I
wonder if I’m unusual in that I tend to look up and see the time on the digital
clock right when it’s 12:17 (my birthday).
This happens frequently; also, expiration dates on milk cartons seem to
reflect important dates and the birthdays of others all too often. The other day I was handed change for a $20
at the Dollar Store and the clerk said, “$14.14, that’s a good number!” I told her, “Yes it is!” because it
immediately brought to mind Exodus 14:14.
So now, in addition to numbers that I espy representing significant
dates, they now also bring to mind Bible verses J
In
this chapter of Exodus, the Israelites,
that group of whining, complaining, and fickle ex-slaves of the Egyptians, are
following their leader Moses through the desert; bickering and nagging at him
the entire way. They soon realize that they
are being pursued by their former captives, and, as my Father would say, they “Homered”.
I
must digress and explain this family terminology. Homer was my Father and step-mom’s big black
cat with a serious overbite and an even more serious lack of (the usual)
cat-savvy. He was routinely beat-up by
his older brother, Cletus, who, while not a mean cat, was a hunter. More than likely, Cletus was simply using
Homer as a form of convenient target practice. In any case, Homer became so
paranoid that Cletus might “attack” at any moment that any small noise or
movement would stop him dead in his tracks; whatever he was doing or wherever he
was going. He might be aimlessly
meandering across the family room floor on his way to a patch of sunlight when
he’d hear “something” (Cletus or not) and he’d immediately freeze, flatten
himself to the floor, eyes wild and staring in fear, unable to move; unable to
do anything but stay put and look foolishly ridiculous. Then, out of the blue, he’d totally make the
wrong move and bolt right into a wall.
After
observing Homer’s behavior, whenever we’d encounter a situation where a person appeared
to become immobilized, unable to make a decision or to move forward and/or to
make a completely nonsensical move with seemingly no thought behind it (another
term for this being “Like a deer in the headlights”), we’d say, “Oh! They Homered!”
So,
the Israelites were homering; freaking out and about ready to run amok in the
wrong direction: back into slavery and captivity; probably even to death. I
think of Moses standing there trying to calm them when he says, “The Lord will fight for you, and you have
only to keep still!” Don’t wig
out! Don’t make any rash decisions! Have faith!
Don’t worry!
I
know this verse resonated with me because, in the face of adversity, trouble,
difficulties, fears, struggles; I tended to immediately do two things: 1.
Freak out or worry (or some other unfortunate emotion) and 2. “OCD” the situation; take charge, write a
ca-zillion to do lists, and try to get everyone else to do what I think is best.
“Keep still!” How often are there references to being still
in scripture? Just sitting here this
very second, two more popped into my head; Psalm 37:7 and Psalm 46:10 (you can
look them up J )Yet, this does not mean the
brainless frozen immobility of a person “Homering”; but a trustful, watchful,
waiting expectance that God is there in the moment with us, fighting for us in
ways that we may never fully understand, but we can be confident that He is. Sometimes,
that very stillness brings discernment; a thought, an idea a nudge, settles in
our mind saying, “This is the way, walk in it!”
Isaiah 30:21(b).
Although
I find peace and comfort knowing that I don’t have to freak out and take
immediate control and responsibility for a situation; that God is there, acting
as my undercover redeemer, I also know my next step (and, of course, there
does eventually have to be a next step) can be taken confidently, with God’s
guidance and instruction.
Back
to the Israelites. Soon after Moses got
their attention, guess what? God stepped
in and took control. With Moses as the
means, He prepared a way for the Israelites to move safely forward, saying to
them through Moses, “Ok, now it’s time to MOVE!”
And
they did. And so should we, but only
after we’ve kept still long enough to listen to the directions.
Mrs. B
