be alright.

I have found God helps in our bewilderment with people sometimes in giving us grace. I think of one time back in Maryland when I walked into a 7-Eleven ...and came face to face with somebody who I hadn't seen in about 2 years...somebody who made some really poor choices, and one whom I'd had some words with before they rebelliously walked away from church and away from Larry and I as their leaders. Their life was spiraling out of control and there was nothing we could do about it. We prayed, but they had a free will. And they exercised it.

For me to be faced with them at the gas station was an uncomfortable prospect at best. But God is faithful. As I walked into 7-Eleven it was too late to do anything but come face to face with the person. And I'm not kidding, it was like a blanket of something supernatural swooshed over me (in the spirit sort of) and I could hear that song in my head, "Grace, grace, God's grace..." I literally felt Him carry me through that experience. I felt the empowerment of the Spirit standing there as I paid for my gas and Slurpee (uh, this was before weight watchers...) :-) I instantly smiled, and gave the person a warm greeting. They looked at me like a martian...completely stunned, unable to speak. I continued to talk to them, saying, "God bless you, nice to see you, etc..." and they just mumbled something and walked out, still completely in a daze unable to really even answer me. They were in a state of confusion and I was in a state of being empowered by God . I guess the same blanket of grace and power didn't wash over them as it did me. But here's the thing...I never did (and still don't) understand that person's behavior, but God knows all and He gave me grace to handle that situation because I was spending time in His presence and letting Him speak to me on a daily basis. And He still gives me grace day to day to handle all kinds of stuff, expected or unexpected.

If we don't spend time in the secret place we don't have that kind of insight, power, grace or whatever it is we need to get through puzzling or uncomfortable times. I love what the Secrets of the Secret Place says about the power of the secret place and it coming as soon as you shut your door. When you determine to be with God and you simply shut the door, He is there. Boom! You are in the secret place in 2 seconds flat. Isn't that exciting? With me it's like this...when it's not a rainy night, I come out, pull my sliding glass door shut, and there I am...in the secret place. When it's a rainy night and I go to my living room and sit in my chair or at my piano...there I am immediately in the secret place.

And from there, everything is possible. Even being a total class act when you see somebody at 7-Eleven who is the last person you want to come face to face with.