Carried

Last week I spent a few sweet days with my two month old granddaughter. We became fast friends as I fed her and read her a book. I talked and she cooed back.( Love those new baby sounds!) All day long, I carried her. She was never concerned that I wasn’t going to do what was best for her or give her what she needed when she needed it. She wasn’t afraid I was going to drop her. As she looked into my eyes for several hours that day, I never saw one look of fear or distrust. 

Recently people have asked how I am doing in the midst of so much change. I’ve said, “I feel like the Lord is carrying me.” But I don’t rest in the Lord’s arms like Bobbi Gene rested in mine. That has become a goal these days!

How do you sense the Lord is carrying you right now, you might ask. Doesn’t He always carry us? He does but sometimes His presence seems sweeter and closer than other times. One of the ways the Lord continued to impress on me He is carrying me was through a debriefing call about my work.  At the end of the call my friend prayed, “Lord, let Andrea feel as if you are carrying her.” I opened my eyes and wanted to say, “He is! He is already telling me and showing me He is carrying me!” I love it when the Lord confirms what I am hearing Him say through His Word or other believers!

These last few months, almost every day I’ve seen an answer to prayer. Yesterday, I saw two in one hour! I know God always answers but when He daily lets you see Him at work over things you have asked Him about, it creates a sweetness and excitement.  You begin to continually wonder, What else is He doing that I’m not seeing yet? Answer- So Much!

The verses that the Lord has not let me get away from are Psalm 28:7-9  The Lord is our strength and shield; in him my heart trusts and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. The Lord is the strength of his people, he is the saving refuge of his anointed. Oh save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

The reality is the only strength we have is from the Lord. He gives us the very breath we breathe moment by moment not to mention the strength to function and move throughout each day.  If he did not shield us, from evil, from ourselves and others, we would quickly be destroyed. He is always leading, shielding, guiding, saving and carrying.  He never fails. As my heart thinks about that, I am greatly helped! This is the reality for every believer. But how often do I let myself focus on all that I fear around me instead of the Lord’s strong and gracious provision of strength and protection? I experience joy as I rest in Him and thank Him for who He is and what He does.

My favorite name of God for years has been Faithful. These last three years, He has been showing me what a Faithful Shepherd He is. Our faithful Shepherd provides all that we need. He leads us beside quiet waters and makes us lie down in green pastures. Many times God has to lead me there because I would not go there on my own. I would and I have, kept working until I’ve exhausted myself.

So He comes and gently leads me back to His refreshing and gracious waters and pastures. Then there are the times when I’m injured. Injuries happen in the Now and Not Yet where we are living. That’s when my Faithful Shepherd lifts me onto his broad shoulders and carries me to a better place. I long to learn to rest in the arms and on the shoulders of my Faithful Shepherd every moment of every day. Just as I had Bobbi Gene, He has me but in a perfect way! Something I can never do for myself or others.

For Mother’s Day, my daughter, Alli, sent me a book called, Limping With God by Chad Bird.(I am loving the book!) The book is about Jacob in the Old Testament. In the last paragraph of the introduction Bird writes, As Jacob limped away from his famous wrestling match with God, so we all get by on bum hips and bad knees. Following Jesus we limp our way down the dark and slippery paths of life. As we do, we discover, ironically, that the longer we follow him, the weaker we become, and the more we lean on our Lord. Finally, at our most mature, our eyes are opened to realize that we’ve never run or walked or even limped a single day in our lives. We’ve been on Christ’s shoulders the entire time.

I long to realize, whether I sense it or not, I am in the arms and on the shoulders of my strong faithful Shepherd, Jesus Christ now and for eternity.