Last night I had a discussion with a group of broken men and women about coming to God during a time of crisis the way I have. Just the night before, I had finished watching God’s Not Dead, and it all kind of fit together for me.
The idea of being a faithful and Godly person during a time of crisis just fits - you need somewhere to turn. Anywhere. And God is just always there. He’s comforting and real and peace-bringing. But it’s the times of prosperity and contentment that one has to consciously remind oneself to draw nearer still to Him.
There’s a point in the movie God’s Not Dead where an elderly woman suffering from dementia is visited by her highly successful son. He practically spits at her as he boasts of his accomplishments and how happy he has been without God while she has spent her life serving the Lord and here she sits - not even able to recognize her own son. In a moment of clarity, the woman says to her son, “Sometimes the devil allows people to live a life free of trouble because he doesn't want people turning to God. Their sin is like a jail cell, except it is all nice and comfy and there doesn't seem to be any reason to leave. The door's wide open. Till one day time runs out and the door slams shut and suddenly it's too late to get out.”
I thought about this quotation today as I was struggling with something that had happened later in my day. The weather had been picture perfect all day. My son and I had enjoyed lunch out in our yard. School work was done. We were all happy and content and proud of what had been accomplished (except that I hadn’t done a lick of housework all day). I slept in this morning and didn’t get my devotion/prayer session in, and I kept putting it off because of this, that, and the rest - but I said I’d do it tonight after the kids went to bed. God was on my mind, but definitely not like he could have or should have been.
Then I got set off by a crappy situation, and I immediately started praying.
And it hit me.
Sometimes the devil allows people to live a year, a month, a day, an hour, or even a few minutes free of trouble because he doesn’t want people turning to God. But once you turn and stay turned, he THROWS DOWN. Right now he whispers lies in my ears day and night. He lulls me with his promises of things that I know are wrong.
I. Am. Under. Attack. Every minute of every day of my life.
And what I need is a picc line directly to God so that I can live my life facing him. I’m not there yet, and tonight was a reminder that I have a long way to go. I had a few hours of contentment, and I got comfortable. I didn’t spend my time with my son in the yard with praises on my tongue for bringing us a gorgeous and sunny day. Did I appreciate it? Yes. But I didn’t say Thank You. And I need to start. If I had, I would have felt that much closer to Him when my day got thrown, and maybe it wouldn’t have taken me hours to get back on my feet and say, “I got this.”
BUT I’m a lot further than I was, and I will continue to face Him in times of war and in times of peace. He’s got this. I know He does. So I lay it down at His feet and let it go. And face Him. Every minute of every day of my life.
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