When Your Safety Net Gets Clipped....(Part 2 of 3 from The Red Sea Rules--The God Who Led You in Will Lead You Out by Robert J. Morgan)
Ahhh, family vacation. We’d counted down the weeks of summer, anxiously awaiting our trip to Hilton Head Island in lovely South Carolina. We were all super excited as our oldest son had been living and working there all summer, and we missed him terribly.
We rented a condo’ right on the beach. We found the restaurant where John Jr. was working and made a mad dash there for dinner.
Every beautiful day we walked on the super wide expanse of beach, played in the surf, and even rode bikes on the beach. Life was good. John Jr. showed us all around the island and we ate our fill of fresh seafood daily. And did I say life was good?
About halfway into our week, the phone rang…I saw the area code and recognized it was from Lexington. “Uh oh…” I said before answering.
We’d only recently found an Assisted Living place for my parents to live. Seemed like anytime the phone rang from Lexington, it typically involved a health issue, many times warranting a trip over there.
Sure enough, it was Dan-the-Man. (Forgive me, but some people just need a “phrase”. Dan was the director of this Assisted Living residence and I admit, I was not President of his Fan Club. Clearly he had a military background. Time was his god. His time, that is.)
“Hello Mrs. Hoagland?” Dan-the-Man said.
“Yes?” I squeaked out.
“I’m calling to tell you, you have thirty days to find another place for your parents to live. They simply need more care than we can provide. We can no longer keep them here.”
BOOM….Just like that. Safety net clipped….
I stared at the phone. “Huh, what just happened?”
It triggered something in me that quickly spewed, “Why thank you, Dan, you have just successfully RUINED OUR VACATION.” Yeah, I know….
You can guess the majority of our remaining time in Hilton Head, a mere stone’s throw from the beach (whiney-whine-whine-whine-whine…) was spent calling nursing homes, getting on waiting lists, realizing we needed way more than any thirty days. This also solidified my chances of never being President of Dan-the-Man’s Fan Club.
The good news? God has a huge sense of humor. As He would orchestrate, I’d recently met a lovely author from Lexington named Jan Watson. In addition to discovering her excellent novels, Jan introduced me to a wonderful book by an ultra gifted author we’ve been talking about: The Promise: God Works All Things Together for Your Good by Robert J. Morgan.
It just so happened I brought the book with me on vacation. I was into chapter three when Dan-the-Man’s phone call rang in. Never mind that Rob’s book is all about Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (NIV) Note the all…
So, I had a little Come-to-Jesus meeting and we all said, “Ok, we’ll figure this thing out and trust God to help us.” You may recall my friend Liz Curtis Higgs’ favorite saying, “God’s got this.” Please tell my we forgot God is Sovereign???
As of this writing, John and I have run away for a few days’ respite in Naples, Florida. We went to a Boat Show the other day after eating lunch at The Dock Restaurant. I nearly fell off the dock when we looked across the water to a tremendous yacht. Checkout its’ name:
Ahhh, you can run, but you cannot hide from our Lord. And that’s a very good thing.
This week we’ll cover Rule # 5 from another excellent book by Rob Morgan, The Red Sea Rules: 10 God-Given Strategies for Difficult Times (Last week we covered Rules # 3 and #4, please click on “We Need to Test for Leukemia” for more information.)
Before we dive in, don’t forget you have the fantastic opportunity to hear and meet Rob Morgan in person, Monday night, October 27th, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. He’ll be at Middletown United Methodist Church, (at 11902 Old Shelbyville Road, in Louisville, KY 40243) Men and women are welcome. Spread the word! Bring a friend!
Red Sea Rule #5: “Stay calm and confident, and give God time to work.” (This is one of the “Ten God-given Strategies for Difficult Times”. Each one is more powerful than the next.)
This is one of the toughest rules to obey. I suspect most of us don’t cherish the waiting part, much less staying calm and confident while waiting!!! Rob says four words jumped out to him during a difficult time from Romans 12:19 which are: leave room for God.
Rob continues, “When someone harms us, we shouldn’t try to get even, but should leave room for God’s wrath. There are times when we need to let Him settle the score.”
He makes an excellent point: “…if we can leave room for God’s wrath, can we not, when facing other challenges, leave room for His other attributes?
…..for His power?
…..for His grace?
…..for His intervention
He reminds us while we don’t have all the answers to problems, hurts, fears, we can all leave room for God to work.
Exodus 14:13-14 is where Moses is telling the Israelites: “Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest.” (Amplified)
Rob teaches us that this is what the biblical phrase “wait on the Lord” is about: “committing our Red Sea situations to Him in prayer,
trusting Him,
and waiting for Him to work.”
He concludes this chapter with: “If YOU are in a difficult place right now, perhaps you need to entrust the problem to the Lord and leave it in His hands awhile. ..
He alone can
storm the impregnable,
devise the improbable,
and perform the impossible.
He alone can part the waters.”
Next week we’ll cover another helpful rule. They are all helpful! Grab the book to find out more and make plans to come hear Rob Morgan, Monday October 27th! You will be beyond blessed.
‘Til next time!