Swingin’ With the Lord

I’ve been reading through old journals lately and even though this isn’t a Christmassy article (I’ll start a series soon), I want to share what I found this morning. I wrote this on August 7, 1985. God spoke to me all over again. I hope it speaks to you too.

“This morning on my walk I saw a woman pushing two little girls on the swings. I laughed and said, ‘It looks like you’re keeping busy.’

She said, ‘Yeah, it’s quite a project to keep them both going at the same time. You can be sure they let me know if they think I’m falling behind.’

It reminded me how much we’re like little children sometimes. At times I begin to look at God as my source of happiness, instead of my source of joy, salvation, and peace in all the storms of life. If He should fail to keep me happy and satisfied, no matter what the circumstances, I mistakenly think He is falling behind in His duty.

I need to realize during these times that He is not failing me in any way. My swing may not be going as high or as fast as I would like it to. At times He will call me to accompany His strength with mine, and pump for the sky. And when He lets my swing go still, it’s not because God has left me alone – He is still behind me. I can turn to look, and there He is. But my attempts to move the swing on my own will be in vain. So I wait.

I wait on the Lord to move me when He chooses; when the time is right. Will I do it patiently? Trustfully? He knows I need times of stillness to remember that only in Him lies my power to fly. Then, suddenly I will feel the thrill of His power pushing me forward once again, higher and higher.”

Today, whether you’re swinging high or sitting still, I pray you will be aware of God’s holy presence behind you. I pray for peace and gratitude in your heart either way. I pray the same for mine.