Flyin' Elbows

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.  Psalm 18:3

The first few weeks of a new school year are always an adjustment for everyone!  Sometimes I feel a little sorry for the first graders because they have so much to get used to and remember those first days. The first all school mass is always memorable.  The second grade teacher whose class sits behind mine at mass always has his eyes open ready to catch a stunt or two that makes him giggle.  I’ve had dancers, acrobats and sleepers over the years, but nothing tops the boys with the flyin’ elbows!

When I assign the kids to their church seating order, I always remind them to  "leave room between ya for Jesus.  That is of course code for…if you’re not right beside each other, it’s harder to chat and touch!  On one particular Friday, Jesus had obviously achieved enormous success on Weight Watchers because the two boys in the front pew had to leave practically NO room for Him at all!  As they sat there quite close, one “accidentally” had his elbow land in the other little boy’s rib cage.  So, the favor was promptly returned playfully…a few elbows later, they burst into an uncontrollable case of the giggles.  I slipped out of my seat and made my way toward the ruckus. As the little boy on the right heard my footsteps approaching; he slid into his proper spot and sat silently with his arms tightly crossed in an attempt to control his elbow.  I took a seat between these two handsome giggling boys and it soon became very clear to me that the little boy on my left had NO idea I had taken the spot beside him.  My suspicion was confirmed when he threw the next elbow and it landed in MY rib cage…his loud gasp indicated that he indeed realized his elbow had  landed in squishy new territory.  It took ALL I had not to burst into giggles myself! I’m sure this little guy felt like his elbow had landed smack dab into a wall (a padded wall perhaps)! The shock of it was obvious in his gasp, his posture and his tightly closed eyes and bowed head. 

I know that feeling!  I’ve never gotten it from banging into a teachers rib cage, but I have had the feeling. 
How about you? Have you ever been crusin’ through life, thinking everything is goin’ fine and then THUD…right into a wall or a dead end?  I HATE it when that happens!  If you’re anything like me, it usually happens just about the time I think I have everything all figured out and I try to do some of God’s work for Him.  That wall is usually a signal that I’ve strayed which is because I haven’t prayed with a sincere, still heart!  Being the strong, independent CHRISTIAN WOMAN I am…I usually charge right at that wall again…same result…and  usually accompanied by a LARGE dent in my humility, several scratches to my pride and of course a bruised spirit!

Why would I charge into walls when I have been reminded a dozen times a week that my ONLY strength comes from God?  The sin of pride I guess…but  this simple verse from Psalm 18 holds such an important truth…God is my fortress…God is my deliverer…God is my rock!  I don’t have to whack into walls and try to plow through situations that are not mine to experience. 

When I came upon this verse, my mind pictured God as a mighty warrior with armor and a shield as bright as the blazing sun and He was poised to crash through a mighty wall just for me.  I was in the image too…I was about as big as a mouse standing behind Him no taller than the heel of His boot. He was willing to take down that wall for me no matter how meek and tiny I was… just because He could!  How many times do we get a quiet invitation from God to do something but we don’t answer the call because we think the task is too big?  Not for God!  He is after all a fortress…He can help us plow through anything if He’s invited us to!  The challenge I guess is for us to keep our elbows to ourselves and listen for God to tell us which walls He’ll be crashing through with us today!
 
A seed to plant: Jot down something you’ve been trying again and again to accomplish without success. Fold up that piece of paper and lay it aside. This week the “wall” on that piece of paper is what you should pray constantly for, asking God to show you how to maneuver that wall!

Blessings on your day!