Saturday, March 8, 2014

A RUG IN DARKNESS



In case some of my other pieces didn’t convince you that God is concerned about every aspect of our lives, this one might do the trick. 

Most who know me know the situation with my pup and his challenges with vision. Recently, we’ve had to concede with some of his issues and try to make the best of a bad situation.  He would come in from the sun outside and walk into the doors, walls, and chairs in his path, rarely letting out a yelp.  I was concerned this would turn into a painful and costly problem in the future for us both.  It seemed that most of his challenges came from trying to navigate thru the kitchen, past the island and fridge.  It is a wide space, but too far to the right or left could lead to a bump to the eyes from the edge of the cabinets or the cabinet doors.

 I remember as clear as day God speaking to me, after painfully watching him struggle to get through the kitchen.  He bumped into cabinet after cabinet, finally reaching the runner in the dining room.  After giving a desperation prayer, the thought came to me to move one of my runners from the hall into the length of my kitchen, making a path from his food dish to the dining room rug.  Immediately I got up and moved it.  For the next several days when I took the dog outside and brought him in, I walked him down the runner from his food dish until he reached his familiar spot on the dining room rug.  To my surprise and because of the independence and adaptability of my pup, on that 2nd week, once we entered the house, the dog would make it to the runner in the kitchen on his own.  His tail would go up in glee and he would walk with such confidence to the dining room, sometimes running.  Every time I see him make it through that challenging area with confidence, my eyes fill with tears and I raise my hand to thank God for the simple solution to a big problem.  Just to know that the God who created the heavens and earth is concerned about me to that level is unbelievable.

While sitting in that same chair, marveling at the rug, my mind went to some of my own challenges.  I starting thinking about the things that had stumped me of hindered me recently.  Many things I face, I don’t have a solution for or know what my next move should be and I heard God say, just like He had a rug for my dogs problem, He’s got a rug to walk me through my dark areas; will I just trust Him.  In the weeks of our annual church fast, I begin to take those things to God in my prayer and mediation time and to no surprise, He gave me a rug or a solution for them.  These were things that were not magical, no burning bushes or smote rocks with water coming out, but things that I hadn’t thought of or places to look that He showed me.  Who wouldn’t love and serve a God like that.

Do you have any dark areas in your life? Are you struggling trying to find your way through? Go to God and ask for your rug in your darkness, I’m confident that He’ll provide it and lead you through.  Tell Him I sent you.