Redirected

Have you ever been traveling peacefully down a road only to find that in a moment's notice you must make a detour? The Lord often redirects our steps. When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, the Lord led them through various routes.

"When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." (Ex: 13: 17)

"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are wondering around in the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.' " (Ex: 14: 1-3)

"And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord."

(EX: 14:4)

You see God has reasons for redirecting our steps and taking us down paths that may appear longer, more strenuous, and difficult. Though we cannot understand, nor see His reasoning, there is always a plan and purpose. Rather than rising up in anger or frustration, trust in knowing that God has a greater reason and it must be important.

Story -

One day I hurried to get to the store and back. I entered the interstate and drove but a mile when the vehicles came to a stop. We've all been in those situations when nothing is moving. I didn't have time to wait so contemplated another route. Interestingly, I noticed that I sat right next to an exit. In my need to hurry I took the exit.

It wasn't long until I came upon a young woman exiting a moving vehicle - though not moving very fast. It quickly became clear to me that she was in some kind of trouble. Tears flowed down her cheeks as the man in the vehicle screamed and yelled at her. My vehicle happened to of been traveling right behind theirs. The woman ran to the side of the road and started walking. A few more cars appeared and everyone seemed concerned and curious about the commotion in the middle of the street.

Cars pulled around me while I pulled over to the side by the middle aged woman crying and pacing forward. The mean man in the car she jumped out of  was now waiting for her at the next intersection. I rolled down my window and asked if I could help her. She grieved. She cried. She could hardly speak. I could see and sense fear. She stopped and grabbed the handle to my vehicle. The man jumped out of his car and started yelling at her. She suddenly moved away from my car, still crying, and ran toward his. My heart sank as I watched her.

I then called the police to let them know about the disturbance and then prayed. I prayed so hard for her. I had no idea who she was, what kind of trouble had occurred, or if the man was her husband. I sat on the side of the road with tears now flowing down my cheeks and asked God to protect her and to save her from such a situation. I then understood why I had taken the detour. I understood why my vehicle had stopped right next to the exit and why I had felt the nudge to take the exit. There I was thinking that I would get around the cars but God had other plans for me that day. My detour had meaning.

Today you may find yourself unable to get where you need to be in the time you need to be there. Perhaps you will find yourself stuck in traffic and taking a detour. Look for the signs. Look for God to speak to you through those things. That delay - that detour - that sudden change - just may end up having purpose after all.

Snow

The Lord speaks in so many ways. One way I find the Lord speaks and teaches me is through my children. My oldest son is all grown up now - well almost - he's 16. When he was a little boy, the Lord revealed something to me through a journey moment. We lived in the Ft. Worth area of Texas. After living there several years, no snow had fallen, not one flake. Our winters weren't much of a winter. One particular Christmas the Lord revealed himself in an amazing way to one small child.

Snow:

On this crisp Christmas Eve, my five year old son and I threw on a light jacket and headed into town to rent a video game for him to play. Jaren and his tender quiet spirit rode gently next to me and I adored the time with him. His beautiful blondish hair and blue green eyes could brighten any winter day.

After our quest had been accomplished, we made our way back home enjoying the season of the colorful lights around the homes. Silence was broken when I heard, “Mom, I wish it would snow.”

I wholeheartedly agreed. I too wanted to see snow but reminded him that it doesn’t snow very much in Texas. In fact, it had not snowed where we lived in many years. If we were to get any snow at all, it would be a flurry or two. Now gazing back out our windows at the beautiful scenery I said, “Look at the rain, if it were cold enough it would be snowing right now.” I could see Jaren’s little mind working.

With such conviction he piped, “We could pray for snow!”

“Yes,” I said and before I knew it his plan was set in motion.

“Mom, you pray for it to be cold enough and I’ll pray for it to snow.”

I said okay and continued driving. He gave me a look and I asked, “Right now?”

“Yes! Right now!” he said bouncing around in his seat.


I asked if it would be okay to pray with our eyes open this time and he agreed that it would be fine. I prayed first. I asked God to please bring the cold. When I finished I heard, out of the mouth of a five-year-old, the most precious prayer. It was a prayer of faith and kindness. It was a simple prayer of a child wanting so desperately to see the beauty of the snow for the very first time.

As we finished, I began to try to explain to Jaren that sometimes God answers our prayers right away and sometimes he does not. I really did not want him to be disappointed if it didn’t snow that night. He just looked at me and smiled.

