Category: Devotions

55 minutes: not that I was counting or watching the clock but it was 55 minutes. It wasn’t non stop screaming: he would look at the mirror or see a semi pull into the farm and momentarily pause then suddenly remember, “I was screaming and throwing a fit!” Back at it he would go, red faced, stiffened back and kicking feet. Did I mention it was 55 minutes? His mommy went shopping. She left grandma in charge to feed and put him to sleep. One of us didn’t get the memo. As soon as mommy was out the door he began. If I forgot to mention, he kept in for 55 minutes. Didn’t want the bottle, didn’t want Grammy, didn’t want distractions, didn’t want to snuggle, and definitely didn’t have a sense that Grammy was adequate for the moment. Did I mention how long this went on? We paced. I paced and he screamed. Eventually he slowed to get his breath. He would whimper a bit, the eyes doing all they could to stay open enough to close again , take a big breath and scream. Then his eyes closed and he snuggled down asleep. One more whimper and then he was out! Did I fail to mention when I looked at the clock it had been 55 minutes?
Lord you must see me as that baby at times. You are all I need. You have what will supply my needs and you have me protected and I just throw a fit! A big fit! Some of my fits have lasted probably, well okay for sure they have been longer than 55 minutes! And yet you just hold me gently, whispering, singing, and walking with me, waiting for me to give in to what’s best for me. And as I sleep in your arms and all is quiet in my heart, I can hear you saying to me just as I found myself whispering to my grandson, “you are so beautiful!” But did I mention 55 minutes?

Ridiculous what some would call it. Beautiful and refreshing others would say. Wind! Dries out, rearranges, tears apart, rediscovers, and gives relief from the heat: wind!

“And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, ‘In the future when your descendants ask their parents, “What do these stones mean?” tell them, “Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.” For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. “
Joshua 4:6-7
Every time I pick up an instrument I am reminded of a scar on my wrist. 1982 I rolled a tractor and in the process it cut ny wrist and the tendon there. For 3 months I was in a metal brace to let it heal so I would have movement. It’s reminding me when I crossed Jordan.
The Jordan moments in our life show how God surrounds us. God is intentional about the miracles he performs in our lives but he is also purposeful about giving us reminders. Our humanity is funny about reminders. Some of us around with post it notes everywhere to remind us and other times we put things away to forget. “Don’t remind me” is more of our mantra than “show me again” moments in life.
The rocks I pick up to remember won’t be like yours. They will however remind me of who God is, what God is like and what he has done and is willing to do in my life. Joshua also doesn’t give them an option to talk about the piles of stones. It says in the future when they ask tell them… We “don’t want to talk about it”, those moments that the stones represent which is perhaps why we don’t pick them up to pile them. It’s embarrassing, it’s the past, or it was a poor decision. I would say 40 years of not listening to God and wandering was a poor decision. But God!!! Tell the story beyond the stuff and get to the “but God” reasons for the stones. Tell the stories of the miracles God has done. Pile up rocks, logs, flower petals, corn stalks or empty bags of dog food. Whatever it takes to remind you of a powerful God and his helping you cross your Jordan’s, do it. Then tell it! Then thank God again for bringing you to and through and past the Jordan moments.

It was one of those irresistible photo’s! But the story behind the photo was far from as cute as the little boy holding the dog all dressed up. This is my nephew, and he was, well, some days a handful. He spent much of his summers at our house and we had a few times where we had to redirect his attention, focus, attitude and behavior. It’s called parenting, but since I was the aunt, then maybe it was called “aunting”.

That day he had been mouthy and a bit disrespectful, I think! That’s 34 years ago so I really don’t know but Aunt Marette decided he needed a “time out”. Now mind you I wasn’t a parent- yet but I figured he needed time upstairs to “think about what he said”. Now as a parent, I realize no one ever sent to “time-out” ever thought about what they said they just thought about what to say to get out of more punishment, but at the time it sounded like a good idea. The puppy went with him. It wasn’t long before I heard the quiet voice, “Aunt Marette” and went to the stairs and saw this. Of course I did what any good aunt would do- took a picture.

God puts us in time out many times. Something happens and we end up somewhere we don’t necessarily want to be, for an undisclosed amount of time, with nothing to do but think. There- I defined “time-out” the best I knew how. We didn’t get time outs as a kid- we got a whooping! However, God has placed me in many time outs and I wonder if I am as productive as Marty. Sorry- I said his name. He found something to do that wasn’t just whining, waiting and worrying or even worse, planning more mischief!

When God puts me in time out I whine, worry, walk in circles and wait for the “have you learned your lesson yet speech” from God. God’s time outs aren’t for us to think about what we have done as much as it is to think about what He has done. Slow down the world, change what you are looking at, see things from another angle and mostly quit running like a hamster on a wheel. God gives us some time to rest, refresh and renew: a spiritual time out. We wonder what we have done wrong, work on a defense of why we are where we are, write a novel on how we have been mistreated and then work up a lather because we don’t know what’s coming next. Spiritual time outs, remember the definition, “we don’t necessarily want to be, for an undisclosed amount of time, with nothing to do but think.” recenter our eyes to focus, our heart to love and our words to be intentional. That is, if we let that time out be productive God wants us to take our moments in time-out, the times “where we are places we don’t want to be, for an undisclosed period of time with nothing to do but think,” for us to draw closer to Him . Psalm 73:28

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;

I have made the Lord God my refuge,

That I may tell of all Your works”

Don’t waste a time out directed by God or others. Find a way to make it productive to draw closer to God, or like Marty just make someone else smile!