Keepin' My Chin Up

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to teach them that they should always pray and never become discouraged." (Luc 18:1)

Yesterday and today I've been a bit discouraged. Ok, more than a bit. But who's measuring? Kevin and I love to misquote one of the funniest movies of all times, Dumb and Dumber. "We got no food, we got no jobs, our pets heads are falling off...You are one pathetic loser! No offense. None taken..." (actually, we do have food, plenty, and Kevin has a job, thank you Mr. Frank's Tire Factory, and our one pet lives at my mom's and, to my knowledge, still has her head firmly attached). We relieve stress and crack ourselves up saying that phrase, adding a list of other things that 'we don't got.'

In my daily reading of the Word, the very first verse that I read was Luc 18:1. Pray always. Never become discouraged. That hit me between the eyes and right in the heart zone. I decided to work on that today - praying always and not becoming discouraged.

Running errands was my main job du jour. After the first stop, I turned the radio on to K-love, a local Christian broadcasting station. A song was playing, and once the words came clear, they were -

Still wondering why I'm here

Still wrestling with my fear

But oh, He's up to something

And the farther on I go

I've seen enough to know

That I'm, not here for nothing

He's up to something

(Brandon Heath, Wait and See, BEC Recordings)

Pretty excellent lyrics. I thought, man, that sounds just like me.

Next stop, got back into the car and turned the radio on. No kidding, the next song was just for me, too.

How could this be from Your hand

When every little thing that I have dreamed would be

Just slips away like water through my hand...

Like they're all made of sand

I won't let go of You now, because I know You're not shaken

I'm trembling in the darkness of my own fear

All the questions with no answers still grip me while I'm here

And I may never know why I may not understand

But I will lift up my eyes

And trust this is Your plan ...

You're right here beside me and You have never left

You're not shaken,

You're not shaken

(Phil Stacey, You're Not Shaken, Renuion Records)

Hearing the words and the thoughts in those songs reminded me that He's still got a plan for me, even if my world is topsy turvy during this season in my life. Regardless of how the world is spinning, He's not shaken, He's the Solid Rock and the True Foundation of Strength. Nope. Nothing can move Him from my side.

"Now, will God not judge in favour of his own people who cry to him day and night for help? Will he be slow to help them? I tell you, he will judge in their favour and do it quickly. But will the Son of Man find faith on earth when he comes?" (Luc 18:7-8)

Be still. Rest in peace. He's right beside me.