The next morning I was awakened by my youngest son Zach.

“Mom! It’s snowing!”

I immediately jumped out of bed, rushed to the window, and peered through the cold haze. To my surprise, it was snowing! I gazed upon the biggest snowflakes I had ever seen in Texas. I could not believe my eyes! It really was snowing! On Christmas Day!

My father, who was with us that Christmas, went into Jaren’s room to wake him, knowing he would be excited to see the snow. No one in the house knew that we had prayed for snow the day before. Neither Jaren nor I had watched the news that prior evening.

My father patted his back, “Jaren, wake up. It’s snowing outside!”

Jaren sat up in the bed. He looked at his grandfather, and without running to the window, he smiled and simply said, “I know.”

The Tear Drop

Have you ever been in the midst of an emotional mess and at that precise moment God did something extraordinary? We all have those moments where our emotions get the better of us.

While on their journey through the desert, the Israelites faced many emotional moments. Most of those moments were directed toward Moses, whom many of them thought must have been losing his mind. The Israelites rose up against Moses time and again. My heart ached for Moses. I can't even imagine how he must have felt, after all he was only trying to follow God and the task at hand was something he really did not want to do.

What happens to us during those emotional times? Can God indeed speak to us when we are falling apart? Can the Lord reach out and whisper, touch us, and embrace us? Of course he can and does. Sometimes it is not in the way we expect.

The Tear Drop

I had never been to Breckenridge Colorado, but had opportunity to go on this particular weekend. This little cottage town nestled deep within the mountains and blanketed in white absolutely took my breath away. Skiers and snowboarders, wrapped in their warm ski suits, lined the sidewalks. The Christmas lights gave off a festive appearance and warm glow. The buildings were draped in color and beautiful carvings seeped through the soft snow that embraced them. It was a lovely place.

I stayed at a quaint bed and breakfast just off the main street. The manager said, “You must go and see the ice sculptures.” I did and was again in awe at the grand statues. They were glorious! What artistry and gifted craftsmanship.

The next day I spent all day at the wonderful Agape Outpost Chapel. I had a wonderful time at the conference and then it was time to make my way home. It snowed all day causing a lovely white to swathe the trees and the homes. At one point the snow started to fall harder and I became worried about getting down the mountain. I wanted to make it down before dark but I was too late.

 I could hardly see the road  due to the snow. The roads were icy and dangerous. I made it through the tunnel and then the road started to descend. I turned the radio on and listened to worship music. I too worshiped in the car as I was making my way down the mountain. It was a glorious sight – grand and filled with God’s greatness – a scene that is truly difficult to explain.

I looked out over the magnificent mountains with the snow falling and a part of me feared the height and blizzard like condition while another part of me wanted to stop the car and bow down to the Creator and Most High King. In the midst of my passion to bow down to the Father and my fear of driving in the snow, a song came on the radio. Natalie Grant’s “Better Hands Now” song moved me to tears; not just the song, but the presence of the Lord and the awe of His beauty. I began to weep – and weep – and for a time I had difficulty seeing.

I called my husband and pulled myself together. I needed to get out of the snow but the presence of the Lord was amazing. The road coiled until eventually the snow stopped and civilization surfaced. All was well and all was dry. After traveling a ways father, peace filled the car and I knew I would soon reach home. But then something unusual happened, the very song I heard while on the mountains came on the radio once more. Once again I was moved with emotion. 

 “What is wrong with me Lord?” The words growled from my soul. I was a blubbering mess! The Lord was truly speaking to me through that song and His presence was evident.
Suddenly while trying to wipe away my tears so that I could see the road. I heard a sound. It was a thump on the windshield. One large drop of rain fell from the sky and landed on the windshield right in front of me. It wasn’t ice, it wasn’t snow, and it wasn’t water from my car. Startled, I looked closer to see the tear trickle down the windshield as if a tear trickling down someone’s cheek. I felt, at that very moment, that it might be a teardrop from God! He too was crying! I started laughing and crying all at the same time! I’m sure the people passing me thought I was some kind of crazy woman.

At that very moment God reminded me that when our hearts are stirred, God’s heart is stirred too. God reminded me that when we are moved with emotion – He is too! And so often we are moved because of the Lord’s presence. It all goes together!
When we experience the Lord’s presence it is an amazing moment. Those moments happen at different times in our lives and we must take hold of them and hang on to them. Let us never forget that God’s love is truly unique. His expression is amazing and he does speak to us in the most unusual ways.

