Fruit Loops and Faith

I wrote this several months ago...it was published in the may 2008 issue of the White Wing Messenger. Thought I'd share it with you too... enjoy.
Peggy



Hurry Mom – hurry! As I grab the milk out of the refrigerator and begin to pour some on Sam’s cereal, I take a deep breath. I know what is coming. One of those moments that happens everyday, silly enough, one of those moments that I am sure I’ll miss when Sam is big enough to pour his own milk. I take the milk and pour just enough to keep me comfortable. Enough, but not too much. Enough milk that if he spills it, there wouldn’t be too much of a mess. And then it comes; the test. Sam takes his little hand and presses down the cereal with his palm – I almost laugh out loud. The cereal is not covered in the small amount of milk I have poured and Sam says, “MOM!” So, without any other words, I know exactly what he wants – more milk. So, I answer by pouring more. I have now poured a 5 year old a bowl of cereal with enough milk for two servings. Believe it or not, Sam is happy. Of course, all I get is “Thanks Mom!” I smile and reply with “No problem Sam, try not to spill it.”

As I am putting the milk back into the fridge, the Lord begins to speak to me: “Peggy, have you been pressed down this week? Has it seemed like the enemy pressed his palm on you and called for more? Has he poured more on you than you expected? Has he left you swimming in enough for two or three people to bear?” You won’t believe what I heard next. “Call for more Peggy. I have allowed you to be pressed down. You have been so consumed with what was doing the pressing that you didn’t realize what you were being pressed down into. Open your eyes look and see that you are surrounded by my river. Hurry, call on me for more. The enemy believed that if he held you down long enough, you would panic, if he pressed you down, you’d give up…but, I am calling you to a deeper place. Allow me to pour so much of My Spirit on you that you loose control and don’t have to worry any more. Release yourself into My care. Let My strength, salvation, and healing flow all around you. Come on, ankle deep – not good enough. Knee deep – not good enough. Waist deep – not good enough. Don’t stop until you are so deep that you are totally consumed. My river that flows from my throne is good enough.”

I realize now that what I have needed all along was what I have been struggling against.

Allow God to plunge you into His River! Do you have sin in your life? Plunge yourself into the cleansing flow. Sickness in your life? Step out deeper. Stress, pain, broken hearts? Keep calling for more of the river until you are swept away! You cannot be swept away until you give in. You cannot be totally submersed until you let all your air out and you willingly go under. Go ahead and let go. Let the flood of our great big God take you where He wants.

Think about this, Isaiah 59 (KJV) is a wonderful picture of just how our God sweeps in and takes care of us. “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” This gives us a picture of the flood being our enemy. The flood being more than we can bear. What if we move that comma and read it like this: “when the enemy shall come in, like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” Wow! What a change of scenery. Now we see the enemy being overtaken by the flood of the Lord’s Spirit! No longer will you see the enemy coming in “like a flood”, but you will see him being overtaken by the “flood of the Spirit.”

After all, who is bigger? Who is the maker of the flood? Let’s quit telling God how big the storm is and tell the storm how big God is! Are you pressed down? Call for more! Pour it out Lord. Surround me with Your River of grace, mercy, hope, and love!

As the familiar song says, “I am pressed but not crushed, persecuted, not abandoned. Struck down but not destroyed! I am blessed beyond the curse and His promise will endure and His joy’s gonna be my strength. Though the sorrow may last for the night, joy comes in the morning!”

Pour it out Lord. Let me be lost in You today.