Toddler, Stumbling

The first few times he fell it was painful, to watch.
He would stumble a few feet, then fall flat, sometimes bouncing his chin on the floor.

As the distance between falls began to increase
we became glad we allowed him to continue to try,
even to the point of encouraging his efforts.

Without the knowledge that he could in fact walk
we would not have been able to do it.

Similarly, it is our confidence in what He has said that allows us to rise after falling. It is our knowledge that He heals, that He delivers, that He has saved, that allows us to pray for the victory time after time until results come, acting each time as if it were now. And just like His disciples, we learn and we eventually see results.

Matthew 17:14-21
And when they were come to the multitude, there came tohim a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
{15} Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is a lunatic, and sore vexed: forofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
{16} And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
{17} Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? bring him hither tome.
{18} And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the childwas cured from that very hour.
{19} Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we casthim out
{20} And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I sayunto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say untothis mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; andnothing shall be impossible unto you.
{21} Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Give Thanks

I pulled into the lot, got out and went in to get a small coffee.
There was a gentleman in line paying for a case of beer and
he finished up and went out.
I got my coffee, paid for it and went to my car.

I set the coffee in the beverage holder, looked in my review mirror, shifted to reverse, began to ease out and felt a slight resistance and a squashing.
I again looked in the mirror over the dash and saw nothing.
I looked in the driver’s side mirror and saw the front of a very small car pulled up behind me as if attempting to go by.

The car was empty with the driver’s door open. I noticed the driver ending a conversation with the driver of the vehicle parked next to mine and he moved toward his car. It was the gentleman who had paid for the case of beer just as I entered the store.

I puzzled as the vehicle was not there when I got in my car;

• he would have to have seen me get in and put my car in reverse?
• Who would pull behind a car and get out to have a conversation, leaving his car unattended?
• Did he see a friend on his way out and jump out to say "Hi," not thinking it would be better to return to a parking spot?
• Had his drinking before purchasing the case impacted his judgement? 

–no matter I had backed into him and the damages were now my responsibility!

But there was no damage to my car.

I had backed up at a full 0.005 mph and had traveled less than a foot. But there was damage to his left front bumper; it had been pushed in about 6 inches and this would not be good for my insurance rates! My being a good driver and working to keep the lowest insurance rates possible – out the window!

I said to him, "Let me get my information," and turned to my car to get the registration and insurance card when he said, "Looks like there is no damage to your car."
"But there is to yours."
"Don’t worry about it. No harm, no foul." And he drove off.

I could not understand the unreasonableness of his actions in stopping his car as he did? If he were trying to collect payment for a previous accident he did not follow through on it?  Was he concerned that a responding police officer, if called, would smell alcohol on his breath?  With all of my reasoning out of what had just occurred, I had forgotten to thank God.

Sometimes we don’t need to reason things out. We just need to know that God is here.

 

Romans 8:28 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV) In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Hanging Out at the Pool (John 5:2-9)

Great spot! Sunshine, light breeze, scenery (got it?).
Beverages, snacks, scenery --
all become the point,
the reason to be, there.

Gotta be there! Who’d miss it? The place to be! They’re all there!

Healing? An after thought.
Observation for troubled water? An interference with hanging out, a tampering with the mood.
A request for assistance? A little self reliance please?
---just roll in, you’ll be a better man for it.

Don’t mess with this!
This is our thing!
Nothing against healing, my way!
Now move! You’re blocking the scenery.

 

John 5:2-9 (KJV)
Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
{3} In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
{4} For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
{5} And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
{6} When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
{7} The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
{8} Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
{9} And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.