The Band-Aid

Our journeys are filled with emotion, wounded spirits, and troubled times. One Sunday morning the Lord spoke to me in an unusual way. It was a wonderful reminder that once through those difficult times, we are left with something we can give back to others.

Story:

Sunday morning during church, one of our gifted young mothers was presenting the children’s sermon. She always had great illustrations and I was looking forward to hearing her message to the children. She brought with her a clear plastic bag of cantaloupe and an avocado to use during her illustration. As she was cutting open the avocado, the knife slipped and cut her finger. It was not a very bad cut but she did need something on it. As she continued through the children’s sermon, I remembered the band-aid that had been in my purse for a while and hurriedly searched for it. I passed it to my husband to give to her as she passed by him. With a grateful smile, she took the band-aid, said thank you, and went on her way.

I know I should have been listening more to the sermon that morning but God placed something else on my heart. As I thought about the band-aid, it occurred to me that I had had the band-aid in my purse for about a year. It was still in its wrapper and in good shape. I wanted to be ready in case something happened to one of my two boys. Instead, God had other plans for that band-aid. To tell you the truth, I had forgotten about it until that moment. What I realized that morning was that we all have something stored up that we can give. Whether it is from a passage conquered, a scripture memorized, a storm weathered, overcoming the loss of a loved one, or strength from facing the darkest times - we all have something we can give.

Like that band-aid there will be a time when God will say now - now is the time to sing the song, recite the poem, share the scripture, and help someone walk through the storm. Now is the time to share the passage that touched your heart. Now is the time to embrace the darkness with another and uphold the weak. Now is the time to share a lesson learned, a trial overcome, a desperate attempt to get it right, and a deliverance that only God can bring.

I know that a day will come when God will encourage you to take something stored up from your passed experiences and pull it from its stored place like that band-aid and say, “Here, maybe this will help.” Like the band-aid, it will be taken, whether with a smile or not, and placed upon the wound. It will be a soothing balm for the hurt. It will help stop the bleeding and it will help heal the wound. What you give will matter and it will be a reminder that your suffering was not in vein.

An Unexpected Journey Moment

The silver elevator doors opened to the fourth floor and I stepped out on to the white tile. A part of me wanted to take a long pause, but adrenaline carried me forward. I turned to make my way down the wide hall when I am met with one of the hospice nurses. I continued to allow my feet to swiftly move me forward as the nurse strides beside me. “She has been comatose for a week,” came the words. “She has no family and it could be any time now.” I rushed past the plush painted hallway, took note of the long corridor, and made my way around the corner all the while listening to the medical terms flowing from the skilled woman beside me. Bits and pieces of words crowded my mind. “Am I ready for this one?” I thought to myself.

Carrying my large heavy black vinyl case in one hand and my satchel in the other, I found the hallway coming to an end. I stared at the blank wall facing me before I turned into the unknown. The room carried a dim glow colored in a cozy blanket of warmth. It was saturated with comfort. The soft plush love seat sat by the door inviting the weary to seek refuge. The furniture brought a touch of home into the room.

There she lay, flat on her back, in the single bed that has become her stronghold. Lashes adorn her face, as her pale frail body lay limp. The cream colored bedding was creased and tucked securely under her arms resting ever so gently beside her.

I sat my large keyboard down and turned to look more closely at the room. “What can I place the keyboard on?” I said to myself. Beside her bed stood a tall sturdy brown tray. I gently removed her plastic pink pitcher of water and placed it on the nightstand next to the soft glow of the lamp.

I placed my hand upon her arm and gently stroked it calling her name. A faint whisper of a breath flowed from her discolored lips. She is breathing, yet there is still no movement. Silence takes over and for a moment I stand and stare at her wondering what she was once like; wondering what kind of things she enjoyed in life.

“Where is her family?,” I uttered beneath my breath as the sound of the zipper on my case filled the room. I bent to place the keyboard on the tray when my head turned toward the window. Through the tinted glass frame a burn of orange and red held onto the sky surrounding every inch of it with it’s soft tender beauty. There in the middle of the painted picture stood a shadow; a perfect silhouette of a church. Its tall regal steeple flowed through the window filling the room with majesty. The room filled with affection. “What a beautiful picture for someone about to take her last breath. If only she could see it.”

