My awesome, Grandchildren, and Annika, Kaleigh, Kate, Gavin; whom I love and pray for every day: “Elijah went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a GREAT STRONG WIND tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an EARTHQUAKE, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a FIRE, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire A STILL SMALL VOICE.” (1 Kings 19:9-12) The Lord was not in the earthquake, the strong wind or the fire but in the STILL SMALL VOICE.
A couple years ago I volunteered to teach in our Alternative School, where students are sent to us because they could not make it in the “regular” public high school. They come here because of fighting, drugs, carrying weapons, truancy or failing classes. Often, they are ordered by the court to attend and are not really happy about being here. It is pretty much up to the teachers to come up with innovative ways to keep order in our classrooms. We are told that we need to learn to be tolerant with these students’ disrespect and bad language, because many of them have given up hope of being “normal” and just don’t care about what they say or do. One day, a few days into the semester I WAS OVERWHELMED. NOTHING I SAID OR DID WAS WORKING, so OUT OF DESPERATION, I said “LORD, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO TO REACH THESE HEATHENS?” The Lord spoke to me in His wonderful still small voice and said: “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD. I WILL BE EXALTED AMONG THE HEATHEN.” (Psa. 46:10) The next morning, I started the daily practice of anointing the doorposts and chairs in my room and PRAYING FOR THE LORD TO HELP ME TO BE OVERWHELMED WITH THE “AWESOMENESS” OF GOD AND NOT THE “AWFULNESS” OF THE STUDENT’S ATTITUDE. I also started fasting on Mondays. It wasn’t long until things MIRACULOUSLY TURNED AROUND and then I saw God’s wonderful calming presence in the lives of these students. BEING OVERWHELMED IS A TEMPTATION FOR US TO STOP TRUSTING GOD AND JUST GIVE UP. David said: “Hear my cry, O God; ATTEND TO MY PRAYER…I cry unto you, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I…you have been A SHELTER FOR ME, AND A STRONG TOWER FROM THE ENEMY.“ (Psa. 61:1-3)
BE STILL AND KNOW…
Notice: […We must understand that the bible says:] “…O God; ATTEND TO MY PRAYER…I cry unto you.” !!!] That’s for you: Stephanie, Ethan, Camden, Olivia, Aidan, Landon, Kinsley, Annika, Kaleigh, Kate, Gavin…