“Nahum!
Hey, buddy, where’d you go? Nahum?” The sound of a whimper made me turn my head
towards the car.
Long
white legs inched out from underneath the side of my bright-red car. I waited
until the Griffon-Husky mix slid the rest of his slender body out and stood
looking at me. From a few feet away, I could see nothing wrong.
“What’s
the matter, Nahum? Are you sick? You don’t look like you’ve been hurt.” The dog
acted funny. Usually, he came running to
me, without hesitating.
A
sharp clap of thunder put my worry to rest. Nahum shot back under the car
before the streak of lightning broke through the overcast sky.
I
walked over, kneeling by the car. “Oh poor, Nahum. I’m so glad that it’s only a
storm.” I stretched out my right arm, searching for his paws under the car. I
wanted to laugh, but I didn’t want to
hurt his feelings. I stroked the top of his paws,
speaking in a soothing voice to quiet his
whimpers. Poor Nahum hated thunderstorms.
“Okay,
boy. You just stay hunkered down under there. I’ll pack up the tent and our
gear. I can read my Bible and pray inside the car this morning. Maybe it’ll
clear, so you and I can play with your stick one last time.”
I
sang while I packed things in their containers, stuffing everything in the
trunk. Once finished, I opened the car door. The wind off the lake literally howled, inflating the tee shirt I
wore. “Okay, Nahum. I’m ready to get in the car. Want to jump in and wait out
the storm inside?”
Nahum
never moved from underneath the car. I slid behind the wheel just as the
downpour began. The powerful winds tossed sheets of water against the
windshield, twirling and splashing streams against the other windows and doors.
The heavy vehicle rocked from side to side. I couldn’t hear anything coming
from under the car, but I had no doubt my poor dog would be whimpering with
fright. Frankly, I gave a good gasp or
two myself.
As
the storm raged on, I began to calm. After all, God had created the storm, too.
For the past two days, I’d enjoyed the beauty of the lake, it’s shoreline and
pristine waters with the sun making the gentle ripples sparkle. Now, the waves
thrashed as the violent winds tossed them
in all directions. I’d not be doing my prayer walk along the shore this
morning.
A
quiet settled over me. I sensed that the Lord wanted to speak to me. My heart
rate increased as I anticipated what God would say. I began to sing soft hymns
of praise.
Reaching
for my Bible, I rested it against the steering wheel in front of me. Whispering the choruses of worship, my thoughts
reviewed the special time of prayer and fasting I’d experienced over the
weekend. I’d come to this remote location, seeking the answer to one question.
Did God want me to continue pursuing the paperwork to receive two little
brothers who needed a home, or had I managed to take off on some rabbit trail
and totally missed God’s will for me?
During
the other times of Bible study, I’d just indiscriminately opened the Bible and
began reading. I took a lot of notes to help me stay focused. I had no plan. I
just read until I sensed the time had come to go for a prayer walk or grab my
guitar or even play with the dog.
The
thunderstorm lessened, but the rainfall
continued dotting my windshield. I started to open the Bible but then hesitated. Sensing God had a particular passage He
wanted me to read, I waited to hear His direction.
Soon,
the rain changed to a gentle mist, blanketing me with God’s perfect peace. Read Matthew chapter eighteen, verse five,
dropped into my waiting mind.
My
breaths came in short burst. I felt the pounding of my heart. With
uncoordinated fingers hastily flipping pages, I located the chapter in
Matthew’s gospel. Tears flowed freely down my face as I read:
“And whosoever
receives one such child in My name, also receives Me.”
I
read the entire chapter but repeatedly
returned to Matthew 18:5. The expanding warmth radiating from deep inside my
heart convinced me that this verse represented God’s direct answer.
Yes,
God wanted me to welcome children who needed a safe home. I would receive them
in His name, and God would see that I had all I needed to care for them.
As
I prayed my thanksgiving to God, the clouds parted—like in a Hollywood
movie—and a bright beam of sunshine shone through. I began laughing and
cheering. Nahum heard and bumped at my door.
“Okay
Nahum, we can go home now. Hop in,” I said as I opened the passenger door. I’d
planned to take him for a walk before leaving, but my excitement to get back
and share what had happened with Carroll had wiped from memory earlier plans.
Nahum didn’t seem to mind. He probably wanted to leave in case the thunder might return.
Driving
away from the lake, I had not a single doubt that I’d be ready for the
brothers, ages four and six; God would see to that. I’d soon discover that God
had been preparing me for an entirely different
emergency situation. One that didn’t involve the two boys at all.
It was cool to see how the Lord spoke to you through the storm and the parallels with what was going on inside of you. I missed that part when you told me about the news way back then.
ReplyDeleteProbably I gave you the details but ended with my urgent and intense desire to have a hamburger to break the weekend of fasting. I may have accented that as much as, or even more than?, the answer to my quest. Indeed, a special time in my life and I'm delighted you shared it with me.
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