August 2, 2022
Consider This Your Call From a Friend
Kelly Balarie
Today’s Truth
Then Jesus told him, "Get up, pick up your mat, and walk” (John 5:8 NIV).
Friend to Friend
Have you ever thought to yourself, “God, if you love me, send someone – anyone - to care for me right now?”
I’ve thought that before... In fact, I just thought that, this very morning…when my whole world got tossed upside-down in the time frame of about an hour.
It all started at my kitchen table as my two kids ate breakfast. They chowed down on bagels while my daughter explained a difficult friend issue. The more she talked, the more Brillo pad-nervousness balled up in me. I didn’t like where my husband was taking this conversation. I didn’t agree with the solutions my family was coming up with on this topic. So, without any empathy, I offered my angle.
Suffice it to say, my eight year old girl didn’t feel loved by my advice-giving. And, frankly, I knew I was in the wrong. I was being insensitive and uncaring, offering solutions, before compassion.
Soon after breakfast, my kids and husband left the house for the day like a hurricane. There I was, alone with all my feelings to harass me. Everything that should be in place, was not.
I looked at the figurative mess I made of the conversation and the literal mess my family made in the kitchen, and proclaimed, “The whole house needs to be cleaned, now!”
So, like a wild-woman, I attacked the whole house: the floors, the windows, the bathrooms… all the while thinking, “God, send someone – anyone to encourage me! I’m out of control.”
I imagined the doorbell, ringing, ding-dong! There would be a loving-and-caring lady... There she’d be ready to hug, love and care for me. She’d tell me, “Kelly, it’s all going to be okay.” Maybe she'd have flowers or something…
I’d fall into her arms, knowing that God sees me. Then, I would know God cares about me, my views, my situation, and my opinions too.
The doorbell never rang though…
Wiping counters turned to vacuuming stairs…and all the while I wondered, “Where’s God”? I kept waiting …but, all the same – I had to ask myself: While I am waiting for God, could God be waiting on me?
This is not outside of the ways-of-God. Remember the paralytic man on the mat in the Bible? He had been on that mat for 38-years, waiting for someone to help him into the water. That’s a lot of waiting and hoping and looking for change to show up.
But, what did Jesus say to this man?
“Then Jesus told him, ’Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’” (John 5:8 NIV).
After the man did – he was healed. What we learn here is that sometimes, our healing is our moving!
In this case, it wasn’t until after the paralytic man picked up his mat (after the man took action) that he received his healing. He had to move to be healed. He had to get up and walk into a new place. He had to trust Jesus, at His Word and by His Word, with action, to receive new life through The Word.
How often am I waiting, when God’s saying, “Get up and get moving!”?
It’s a valid question.
We may be waiting for God, while God is waiting for us.
This is why prayer and discernment is vital. As I stopped this panicked-frenzy cleaning moment, I had an idea!
There was one person I had neglected calling, for a couple of weeks now. Rather than sitting around like a hopeless victim, waiting for some woman-in-shining-armor to show up at my door, I realized – I could make a move! I picked up my cell-phone and called my dear friend, Joanna. Joanna, so full of wisdom and instruction, spoke words like arrows from God’s quiver. She understood my situation. Her words hugged me and truth hit me.
Joanna said, “Kelly, did you know, you can be right and still be wrong?”
Joanna was right. I may have had the right way for my daughter to go, but by reacting in a fear-response rather than a loving-response, my reaction was all wrong.
I knew God was caring for my heart through Joanna. We prayed together, and I got a fresh perspective.
My moving helped me see how much God cared for me. I didn’t need a knock at the door. I needed to move in tandem with His leading. I am so glad I did.
Let’s Pray
Father, thank You for Your care. Thank You for Jesus who shows Your love for us. We are not left as orphans but we are daughters now. We are so thankful. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
How might God be calling you to get moving? Why have you delayed moving?
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