picturesfromheaven

As you know, my husband and I had an extended vacation that began with the wedding of my oldest son in Hawaii and ended in the Smokie Mountains in the cabin. I must say that the cabin experience was the most relaxing of the trip. It was just my husband and I, and, oh, of course, the two dogs. We have a large 110 pound chocolate lab named Jasper, and a 13 pound "hot dog" who actually loves to eat hot dogs, named Pedro. Our cabin was on a mountain ridge that afforded us the most spectacular view. Our days were filled with reading, writing, studying and walking with the dogs for hours in the mountains. There was also the TV and hot tub for entertainment. But all in all it was a relaxing trip until one night.

My husband was watching a scary movie..."The Bone Collector" and I'm just not into anything that is remotely scary so I told Jerry to stay on the couch and I would take the dogs out for their last excursion of the evening before bed. When I opened the door of the cabin it was pitch black. It had rained that day and the cloud cover completely covered the moon and stars. With no lights from the city, moon or stars, or even lights from nearby cabins to light the way, I couldn't see to walk down the few steps to the road. I left the door open so that the light from inside the cabin could bleed out and help me see my footing. The dogs were on retractable leashes so I just let the leashes out and hoped they were doing what they needed to be doing. I really couldn't see them.

But then I hear noise down over to my right down the mountain that sounded like it could be a coyote howl. Either that or a baby or a party...sounds travel at night and I couldn't make out the sound. But even the possibility of a coyote scared me. Pedro once had an encounter with a pack of coyotes and was almost dinner. So I decided whether the boys were done or not we were going in. I turned to face the road to head toward the cabin and I though I saw a shadow, maybe 5 yards at the most ahead of me. It was about waste high...but I couldn't be sure...it was SO dark. Just then Jasper took off running towards the shadow barking and the shadow stood up. It was a bear. I was frantic. I knew I couldn't hold Jasper if he is really determined to go somewhere so I fell down on the road on top of the leash to hold him in place and screamed like crazy for my husband to help me. I mean screamed. I could have won a role on one of those scary movies I hate with that scream. It startled the bear, he got back down on all fours and went behind our cabin and down the mountain.

Then, somehow, fear is a wonderful motivator, I was up off the ground and dragged the two dogs to the door by the time my husband arrived to help me. He looked at this wild eyed woman and said, "What, what is wrong?" Shaking and more terrified than I've ever been in my life, I mumbled, "Bear, bear outside." I couldn't make a sentence...have you ever been there. Well, two nights before we had seen the movie the Great Outdoors with John Candy and my husband remembered the famous funny line, "Bear, big bear chase me." So he smiled and repeated the words. I yelled back, "NO...no funny...bear outside." I still couldn't speak in sentences. So my loving husband took me in his arms to comfort me, but all he could do was laugh between repeating the John Candy lines. After a bit I saw the humor...after all I must have looked a site.

The thing that I'm thankful for, yes, that Jasper, Pedro and I weren't dinner that night. But actually that I heard the sound down the other side of the mountain that scared me so I turned around in time to see the bear walking towards me. That sound was God's alarm for me. He orchestrates events for our eventual good. He positions us...I hope you benefit from the word He gave me.

“Checkmate”

Picture…a huge, and I mean huge chessboard. The chessboard is so large that people are being used as chess pieces. Large hands move the “people” around the board just as they are in a real chess game. One of the chess pieces, excuse me “chess people” that has been moved several times, looks up to something that cannot be seen to complain, “I am so sick and tired of being moved around. I just get comfortable and it seems like I’m being moved again. It’s just not fun anymore. It feels like I’m being moved, moved and moved.”

Hear…the Lord say, “You aren’t just being moved and moved, you are being positioned for victory. Checkmate, it’s time.”

Consider: At a moment of inspiration and anointing you have probably told the Lord, “Take me…use me…have your will in my life” and you meant it. I know that every time I’ve responded to a message about giving my life totally to the Lord, I’ve meant it. Every time I’ve sung a song about surrendering all, I’ve meant it. Every time God’s word has inspired me to say, “Use me,” I’ve meant it. I think we all genuinely want to be used by God to accomplish his purposes. But when it doesn’t looks like he is not going to take us up on our offer, we get discouraged. When things finally start to happen but it’s not in the manner that we envisioned, we get confused. When it feels like we are a pawn in some kind of giant chess game, being shuffled around seeming for no purpose, we get frustrated. It would help if you remember that when you give your life unreservedly to God and things seem to be slipping from your control, they are; they are being put into God’s control. You are too close to the board. You can’t see the big picture. You don’t understand God’s moves. But you can trust that He knows exactly what he is doing. He is the Universal Grandmaster. Whether you recognize the moves or not, God is positioning you for victory. Nothing is random or coincidental with God. If you have given your life completely to the Lord, then trust him to know where you need to be and when, in order for His perfect will to be accomplished in your life. Relax; enjoy the journey, God IS in control. He IS positioning you for victory.”

Pray: “Lord, it’s me again. I love you and I want you to know not that I’m not necessarily a control freak. I don’t enjoy telling other people what to do with their lives. I don’t like that kind of responsibility. But it is uncomfortable when it seems like I have no control of the circumstances in my own life. I like to feel like I have some kind of say or more importantly, that I can do something, anything, to change the stuff that is going on in my life. So this is a hard one for me. What I am about to say, is that this is kind of a big deal for me. But, of course you know that. So, here it is…I surrender my life one more time, knowing full well, that I might not like the process, but I am also aware of the fact that you know what is best for me. You know that the best route for me to get from point “A” to point “B” and that it might not be a straight line. I like things neat and orderly. You know that because you put that attribute in me. You know my frame; you know how I am made. You know me inside and out. You have all knowledge, past, present and future. You know what I need to prepare me for what is up ahead on the road that I cannot see. You know where I need to be, and you know what I need to be. So I take my hands off of me. I am giving you full permission to move me at your slightest whim. I trust you with my soul. I trust you with my life. In Jesus Name, Amen.”