Lately I have been waiting (probably not as patiently as I should) on God for direction and have felt like I am in a weird state of limbo and confusion. Have you ever felt like you are in a million places all at once and you aren’t really accomplishing anything, or you don’t know who you are or how you feel about anything but you can’t just go hide in a hole because people are depending on you? You know there is something wrong but you don’t know what it is or how to communicate it! I was (trying to) explain this to a friend Wednesday night and then I came home to this note from my husband:
*Let me preface this note by saying I have a potted tree that is bending over and asked Trevor to pick up a stake so we can “straighten it out”.
“I was thinking about this stake on the way home. How it will be the supporting factor that will straighten the tree and hold it upright. How true is that about God in our life and marriage? We sometimes might get tired, worn out, and be leaned over like that tree. But then comes our God in the form of a stake and puts us back upright and holds us there on our journey. And even more – he gave us each other. I love that you are my stake given by God and I also love being your stake as well. A stake … such a simple item, but what an important job it does. Thank you for being mine. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for you in my life and what you mean to me. I love you so much.”
After my AWWWWWWW moment and some hugs I got to thinking … and since I am a word person I looked it up in the dictionary…
Stake:
- (noun) a strong wooden or metal post with a point at one end, driven into the ground to support a tree, form part of a fence, act as a boundary mark
- God is our support system when we are tossed about by the storms of this world … but if our roots are not grounded like they should be, we are liable to fall over at the slightest wisp of wind!
- The Holy Spirit is the security fence that keeps us safe. If we play in the yard then that fence will hold the world at bay… but if we open the gate to just anyone then thieves can come in and steal our toys.
- Jesus and the bible are our boundary mark … when we are feeling like we want to rebel or don’t know our direction then we can look to these to keep us in line and find our way home.
- (verb) to mark an area with stakes so as to claim ownership of it
- If we claim to be a Christian, then God has a claim of ownership on our hearts. I am reminded by the movie “Far and Away” when all of the western settlers make a mad dash to claim the perfect piece of land. There were people cheating, stealing, killing, and fighting to get what they wanted. The world will do whatever necessary to get a piece of you and that is why we have to be staked/claimed by God and not sell off pieces of ourselves to the highest (and most of the time cheapest) bidder.
So this week I am challenging myself to lean on God, lean on my husband, obey the bible, and rest in the safety of my Lord! He controls the storms and straightens me out when I am bent over by the weight of the world!
-Melissa
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Ephesians 3: 20-21 “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Luke 8:25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
Job 21:18 “How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a gale?”
Mark 4:39 “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”
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