Thoughts to ponder.

I love how the Lord uses every day situations to speak to our hearts.

A friend of mine, Pam, has had a dilemma of late.
There is a little kitty that went up her tree, over a week ago.

When I talked to Pam on the phone a couple of days ago, it was still there.
This poor little thing has had no nourishment for over a week.
We have had a couple of nights of freezing weather.
It is cold, hungry, and afraid.

It was not very high up in the tree at first, but as they tried to get her, she just went further up in the tree. She backed off, and things just got worse.
Pam's husband, Eric, came close enough at first to touch her once, but could not grasp her to get her down. In hindsight, he wishes he had just gently pushed her off the limb.
A minimal fall, but safe.

They have tried everything. All the phone calls trying to get help, somewhere, but there was nothing anyone could do. They told her she will come down when she gets hungry enough.
She was 70' up in the tree when i last heard, and no where else to go.

Pam was saying on the phone to me, "If it would just have let us help when we could still reach her, she would be safe now. If she would just have taken that first step."
If she had only trusted those who were trying to help her, she would be safe by now.

Boy, did my spiritual voice take off on that one!

How many times has the Lord said that to us when are in a pickle, "Trust Me. I'll help you".
How many times did we think we could handle it ourselves, that it was not big enough to bother God?
Or, do we think God is not big enough? That He doesn't know or care about what is going on. That friends can help us better than He can?
How many times do we poor our hearts out to others, but not to God? Looking to the counsel of man, instead of the counsel of the creator. How often do we sit and cry, and feel alone, when our Lord is there all the time? (please don't get me wrong here. Do call and ask for prayer. Do seek counsel from Godly men. Do sit and cry with friends, and let them cry with you. Just don't let them take the place of God, and time with Him.)

Why are we so afraid to trust, to ask, to cry, to take that first step?
And it does require that we take the first step. The minute we ask for prayer, reach out, call on Him, He is ready to go to work on our behalf. He is there to guide us. He is there to hold us and comfort us, and surround us with His love.

He has surely been there for us before. He has proven we can trust Him.
Do we forget those times? Do we think this time is different?

God loves us. He is always there for us. He guides our paths. He uses what happens in our lives to help us grow. He knows our every thought. He has great plans for us. He is our hope.
He is the lifter of my head, and the comfort of my heart. He is a friend in times of trouble.
He thinks about us more than there are grains of sand.
He smiles when we smile. He cries when we cry.
He is our protection, and a very present help in times of trouble.

So, where are you in the tree? Are you at the bottom branches, where you can take the first step and get out? Or where God can gently you push you out to safety?
Have you gone further up the tree, where it is harder to be reached? Did you move further away thinking you would be safer there?
Are you clear up in the top, "out on a limb", where, from your perspective, there is nowhere else to go? You have isolated yourself, and feel alone.
Do you feel afraid, but don't know what to do or where to go? There seems to be no answer? Things seem impossible?

God deals in the impossible! He has the answer! It is never to late to call on Him!! You are not alone!
Let Him help you through today, one step at a time

Blessings as you ponder this with me.

Barbara jean