WHERE IS YOUR SAFE HARBOR? 6/10/09

I changed my mine for this weeks discussions. Instead, you get pot luck!
WHERE IS YOUR SAFE HARBOR?
I learned at a very young age to never let my Mother hear me grumble and complain. I had a short fuse and often when it was lit, it was a sure bet I would be in trouble. You would have thought I would have learned my lessons. Even though I didn’t get spankings anymore, I still felt the impact of her look and knew I was in hot water. It doesn’t take a person long to realize when they are in over their head, but I have always had an inquisitive and argumentative nature. If I didn’t want to do something I would grumble under my breath. I didn’t slam drawers or doors because that would be to obvious. However, everyone knew I was angry or upset. I suppose most people have a discontent and deal with it in their own personal way. Eventually, control is reached, whether by counting to 10 or by shear will power. Jim was my control!

During the time I was teaching the SS highschool class and leading the Youth Group, I remember a brother and sister. The girl was beautiful with long dark hair, dark eyes with thick lashes and nicely shaped eye brows. Her brother was fairly quiet compared to her and he was not filled with as much anger as she was. However both of them expressed their dislike of their mother and father. The sister didn’t care who heard her verbal tirades about how awful the parents were and how much she hated them. I tried to talk with her but she couldn’t listen because her hatred filled her whole being. One evening she was killed by running into moving traffic. She was killed instantly!

Jim and I were on our way home from church and happened upon the situation and took the youngest of the family to a friend while the parents went to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. We went to be with this devastated Mom and Dad. We found them sitting beside their beautiful daughter stroking her hair, caressing her arm and with tears dried on their cheeks talking lovingly to her as only now they could because she couldn’t yell back at them. During the short time we knew this family, it was difficult for us to see why the teenagers hated their parents so and how devastated the parents were at her death. We attended three different services for this girl not to mention the day long visit at the mortuary. I often thought they did this because they could shower love and attention on her and she couldn’t run away anymore.

We are all familiar with the story of the Israelites and how they would grumble and complain and how God continually supplied all their needs. We remember how they would praise and thank Him and would turn against Him with more grumbling and complaining. God would send disease and trouble amongst them to get their attention and then they would repent and come back to Him. Over and over again God would be patient, but in the long run, they were no longer His chosen people, except to bring Christ into this world. This happens to us today when we complain about what God allows in our lives. It begins to affect us physically and then we begin to spiritually decay. Conversely, when we continue to praise and rejoice in the Lord during troubled times we grow spiritually because we have put our trust in Jesus which develops in us a grateful spirit towards God and others.

When we forget about ourselves we can let ourselves lie in green pastures because the Lord is our Shepherd. Read Psalms 23 and replace the personal pronouns like "my, I, me etc" with your name and re-read it again. It becomes far more personal! This passage is read at most memorial services because it is comforting. However, this is a happy passage! Take this chapter with you daily and see if it doesn’t bring the assurance that you are loved and cared for all the days of your life. Just think; "you can dwell in the house of the Lord forever". This is our safe harbor! It is filled with peace and green pastures! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 5/12/08