If I Perish, I Perish…

I started out to write a blog post about “The Slap Heard ‘Round the World…”, but God had other plans today. Don’t worry, I’ll still be sharing all my feels about The Slap another time!

I had the first few paragraphs written on my blog this morning, but I couldn’t go any further. I felt stuck. I felt a nudge to pray, but I ignored it and tried to reason with God, “Yes, I know Lord, I should have spent time in the word and with you this morning, but I felt like you already put this message on my heart a few days ago and I know if I don’t get it done, well… it’s not gonna write itself and this is not gonna be the hot topic for much longer.”

I sat for a while longer and stared at my screen.

My son’s face lit up across my phone and I happily answered. Maybe a break from writing will help?

My kids are movers and shakers, so when we talk, the earth sometimes shifts just a little. It did just that today. I got off the phone motivated and ready to write. I unlocked my laptop, placed my cursor right where I left off, and my computer froze.

I recited the lyrics to the popular 80’s song in my head as I waited for my computer to show signs of life, “Ain’t nothin’ gonna break my stride. Nobody gonna slow me down…”

“It has been a morning, but I’ve got this.” or do I?

I jiggled my mouse. An error popped up on my screen. My blog was gone. No refresh. No undo. No explanation. Just gone.

“UGH!!!”

I stopped, took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and did what I should have started with this morning - prayed.

If you’ve been around me long enough, you know that I do this thing sometimes with my bible. I pray over it and ask God to send me to what He needs me to read. More times than not, He has spoken to me this way. It’s kind of like my “Christian Tarot Reading”! (It works y’all! Don’t knock it till you try it!)

I opened my eyes and came right to the introduction of Esther. What?!?

Esther outlines how God’s promises are fulfilled and His people are protected. It’s also one of the only books in the bible where God is not mentioned, but the Holy Spirit is so very present. Ironic? I think not!

Here lately, I have felt this strong sense to just “press play”, “But, God, you know my messy story and you know about my haters.”

And He sends me right to what He wants me to know - that He’s got me! That no matter what happens, He will make sure I come out on top. That the wicked perish - not the good.

I don’t know what God has in store for me (or you), but here’s what I do know…

He will not let you fall! It might feel like it at times. Hell, it might even feel like you’ve fallen all the way to the bottom and broke every bone in your body, but He promises that joy comes in the morning and sorrow is just a season. And one day, you’ll look back on that season and realize that the only way you could have gotten through it was with Him.

So, when He whispers in your ear to open His word before you write that blog or speak to that person, you do it! When He nudges you to help the woman across the street or give your last dollar to the man on the corner, you listen, because the rewards far outweigh the risks in the long run.

Blessings on Blessings,