August 2016

I was putting sunscreen on my daughters, Madison, age 7 and Kaitlyn, age 5, before they went swimming.  The girls have matching bathing suits, the tankini type of suit.  The tank top part of the swim suit is a little  difficult for them to get on.  The straps cross in the back, and so when they try to put them on they will often get an arm or their head in the wrong section of the X made by the straps.  So normally I will hold open the straps in such a way that they know where their arms go and then move the straps over their head so the X ends up in the back where it is supposed to end up.   After lotioning the girls up, I held the straps to the tops of their suits so every thing got in the right place.  (I get better coverage with the lotion doing it in this order).  After I helped Kaitlyn put on the top part of her suit, she looked at me and said “That was easy peasy.” 

As I have thought about her “easy peasy” statement I know it was true but only because I was there to help.  There have been too many times when they will come to me or Michelle after trying to put it on themselves and they will be frustrated or stuck because they couldn’t get their arms or head in the right spots.  Together though, with one person holding the straps in the right place, “easy peasy.”  I share this story with you not because I think the work that we (all of us – you, me, my family) have to do at Park will be easy, but because I want us to make sure we have the right person holding the straps for us.

Do you remember the story of Israel fighting Amalek in Exodus 17?  In the story Moses tells Joshua to take some fighting men and go and fight with Amalek.  Moses, Aaron and Hur go up on a hill overlooking it all and as long as Moses hands are held up Joshua is defeating Amalek and his army,  but when Moses’ hand were lowered, Amalek and his army start to overtake Joshua and his army.  This story reminds me of my girls, they just need to put their arms in the right place and let me work.  Moses just needed to keep his arms in the right place and God worked.  From the story, we can tell that it wasn’t the strength of Joshua and his army, but the Lord who brought defeat to Amalek. 

We need to listen to God’s direction, quiet ourselves in prayer and ask for His direction and then in faithful obedience, do as He directs.   We need our arms out where He tells us, our feet to take us where He shows us, our mouths to proclaim as He desires us, and our eyes     always looking to the One who works.

I’m not saying our work together is going to be “easy peasy,” because it is not.  What I am saying is that we serve a Lord who works and His work is good.  Let us hold up our hands in praise, bow our knees in prayer, and set our eyes on Him.  I am so excited to see what God is going to do.
 
Because of Him,
Lynn