Representation

Hello everybody!  It is good to be back after a one day hiatus.  Yesterday my wife and I arose early, had a quick breakfast, got ready, jumped in the car, pointed the Mustang east and hit the gas!  Our destination was the capital city of Raleigh and our purpose was to go before a judge in order for me to attain legal guardianship of Piper.  I find it a bit interesting that after almost forty years of marriage that I would have to file for the legal right to do what I have already been doing for the last few years, but since it is for her ultimate protection, it must be the right thing to do!

Do you know that sense inside of you that just feels right about where you are, or the course of action that you have been taking?  Well, that is exactly what I discerned as we motored along interstate 40 toward Raleigh.  I was telling my wife that it is as if we have always been here!  Driving into the busy metropolis and then through the crowded downtown area was enjoyable and easy as pie.  We found a convenient place to park on the street a few blocks down from the courthouse where we needed to go in one direction and in the other, within one block of the State Capital building that was completed in 1840.

God even provided a former health care worker standing near the curb to help me maneuver Piper from the car to her chair as I had parked a little too far from the curb for her to make an easy transition.  Papa God thinks of everything doesn’t He!  Once we meandered down the street lined with oak trees, benches and decorative stone pathways and restaurants with their fronts opened out to the sidewalks (I later read that this street had recently been reopened to auto traffic after a period of time as a park-like pedestrian though fare through the downtown area), we made our way up to the 12^th floor of the courthouse and met our attorneys.

After that everything moved quickly.  We went into a conference room and waited about two minutes for the judge to come in.  Introductions were made and he briefly explained the proceedings and then turned it over to our attorney who explained what and why were filing for.  I have to admit that it was a little surreal for me to hear Tovah our attorney and then Kimberly the attorney representing the state who had performed the background investigation and interviews of Piper and I and our four children, talk all about us! 

What was really special to me was when Piper, right in the midst of the proceedings, suddenly reached out her hand and took mine in hers.  That had to be a God thing!  I know that everyone in the room saw it, and whether or not it had any effect on them, it certainly did on me and made me feel quite special and just reaffirmed my life-long love and commitment to her!

As we sat there during the proceedings, I had the picture of the Holy Spirit interceding for us to Papa God in the throne room of heaven!  And even though everything was very positive, I kept finding myself wanting to interject things and then remember thinking that these folks were there for me, representing me and I needed to be quiet and trust them, their experience, their education and their familiarity with the process! 

In many respects it would be like us praying about something, turning it over to God and then wanting to continuously interject things that we think would help our cause!  In John 14:16 Jesus told us that He would “ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby) that He may remain with you forever.” (Amplified Bible)

Just like Piper and I had two lawyers and a law clerk present with us in that room yesterday to plead our case before the judge, you and I have the Holy Spirit to plead our case before Papa God 24 hours a day!  The word that most versions translate as “Comforter” is the Greek word “paraclete” meaning “one who pleads another’s cause before a judge.” (Thayer’s Greek Definitions)  Each of us has a personal attorney at our sides to stand in for us and legally present our defense and requests to God!

So why, I ask you today, do we continuously want to “help” Him and by doing so, most likely muck up the process by throwing in our own two cents?  If anything… I think that action would tend to cast doubt on our trust in the Holy Spirit to perform the job He is called to do in the church age within the life of the believer!

After I went around the room yesterday shaking hands and thanking the judge, the assistant county clerk and all the attorneys, we walked out the door feeling quite content and thankful that we had those folks on our side.   When we got back to our shiny silver steed and drove home, I was even more thankful that we have THE Advocate on our side 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 364 days a year!  How about you?  I guess the question centers around if we acknowledge His presence 24/7 and then trust Him to fully represent us in the throne room of Papa God?

Have a great day.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What or Whom am I expecting and trusting to represent me today?”