GodS.t.o.p.s

I've been wading thru this awesome Bible study by Beth Moore, called "Believing God". And at the end of each bit of study in the book, there is this awesome space for GodS.t.o.p.s. The s.t.o.p.s in it stands for Savoring The Observable Presence. It's neat to pause & journal down ways in which I've seen God at work around me, so I can go back and reread it and be encouraged and strengthened in my faith!

A great God S.T.O.P. this week so far - Sunday a.m. I had 2 'hood kids to church. Sunday night I had a full load of 6. A very rowdy 6. I am always on my knees in prayer before taking kids to church, and it wasn't until the last minute that I realized how many I had Sunday night. It's a been a while since I had 6 all at once, and let me tell you, it is a JOB! With 4 ornery boys and 2 girls, I had my hands full. I had to lay the law down and be very stern w/ them or I knew they'd run wild. 6 kids in my mini-van is very loud. 6 kids escaping a mini-van in my church's huge parking lot, can be dangerous. I told them to stay together in a group and no running off, and praise the Lord we all arrived in KidZone in one piece. I was already almost trembling from nervous tension...what can I say, I was being stretched to my limit. I told the kids I would ask the leaders how they behaved after service, and I wanted them to wow me with their behavior. I left, praying the whole way and went to my own service. Oh how I needed that time to myself! But the whole time, and really this whole Sunday, I was just feeling utterly weak and inadequate for this. I didn't feel like doing this. I didn't think I had the strength or the patience to deal with the boys being obnoxious or the girls whining at times. Thoughts of wishing I could just run away swirled thru my mind. I was being stretched very thin, and it didn't feel good. Something in me wanted to get out from under the load. My spirit was willing, but my flesh was so, so weak. God, why did you pick me to do this? I feel so very weak for the task this time. I am 100% in need of Your intervention! Help me! PLEASE! I cannot do this on my own! I need You! These kids need You! I was so desperate, I didn't know if I would survive the evening w/ my sanity intact. After service, there was a time of prayer, and oh how I prayed for help as I knew leaving the auditorium meant going back to KidZone to face half a dozen kids who would come close to tackling me upon spotting me. Lord, give me the strength. Your power is made perfect in weakness. I picked the kids up, and held my breath as I asked the leaders how things went, and I was so wonderfully relieved to hear they did great! I corralled the kids out to the mini-van, we played at the park for a little while(& altho ornery as ever, I could tell God was with me, it was so evident all night), and I dropped them all off at home. Then I came home, kissed my living room floor, and threw my hands up and shouted in triumph! - it was over. I survived another Sunday. All to the glory of God! 6 kids came that night, 2 were new. I remember many a time past w/ 6 kids being an absolute nightmare and me coming home in tears. But no, God had His hand of grace upon us Sunday night. AND I PRAISE HIM!! His presence was so evident throughout the whole evening!!

As I was curled up in bed opening my Bible to spend some time in the Word later that night before drifting off to sleep, my eyes landed on something that jumped off the page at me! Yet another God S.T.O.P. I savored the(still) observable Presence when I read "Then Jesus said to His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up." Luke 18:1

Praise the Lord for His amazing faithfulness and love! His grace is sufficient!

What kind of God S.t.o.p. have YOU had recently? Have you wrote it down? You should! :)