One Brief Moment in Time

I stood at her bedroom door and called out for my two and a half year old daughter to come to me so that I could get her dressed for church.

"Just a minute!" was her reply.

Standing there waiting, my husband encouraged me to go finish getting ready myself and he would take over with her.

"No," I said, "it's the principle of the matter now. I called her and she needs to come to me."

Again, I called her name and this time she did come running. But, instead of running straight to me, she decided to take a detour through the living room. Not a good choice. As she rounded the corner of the hope chest, she hit the floor. Hard. And the tears began to fall.

Oh. My. Word. God immediately began speaking to my heart. Numerous, invaluable lessons were learned from this one moment in time.

I called my daughter's name, not once, but twice for her to come to me. Immediate obedience was what I was after, but immediate obedience I did not get. My little one was busy doing what she wanted to do and would come to me in her own time.

Not only would she come in her own time, but she was determined to come to me in her own way. The path from the kitchen to her bedroom is a straight shot; a clear path. But, did she take the easy route? Nope. It wasn't "her way" and her heart desired to go her own way; a way that seemed right in her mind. Her journey would take her through the living room, around the hope chest and end up leading her to fall flat on her face. Tears streaming, breath knocked out of her, she lay on the floor waiting for me to come rescue her. Did I? Yes... I did... but not immediately. I let her lay there for a minute suffering the consequences of the wrong choice she had just made.

Sound familiar?

Ever heard God calling your name, instructing you to come to Him so that He could get you "dressed" for a job He had prepared for you to do, but found yourself responding, "just a minute" because you were too busy doing your own thing?

Or, maybe you've responded to His voice but decided to go your own way to get to Him? Did you find your own way to be dangerous, full of dead ends and detours? Maybe your way led you into a deep pit you were unable to get out of on your own; a pit that would leave you with scrapes and bruises and horrific wounds because of the impact such a long, hard fall would have on your body.

Oh, my friends, I have been there. I've been too busy doing my own thing to respond to God's voice the first time He called my name. And, I've come to Him many times by way of the "Jenifer Route" only to find myself laying in the bottom of a pit barely able to breathe with nowhere to look but up... to Him. God has rescued me from the pit, but He has also allowed me to suffer the consequences of my sin- He allowed me to suffer in order to teach me and mold me into the woman He created me to be before the foundations of the earth.

In this one very brief moment in time, God used my daughter to once again remind me of lessons He has walked me through many times before.

He said to me...

"When I call your name, sweet daughter, drop what you are doing and come to me. Immediate obedience is what I am after."

And...

"The straight and narrow way brings many blessings upon your life; the wide and, often seemingly easy way, only leads to pain and wounds that I do not wish for you to bare."

So, I ask you today...
~When God calls your name, do you immediately drop what you are doing and run to Him?

"So Samuel said: 'Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams."

1 Samuel 15:22, NKJV

~Are you walking the straight and narrow that God has laid out before you to walk down or have you constructed your own path and now find yourself in a pit?

"But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter
unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know
what makes them stumble."
Proverbs 4:18-19, NKJV

If you find yourself in a pit today, call out to Him and He will answer. In fact... He stands ready.

"I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He
also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet
upon a rock, and established my steps."
Psalm 40: 1-2, NKJV

Precious, Lord, may we obey You immediately. May our hearts be inclined to hear Your voice and heed Your instructions. Empower us with the strength to stay on the path You have set before us. Guide our footsteps to follow after Your own. In Jesus Name, Amen.