Choosing to Rest & Rejoice in Jesus!

“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalms 118:24 

Yesterday was one of those rare days that I felt like I was beating clock. I was flowing through my to-do list in record time and I was pleased and thankful to the Lord at the accelerated progress. By the time the evening rolled around I was able to do a few extra things (like finish my homework ~ I am in school for those you who didn’t know) and actually have a moment to relax. But as the saying goes, “all good things must come to an end.” I don’t necessary buy into that phrase (it’s not all true), but it seemed apropos for this story.

Against everything in me I allowed my eldest daughter to borrow the car on last evening. Her outing was simple enough: go to the store and dinner. The store was only two blocks away and the restaurant was right next to it. I was still against letting her use the car, but my husband, who is helping me to “lighten up”, convinced me to trust her. After all, it was only around the corner.

A couple hours went by and as I am sitting in my bed talking to a friend I hear all this grinding type noise coming from outside out my bedroom window. I ignored it for about two to three minutes because I thought it was just my neighbors having some issues with their car. Finally I get up and go look out the window. I see my car, halfway up the drive, the wheels turning and spinning in place. It had snowed that evening, but I was thinking, “It can’t be that slippery.” Quenton, our spiritually adopted son, had come out the house to try to help push the car up the driveway. I quickly sent word to tell them him and my daughter to just STOP. I was going to take care of my car myself.

I hurried and put on my shoes and coat, but by the time I got outside the car had been fully backed up the drive way. My daughter had jumped out the car and was heading into the house. I called to her to give me the keys because she had parked crooked and that could pose a problem later for my husband’s car. As I’m approaching the car I was noticing that it looked weird. It was leaning to one side. Then I saw it. The grinding noise I had heard earlier was the sound of my front left steel-belted radio tire AND the rim being utterly destroyed.

Words cannot express how angry I was….well they could, but I would never say that on here (lol). I couldn’t even talk to my daughter. I just came back in the house and went to my room. I called my husband several times. No answer. I knew he was in a rehearsal, but I didn’t care. Finally, I shut down my computer and put away everything that I had been working on and just laid across my bed.

I begin to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help me. I knew I needed to walk in forgiveness and mercy, but I was struggling….for the moment. I knew my daughter hadn’t destroyed my car on purpose, but I was quite angry with her. I knew she needed my mercy and forgiveness. And I knew today was going to be a full day and that I would need my car. “Help Lord”, is all I could say. I didn’t know how the Father was going to fix it, but I drifted off to sleep praying that He did. The Holy Spirit is teaching me how to rest in HIM. He’s teaching me to put things at the feet of Jesus and allow Him to be God.

It’s 6:00AM right now. And I don’t know how this day is going to go, as far as transportation and all, but one thing that I am resting in is that my heavenly Father has it all in His hands. I am choosing to rest in His promises today. I am keeping His word before me (meditating), being sure to cast down imaginations and to take into captivity every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5). I WILL trust in the Lord with ALL my heart and LEAN NOT to my own understanding. I WILL acknowledge HIM (even right now) in ALL my ways, and HE WILL DIRECT MY PATHS (Proverbs 3:5-6).

This is the day that the LORD has made and CHOOSE to rejoice and be glad in it!

My Love Song to HIM! Dorothy C.