Home
Page
More Insight
|
|
Insight
(Dragonfly
Ministries
President, Mary Hamrick)
November
2005
"Step by Step"
It is dear, so dear, that
God directs our path only one step at a time! When the Lord
spoke to Abraham in Genesis 12, He said, “Go”, and Abram packed up his
family, his belongings, his herds, and he went. Abram went as the
Lord led, step-by-step, without asking questions of where God was
leading, when they would arrive, or what they would encounter on the
journey. Abraham didn’t even ask why he had to move. He
just did as the Lord said. Abraham was truly a man of great faith
in God, trusting from step to step that God would lead him exactly
where he should go.
It is dear, so dear, that God directs our path only one step at a
time! If I had known this morning when I woke up that in the
middle of the day, God would send me to sit by the side of a mother
who, just days earlier, had lost her 14 year old son in a head-on
collision, I believe my heart would have been too burdened to face the
day. Thank God that He leads us only step by step.
On November 8th, about half a mile from our home on a busy country
road, two cars collided, head-on. A 14-year-old boy, Joey, and
his grandmother, Joan, were instantly killed.
Joey was a best friend with a boy from our church; Joey had accepted
Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior during a youth event at our
church. Joey had a sweet spirit that drew people to him, people
of all ages. Joey’s life and death were purposed to bring light,
healing and love to our community in Northern Baltimore County by
reflecting the love of Christ to everyone he met and by pointing the
way for others to know about the love of God.
But how do you communicate that to parents who have lost one so
precious? How is comfort provided in those words at a time when
the pain is so raw? What words can you speak, what prayer can you
pray that will relieve the pain and bring comfort? As I sat hand in
hand, side by side, with this mother, a woman I had only met a few days
before, I knew that God would provide the words that this hurting
mother needed to hear. I have learned to trust in the
promise found in Isaiah 55:11, which says that when we speak the words
that God gives us to speak, He will use those words to achieve the
purpose that He desires. He says, “So is my word that goes out
from my mouth; it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what
I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Andy and I
walked into the home of this family knowing that God would provide the
words for us to speak, and knowing that we were not to speak any words
unless we were directed to do so by the Lord. He placed the words
in our mind, and then we spoke. Any words spoken other than his
words would not have accomplished what God had sent us there to do …
that purpose was to express His love and comfort to this dear family.
At times we sat in silence. At times, she would share stories
about her son. At times we would talk about how Joey was escorted
by his grandmother into eternity with Christ. We spoke of God’s
comfort found in Psalm 91; we thanked God that He had chosen these
parents to love this boy for 14 years. We remembered the smile
and magnetic personality of this young boy and his grandmother’s love
for him. We prayed.
Had I known this morning when I woke up what the day would bring, I’m
not sure I would have had the strength to go forward. And I would
have missed out on the opportunity to minister to someone that is so
loved by God, and who wantssto much to be her comfort and her
support. Had I known this morning, then perhaps tonight my heart
would not be in constant prayer for a family that had recently lost a
son and mother, and who now need to be covered in the remembrance that
Christ is for all eternity, and that they will one day meet their son
and mother again.
Step by step, God will provide the strength we need to make it from day
to day. When the Lord directs, follow. Don’t question His
guidance, just follow. Don’t ask for the big picture, just obey
the small steps of guidance that He gives. I believe that it is
truly better to follow in blind obedience than to know what lies ahead,
because that would paralyze us from growing in Him; it would paralyze
us because we wouldn’t want to face the tomorrows that lie
ahead. He alone knows the path that is set before us.
He alone will lead the way, step by step. Oh soul, trust Him to
lead the way today, and just follow. Otherwise, your heart might
be too burdened to step through the days of your life. Like
Abraham, be a person of great faith in God, who trusts God without
knowing exactly where He will lead!
Mary
Click
on the mailbox to
send
us a note or your prayer request
|