My mouth opened and poured forth a melody familiar to most ears. “Amazing Grace” I sang. I sang as a precious sweet spirit made itself known. I sang as the glow of warmth flowed through upon us. I sang with passion to the woman before me as my hands touched her shoulder and my eyes gazed upon the silhouette of the church. Harmonies vibrated across the room as if angels themselves were singing and I was amazed at what I heard knowing that it could not be coming from me. And then I stopped.


She moved. I paused as if I were a statue soaking in every detail of what was happening before me. She opened her hazy eyes and my lips curved ever so slightly. I called her name. She gathered every ounce of energy within her to bring forth a crooked smile as well.

“Would you like to hear more music?” I placed her hand in mine.

All was silent once again but the small breath flowing from her lungs. I watched and waited patiently and then it happened. The gentle squeeze of her hand in mine became the message.

And so I sang.

“Amazing Grace how sweet the sound . . .”

Spills

My youngest son stood at the refrigerator with his wild blueberry Trix yogurt. He had already opened it and readied himself to have it for breakfast. Suddenly my oldest son came running past him knocking the yogurt out of his brother’s hand. I heard screams of “ugh!” I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The yogurt left my son’s hand with such force that it flew across the dining room floor just as a stone skips across the lake. It started at one end of the room and ended half way across the other side leaving blue streaks along the cream colored carpet. That would be spill number one -

That very night I decided to make home made pizzas for dinner. Knowing that everyone had an activity to get to, I hurriedly grabbed the jar of sauce and twisted with all my strength. While doing so, the lid slipped out of my hand causing the pizza sauce to skyrocket through the air leaving red streaks all over my entire kitchen! I honestly have no idea how that happened.

Time stopped after those brief seconds as I stood in the middle of a volcanic eruption. It landed on the appliances, the bread, the microwave, the floor, the counter and anything else sitting close by. I couldn’t believe my eyes! It looked as if someone placed the sauce in a blender and left the lid off. Spill number two.

Its strange how God uses things to speak to us. Who would have thought that he could have used the spills that day to speak to me, but he did. The next morning I sat at the small table staring at that blue streak on the carpet, trying to figure out how I was going to get it out. The kids were off to school and my husband off to work. In the silence of the moment, I felt God speak to me. I heard Him say so gently, “Tina, there will be spills in your life.” I somehow seemed to understand what He meant by that. He was speaking of not only the domestic spills but the spiritual, social, relationship, and physical spills we all have in our lives. I understood that sometimes the spills would be from an accident like my two boys and the yogurt, and sometimes by choice, either way we face spills that need cleaning. Some spills will wipe away easily like the sauce on the cabinets while others will become deeply embedded leaving a very obvious stain.

I continued to gaze at the carpet and ask myself, “What can wash away that stain?” At that very moment, a sweet sound entered my mind and I began to sing, “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” My lips creased creating a smile not only on my face but in my heart. That was the answer to all of our spills in life – stained or not.

Every day is a new day and each day brings something - whether frustration, exhaustion, or excitement, there is something to grab hold of. Yesterday was a day of the unexpected for me as well as the expected. While on my way to a church as the guest worship leader, I did the expected - got lost. Though a good sized church it literally is out in the middle of nowhere. People are amazed that this church out in a dry field miles away from any town could be growing so much.

My husband decided to show me a short cut down the back roads. Well of course I took a wrong turn and everything ended in disaster - well almost. Besides the time change, I also had an hour drive to get there and was now on a time crunch - praying the whole time that no policemen were out on this Sunday morning. (sorry Lord for speeding)

While I had an idea I might be on the right road, I could not see any of the road signs due to the blazing sunrise. My sunshades had no effect on the intense glare. I was now driving right into the bright light and could hardly stay on the road. I drove a long while still unsure if I was going the right way or not. Now frustrated and losing my mood for worship, I cried out to God with, "I need some help Lord! I really need help!." Still speaking to God I said, "I have no idea where I am. I can't see a thing! How will I ever find this church! Help me, please Lord."

Suddenly at that very moment a patch of fog moved swiftly in front of the glaring sunlight covering it and allowing me to finally see the road and roadsigns. I looked up at it and smiled - giving God a huge thank you from my heart and then I noticed something else. At the end of the patch of fog covering the sun - and only in that spot - was the tip of a rainbow. There at the bottom of the patch was a section of a rainbow! "Where did that come from?" I thought. I had to giggle. At that very moment I really felt the Lord saying, "Tina, the church is here - at the end of this rainbow."

