Did you ever feel you were supposed to slow down, but didn’t?

Are you nodding, yes?  (Me, too). I understand.
 
When I was eight, I got a new red bicycle for my birthday. It had solid rubber tires. (Dad wouldn't have to worry about fixing my flats anymore). 

Excited to ride my new bike to school the following day, I hopped on and sped off.   

“You’d better slow down!” Mom yelled.

I heard her, but I didn’t pay attention. Pedaling with all my might, I neared the end of the street, my attention diverted by a cat crossing the road. Suddenly, Slam! Crash! Bang! I’d hit the back bumper of a parked car with the solid rubber tires of my bike. 
 
The car bumper was more robust than the bike—or me. My ribs hurt badly, and I'd knocked the wind out of myself, but I didn't think anything was broken, except, perhaps, for my pride. 
  
No one saw the incident. Embarrassed, I never told my parents. (My mother would have reminded me I hadn’t listened, but she was right).  
   
Kids don’t always listen, and sometimes adults don’t listen, either. Lately, I was one of those adults. For the past few months, my calendar had been filled to overflowing. I'd intended to delve more deeply into my NIV Study Bible. But every evening when I’d planned to read, life got in the way. By the end of the day, I was too tired to read at bedtime, and my Bible sat untouched on the nightstand. 
 
Often I try to do too much as was the case this time. I got sick. Then, my daily routine stopped as quick as Slam, Crash, Bang and the bicycle mishap. 

Not feeling well, I couldn't partake in my usual daily activities. I had no choice but to slow down.  
I got tired of having to lie in bed or curl up on the couch. But, ironically, there was one good thing that happened. I had a lot of time to rest, reflect—and read. So I reached for my study Bible. 

I'm sure God didn’t intend for me to feel unwell. However, I thought about my perception of busyness. Was I using my time as wisely as I thought? Or not? Maybe I could slip in the Bible study on a regular basis if I changed my priorities? 
  
When we reflect on our lives and think things through, sometimes we can come up with different ways to handle the questions that come up in our lives. And, through faith and prayer, we can find a way to accomplish the things we desire to do. After I started feeling better, I knew I would have to focus on my new priority. 

Being sick wasn’t fun, but it forced me to slow down—and take notice of a lot of things. 

What things have occurred in your life to help you slow down or rest? 
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"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com

  

     Some people believe in miracles. Some don't believe, and some doubt. I used to be in the "doubting" category. I believed in the miracles of Jesus, but wasn't so sure about other miracles. But I have learned throughout my life is that what I thought were "coincidences" were actually "God-incidences." I would like to share a story with you.    
      Put on the shoes of this traveler, if you will. You have arrived in a remote area of the desert where, if you didn't have the appropriate supplies, you'd be in trouble  (and the closest small town is not easily accessed and is two hours away). You set up camp with friends. You've been to this area before, enticed by the beauty of mountains of sand and open spaces. 
     Seasoned campers, you have made numerous trips to both mountainous regions—and remote areas such as this.   
      Everything is fine until you get sick—really sick. What will you do? It's late at night—and pitch dark except for your battery-powered lights. Your spouse and children are worried. Your friends are summoned to help, but no one knows what to do.  
     You are certain that the intense pain in your stomach and back is not normal. Something's wrong! Do you try to make it to the closest town (which includes a one-hour drive on a rough dirt road in the dark), not knowing what kind of help you will find? Or do you have your spouse pack up camp (which will take a few hours, even with help), then attempt to maneuver the large RV down the dark, rocky road to the main highway to travel the (long) distance home?     
     This happened to our daughter. Panicked, she called us. We tried to console her, and urged her to have her husband take her to the closest town for medical attention—despite the late hour and travel involved.    
     Our daughter said she would call us back. Feeling worried, we contacted friends to pray for her. My husband and I held hands as we prayed. "Please, God," we begged, "We need a miracle!"         
      Finally, a few hours later, our daughter called.   
     "Did you get to town?" we asked with concern.  
     "No," she said, choking on her words as she spoke. "You won't believe this, but..."  
     "What?" 
     "Our friends saw campers down the road. They asked if anyone could help. The person that stepped forward was a Nurse Practitioner."     
     We listened, our mouths agape, as our daughter told us how the NP provided emergency medical care and stayed with her. Her pain subsided. It was determined she was not in immediate danger and could wait until morning to travel home.  
     Our daughter phoned the next day after they got home. She saw her doctor, then went for scans. Tests revealed she would need surgery sometime soon.    
     "It was a good thing we got home when we did," our daughter said. "The help I needed would not have been available in that small town." 
      We are still in awe when we think of this incident from the past. What are the chances of finding a nurse practitioner in the middle of a remote area of the desert?
     Miracles still happen; it happened to our daughter. 
     The "miracle in the desert" was just one of many "God-incidences" that have taken place in our lives.
     What miracles have taken place in your life? (Feel free to comment).
     May God be with you in all your comings and your goings, and may prayer be a tool you put to frequent use.        
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Jesus replied, "What is impossible with man is possible with God." - Luke 18:27 

Photo courtesy of Andres Ramos, Vecteezy.com  

Did you do this as a child: inspect a flower (or a bug) under a magnifying glass to see every detail? Are you nodding yes? Me, too. There's something special about looking up close at the delicate petals of a flower or the minuscule veins of its leaves. I was excited to look at the bug, too—until I noticed the sharp pinchers and pointy-looking appendages! Eww! 

I opted to inspect more gentle living things and inanimate objects: a butterfly, a blade of grass, and smooth river stones. When I looked through the magnifying glass,  I was surprised to see a coiled hook on the butterfly's mouth, spiny edges along the edges of the blades of grass, and divots in the stones. 

Later, playing with sticks in the yard, I got a splinter. It didn't hurt too much. My mother held the magnifying glass over my finger. The end of the splinter was stuck in the center of my middle finger, and I noted the swirling, curvy pattern on my fingertips that I'd not seen before.   

"Everyone's fingerprints are different," Mom remarked. "Do you know that no one else in the world has fingerprints just like yours?" Amazed, I barely noticed as she pulled out the splinter.   

As an adult, I still use a magnifying glass on occasion, but these days, I avoid looking too close at the details—the age spots on my face and forearms, the large pores at the end of my nose, or the tiny lines accompanying the wrinkles on my forehead, above my lip, and the creases surrounding my mouth.     

Sometimes our lives can feel magnified, too.  

But if there was anyone whose life was truly magnified, it was that of Jesus. His enemies scrutinized Him. They magnified every word or action, turning against him and twisting their interpretation of who He really was: Jesus Christ, Son of God, blameless, without sin. Talk about magnification—he took upon himself the sin of mankind as he hung crucified on the cross.  

Sometimes I wonder what God sees when he looks at me? My first inclination is to frown, for I am flawed. But then I remind myself that God isn't using a magnifying glass. He overlooks every splotch and marking on the outside and every speck of sin on the inside. I smile. I am a forgiven child of the King. I am cleansed through my faith and belief in Him. He sees through my flaws. And He will see through yours, too.  

The next time you have an "Eww" moment or feel a frown forming, remember how God sees you—as something beautiful! 

All things good are magnified through the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord!
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"Take away my sin, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." -  Psalm 51:7 

Blog adapted from a previous post from 9/2018.   
​Photo: Nancy Johnson