There's an amazing story in 2 Kings 6 having to do with this kind of 'vision'. I highly recommend reading the whole story, my summary can't possibly do it justice. But Elisha's servant, Gehazi, is having a little bit of a panic attack as the Aramean army surrounds the city. And Elisha's calm and collected answer goes something like this (vs. 16-17), 'Don't be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, 'O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.' Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.'
Anyone else have goosebumps just imagining this scene?! The hills FULL of invisible horses whom, I'm assuming, had riders wielding all manner of heavenly weapons!? And chariots of FIRE surrounding Elisha!! Needless to say, this sneak peak was more than sufficient for the easing of Gehazi's fears. And I won't spoil the ending.. I'm serious about you reading it for yourself :)
This reminds me of Chris Tomlin's lyrics:
I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies is always by my side
The One who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies is always by my side.
I know you're under the impression that I write these posts for you, but the truth is that they're for me! (And if others benefit from them, too.. all the better!) This blog requires me to slow down, reflect on what exactly has been taking place in my life, realizing all the ways that God has gone before me! It's humbling when my eyes are truly 'opened' to His goodness, mercy, provision and love in my life.
We do our best to follow the charge in Philippians 4:6, 'Do not be anxious about anything..' Stress certainly won't help us arrive at a solution to any 'problem' and I've actually found that it can cause an issue (or invading army of Arameans, for that matter!) seem unnecessarily overwhelming! And yet, I must admit to a few anxious feelings in the past few weeks; areas where I definitely needed to have my eyes 'opened' to the ways God was at work.
This year's coffee harvest has been such an unknown because of a significant lack of coffee pickers. Farm upkeep becomes tedious work when you're not sure if the final product of your labor will even be harvested. (And Derek is on his own out there until I figure out how to wear Owen and the weed whacker at the same time..) We've been praying and calling pickers for months without any apparent results. The cherries are ripening as we speak and we were at a loss. At our wits end, we were praying once again for God to make a way and 'open' our eyes to what He was doing. And then within one afternoon we had three pickers! Thank you, Jesus!!
After praying repeatedly for God to open or close the door on this venture, we both felt peace and excitement about taking the plunge! And yes, at least in my case, it was the 'I think I might throw up' kind of exciting. It's hard to commit to an endeavor that may or may not succeed. But, I'm pleased to report that he has successfully completed his first two jobs! God is, indeed, making a way! Derek loved the work and I love having a husband that's not afraid to branch out (literally!), discovering new ways to provide for his family! AND the insurance quote came back $1000 less than we expected, so we can now look forward to his being able to seek out larger jobs!
These are just a few of the instances where I pulled a 'Gehazi' this week, wondering what in the world the plan was only to have my eyes opened to the angel armies at work on my behalf!
Derek's been going from sun up to sun down landscaping, tree trimming and now keeping up with the coffee that's being picked (hallelujah!). He's already de-pulped several hundred pounds of cherry (I hope you all are ready to order a fresh batch of Kona coffee!), and now we begin taking it through the various stages of soaking, rinsing, drying, etc. Owen and I help however we can but, let's be honest, that doesn't amount to anything significant. On top of all this, my incredible husband still found time to concoct the best grilled chicken I've EVER tasted. He also hung out with Owen while I finally cashed in on a much-needed birthday massage! Have I mentioned that I like him?!
Our sweet little man continues to amaze us on a daily basis as he grows and changes. His favorite activities include riding the longboard with Dad, going on walks/runs with Mom and taking advantage of every diaper-less second to 'perfect his aim', if you know what I mean! Just when we think we couldn't possibly be any more in love, he looks up at us with his beautiful blue eyes and a sweet grin that melts us all over again. We're big fans, especially now that we're seeing him through well-rested eyes :) He is truly a miracle.
The miraculous is everywhere, it's just a question of whether or not we'll have the eyes to see. In every situation we face, the overwhelming, the exciting and the difficult, God is at work. He's making a way where I think there is none. And when I'm ready to throw in the towel He is just getting started. Looking at life with corrected 'vision' is incredible; you can no longer accept that anything happens by 'chance' or coincidence. And you certainly can't claim any of the glory for winning the battle when you realize you're surrounded by chariots of fire!!
This year's coffee harvest has been such an unknown because of a significant lack of coffee pickers. Farm upkeep becomes tedious work when you're not sure if the final product of your labor will even be harvested. (And Derek is on his own out there until I figure out how to wear Owen and the weed whacker at the same time..) We've been praying and calling pickers for months without any apparent results. The cherries are ripening as we speak and we were at a loss. At our wits end, we were praying once again for God to make a way and 'open' our eyes to what He was doing. And then within one afternoon we had three pickers! Thank you, Jesus!!
[continuously blessed with FRUIT..]
We've also been doing a substantial amount of praying, researching and pondering Derek's latest undertaking; arborist work. It's an occupation that one either jumps all the way into or.. not. In other words, there's amazing potential in that line of work but not really a way to 'feel it out'. You either buy all the harnesses, ropes, carabiners, etc. and go for it.. or you keep on with life as before, googling it in your spare time and asking 'what if'. He also needs insurance to get hired for most of the large scale jobs he would bid. A bit like skydiving, you either jump out of that plane or you sit there with your parachute, gazing out the hatch and wondering...After praying repeatedly for God to open or close the door on this venture, we both felt peace and excitement about taking the plunge! And yes, at least in my case, it was the 'I think I might throw up' kind of exciting. It's hard to commit to an endeavor that may or may not succeed. But, I'm pleased to report that he has successfully completed his first two jobs! God is, indeed, making a way! Derek loved the work and I love having a husband that's not afraid to branch out (literally!), discovering new ways to provide for his family! AND the insurance quote came back $1000 less than we expected, so we can now look forward to his being able to seek out larger jobs!
These are just a few of the instances where I pulled a 'Gehazi' this week, wondering what in the world the plan was only to have my eyes opened to the angel armies at work on my behalf!
Our sweet little man continues to amaze us on a daily basis as he grows and changes. His favorite activities include riding the longboard with Dad, going on walks/runs with Mom and taking advantage of every diaper-less second to 'perfect his aim', if you know what I mean! Just when we think we couldn't possibly be any more in love, he looks up at us with his beautiful blue eyes and a sweet grin that melts us all over again. We're big fans, especially now that we're seeing him through well-rested eyes :) He is truly a miracle.
The miraculous is everywhere, it's just a question of whether or not we'll have the eyes to see. In every situation we face, the overwhelming, the exciting and the difficult, God is at work. He's making a way where I think there is none. And when I'm ready to throw in the towel He is just getting started. Looking at life with corrected 'vision' is incredible; you can no longer accept that anything happens by 'chance' or coincidence. And you certainly can't claim any of the glory for winning the battle when you realize you're surrounded by chariots of fire!!
Not sure how I didn't see this blog when it was posted, but loved this one! That is my favorite Old Testament story! If only we could always see our situations from God's perspective......
ReplyDeleteThanks for your blog and this challenge!