Be Careful, Keep Calm, Don't be Afraid
I feel so darn special that Isaiah was actually writing to me in chapter 7 verse 4.
"Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Don't lose heart because of these two smoldering stumps"
Be careful. Don't make decisions without carefully thinking them through. Be careful not to react, or likely in my case over-react, but rather choose actions wisely. Not my strong point. I need this reminder.
Be calm. Obviously, one of my other greatest weaknesses. I don't do calm very well. Deep breaths. Slow my mind. Shut my mouth. Allow the wisdom and knowledge to guide my heart and soul rather than remind them of my error later.
Don't lose heart or don't be afraid. I'm a complete scaredy cat when it comes to people jumping out at me, spooky music in a crime show, frogs, snakes, and jumping off high things without having been given my own personal set of wings. But I'm really not afraid of things like dying, flying, a kid being injured. Yeah when I think about it I get scared but I just don't usually fear those things. I fear having to go back to work and not being there for my kids, I fear my kids riding the bus with all those mean kids and having to sit at the bus stop alone in the rain. I fear Matt not finding an awesome job when he retires. I fear living in the South. I'm sorry but I do. Those are my fears. Thankfully, my fears are opposite of Matt's fears, so we get along pretty well.
Why? Do we not need to fear? Because in God's eyes our enemy, the ones who plot and plan against us, the ones that seek to devour my kids, the things that threaten joy, happiness and love in my family are merely, merely two smoldering stumps. Not giant, strong trees...two smoldering, burned out broken down, week, useless stumps.
So, Isaiah goes on to say something about Rezin and Aram but that was really more for Ahaz than me. I don't know those people, but I do have my own versions of Rezin and Aram. And they are, merely smoldering stumps as well.
Today I found myself not careful, not calm and most definitely placing more importance on some burned out stumps than the stumps deserved. After I overreacted and probably made a fool of myself, I remembered those words...be careful, be calm and thanks to the Lord.. I've been forgiven.
"Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Don't lose heart because of these two smoldering stumps"
Be careful. Don't make decisions without carefully thinking them through. Be careful not to react, or likely in my case over-react, but rather choose actions wisely. Not my strong point. I need this reminder.
Be calm. Obviously, one of my other greatest weaknesses. I don't do calm very well. Deep breaths. Slow my mind. Shut my mouth. Allow the wisdom and knowledge to guide my heart and soul rather than remind them of my error later.
Don't lose heart or don't be afraid. I'm a complete scaredy cat when it comes to people jumping out at me, spooky music in a crime show, frogs, snakes, and jumping off high things without having been given my own personal set of wings. But I'm really not afraid of things like dying, flying, a kid being injured. Yeah when I think about it I get scared but I just don't usually fear those things. I fear having to go back to work and not being there for my kids, I fear my kids riding the bus with all those mean kids and having to sit at the bus stop alone in the rain. I fear Matt not finding an awesome job when he retires. I fear living in the South. I'm sorry but I do. Those are my fears. Thankfully, my fears are opposite of Matt's fears, so we get along pretty well.
Why? Do we not need to fear? Because in God's eyes our enemy, the ones who plot and plan against us, the ones that seek to devour my kids, the things that threaten joy, happiness and love in my family are merely, merely two smoldering stumps. Not giant, strong trees...two smoldering, burned out broken down, week, useless stumps.
So, Isaiah goes on to say something about Rezin and Aram but that was really more for Ahaz than me. I don't know those people, but I do have my own versions of Rezin and Aram. And they are, merely smoldering stumps as well.
Today I found myself not careful, not calm and most definitely placing more importance on some burned out stumps than the stumps deserved. After I overreacted and probably made a fool of myself, I remembered those words...be careful, be calm and thanks to the Lord.. I've been forgiven.
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