So I followed the rainbow. I followed in that direction. With the help of my map that I could now see and the placement of the rainbow I traveled right to the church without any further problems. Thank you Lord!

Sometimes we face frustration and anxiety while on our journey. It is absolutely okay to cry out to God during those times of need. Remember that Moses faced so many oppositions and frustration while on his journey - but each time he always went to God, sought direction, and then paused for God to speak. Look for the signs - God does speak and he does care about guiding his children toward the rainbows.

God - In the Midst of Our Needs

We are definitely a needy society. We need our televisions, cell phones, computers, and ipods. We need our dishwashers, washers, dryers, and microwaves. What would our kids ever do without their game systems, shopping malls, designer clothes, and eating out?


We have become so needy and spoiled that it would cause great devastation if this country ever had to live without restaurants, valet parking, and dry cleaning. I confessed to my son the other day that I am truly thankful for having a washer and dryer. When I was a little girl, I remember my sister and I having to put on our shorts, climb into the bathtub with it full of clothes, and stomp on them as if we were stomping on grapes. You see, we were the washing machine.
I feel blessed and am very thankful to the Lord for His provisions.

We not only have physical needs, but we also have emotional needs for the Lord to take care of.
How can God speak to us in the midst of our needs?

After the Israelites crossed the red sea they practically ran at full speed from the Egyptians. The Bible says that they traveled for three days without finding water. When they finally found water it was bitter - they had a need. They needed water, they needed rest, they needed God.

If God was leading then why would He lead them to water that was bitter? God was teaching - and was doing so through their need. This was one of the many lessons that would come from the Lord.

You can read more about their journey in Exodus chapter 15

A Need for Confirmation

In my younger days, I had the incredible opportunity to perform in an outdoor musical drama called “Texas.” It’s a wonderful drama still existing today and sells out just about every summer. I performed in the drama for two years and loved every minute of it. I had no idea that one day God would use that experience to speak to me and to confirm some decisions in my life.
My husband was called to pastor another church after graduating from seminary. This meant that we would be moving from our home state to another state. The church called us and we were in the process of moving. On the way to our new state, we stopped in Canyon to see the show one last time. As with any big move, we wondered if we were truly doing the right thing.
At the very end of the show, a train rolls up and stops to let people off. I was very familiar with the train, as I often stood right beside it during that particular scene in the show. I remembered everything about the show except what was written on the train. My husband and I watched as the train entered the stage. There, on the side of the train were the words, “Ft. Worth To Denver.” Why had we not noticed that before?
That was our confirmation. That was what we needed. We were moving from a small town fifty miles east of Ft. Worth to a small town fifty miles north of Denver. I had a need that day – a need for one last piece of confirmation. God took care of that need for me. We were able to get up the next morning and make our way to the place God wanted us to be.

Look for God to speak to you through and during a need that you have. The lessons will come, you can hear from God and have a successful journey. After the Lord's lesson to the Israelites the Lord led them to a place of rest - Elim. Elim had twelve springs and seventy palm trees! God really does care about our needs.

I've Been Sick

Hello All -

I am so sorry I have not blogged in almost a week but I had the flu along with two other members in my family. As you can imagine I have been busy taking care of them and myself! I hope to get back into blogging this next week.

I hope your journey has been going well and you are finding God in the details of it all. When the Israelites first left Egypt they had no idea how to follow God, find God, or see God. We learn from Exodus that God created those moments where He tried to teach, guide, and reveal Himself to the Israelites. The Israelites had great difficulty in understanding that God was the only true and one God; that the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob could be the only God they would ever need. The Israelites were raised, generation after generation, in Egypt and understood that the Egyptian culture was to follow and worship many gods. The Egyptians created a god for almost everything. Part of God having the Israelites wonder around so aimlessly in the desert was to teach them that God is the only true God.

Sometimes our lessons do not come easily - as exampled by the Israelite's journey - however - the lessons do come, God is teaching, God is trying to lead us, and we can find Him in the details of our journey.

Praying for a successful journey!

Remember To:

• Focus on Him daily


• Get to know Him - you cannot follow someone you do not know- read the Word


• Look for the signs - He can speak to us through resources


• Take notice of the people you come into contact with - God can speak to you through them


• Watch out for those unusual events and moments - what is going on?