Spilled Coffee!

Today started off a little shaky and once I stumbled out of bed it proceeded to get… WORSE!

First, I woke up about 2:30AM thinking for sure, that it had to be close to 5:30.  Following that, I woke up every hour until 5:00 when I just laid there in bed with my mind going about 100 miles an hour!  Have you ever experienced that?  I finally got up and walked around a bit, checked on the dog who was laying in his bed watching me with one eye open, probably wondering what his crazy master was doing up at that hour of the morning, and then I plopped back under the sheets.  I thought about reading one of the Christian books sitting on the floor next to the bed, but decided instead to simply pray for a while.

Well, that sort of, kinda worked as I finally slipped into a restless sleep with all kinds of unsettling dreams cavorting around in my head… only to be awakened by the noise of last school bus of the morning that turns around in front of our home around 7:30AM every weekday. (There are three that come two times a day!) 

So, with the annoying backup alarm beeping from the front of the house, I threw back the covers, pulled up my legs and sat there for a few moments.  As I stepped down off the bed I glanced over at Fiver’s bed and noticed that he wasn’t there, but as I figured, was laying on the other side of the bed with his head under the bed fame!  I can only deduce that he didn’t have the best of nights either!

Once up, I went through my morning routine opening up all the curtains and blinds, making the coffee and taking the dog out.  Then I took a shower, which seemed to help center my mixed-up feelings, got ready for the day and headed back into the kitchen looking forward to a strong and hot cup of coffee.  Ah… all’s well right? 

Well, so I thought!  After pouring the coffee and adding in the fixin’s, I grabbed the top of the insulated container and remembered that I hadn’t stirred it, so I reached out for the spoon and in doing so… yep, you got it… knocked the 2-cup container over and spilled hot coffee all over the sink, stove and floor!  Yippee!  To my credit though, it happened so fast that I didn’t even have time to get upset, although I was tempted to… but instead found it in me to laugh as I grabbed every kitchen towel within reach to soak up the mess!

So yeah… that’s how my day started!  How is yours going?  Better, I hope!  Once I fed the dog and took a sip of the little bit of coffee that was left, I felt more relaxed and headed into the dining room to start my morning Bible study.  If anything was going to turn my day around… that was it!  And you know?  It did! 

I am not sure why, but a few afternoons ago, I felt led to take my wife’s small NASB Bible out in the back with me when I let the dog out for a run, sniff… and well, you know what else!  As I walked around the yard, I followed the leading of that “small still voice” inside of me and turned to the 91^st Psalm and read it aloud.  Most of you know by now that Piper was a petite lady with little hands, so the smaller size (3.5X6”) leather bound Bible that we had bought her in the early 1990’s was just right for her.  For me though, it was the perfect size to carry on the run, open in one hand!

So, I have been carrying that Bible and reading Psalm 91 each afternoon when I take Fiver out.  The NASB version is the translation that our whole family memorized that Psalm from and it brought back many memories of Piper teaching the verses to the kids during their homeschooling times and of the many situations in life in which we’ve stood on the powerful protection truths of that scripture.  I was also enamored with heartfelt recollections of the love of my life as I read the many notes she wrote in the margin and around the various verses printed in the book.

Verses 15 and 16 stood out especially strongly to me this week as I read: “When you call to me to me, I will answer you.  I will be with you in trouble.  I will rescue you and honor you.  With a long life I will satisfy you, and let you behold My salvation.”  (NASB – personalized)  I found that as I continued to walk around the yard, that I began to ask the Lord how the “honor you” and “satisfy you” parts could unfold in my life… and if that’s even something I could claim.

Let’s face it folks… my life is totally upside down right now.  It seems like half the time I’m confused and lost and the other half is spent in sorrow, missing the one that WAS my life!  And then what is there to honor?  Why would God want to honor someone for just doing what they were supposed to do (in my taking care of my wife in her time of need) right?

Well, I am far from having any answers to that question as well as any for the “satisfy” part, but I did get an inkling of God’s love and grace as I studied from Psalm 91 verses 14-16 again this morning.  While I read, meditated, prayed and thought on it, I began to get a sense of God’s principles of SEEDTIME and HARVEST from Genesis 8:22 and Galatians 6:7, as well as a tinge of direction from Jesus’ teaching in Luke 6:38 where He discussed “Give and it shall be given to you…” (KJV).

There’s a whole lot of meat in them there scriptures, which I endeavor to dig into with you next time.  So what do you say?  Stay close and come on back next week!  I am excited to see what God has to say to me… and to you about these basic principles within the kingdom of God… wherein you and I reside!

Have a great weekend… I can’t believe that it’s Friday already!  Hope you all get some rest and recreation and a good portion of direction from the Word of God… and as you live your life, say along with me… “I am expecting to reap the benefits that God has outlined for me in His Word!”