September 15
They will call on me, and I will answer them; I will be with
them in trouble, I will deliver them and honor them.
Psalm 91:15
The sunlight sparkled across the water as I got into the rowboat. It was a warm
July morning and the sun had just come up. Next to me a dragon fly hovered; its delicate, iridescent wings shimmered in the morning light. On a lily pad off to the side, a plump green frog sat
at the ready, waiting for an unfortunate food source to fly by; but was keenly attentive, ready to jump off if I came too close. The lake looked so inviting and peaceful! How I needed some peace and “quiet time” with
God right now! Family activities had consumed me with little time left to even have a thought without interruption.
I had never taken the boat out far, only skimmed around the nearby shore line early in the mornings sometimes,
looking at all the scenery there; all the beauty God created, that on most days I had no time to even consider. This morning, not a soul was out on the lake! It was so still and quiet that it seemed as though the whole lake was all mine for the exploration. How wonderful it felt!
Instead of heading left or right, I rowed out, keeping the cottage in view and finding it amazing how different it looked from out there. Although the cottage grew smaller, it did not seem as though I had gone far, when suddenly I felt it. I was in an eerie stillness, a quiet that actually made me shiver. Here I was in the middle of the lake . . . totally alone! There was not another person anywhere in sight! As I looked around, I realized no matter which direction I chose to go in, the distance was about the same; it would take me as much time to reach any shore. I could get no where in a hurry. The silence was deafening. The water looked darker than ever and the shadows underneath began to look ominous. A splash came to my right as something jumped to catch an insect on the surface of the water! What was it and how big was it? My heart started to race in panic! I felt isolated and I just wanted to return home! Fast! I knew I had to muster up my strength to get back to our dock on the shore! It was up to me to keep my head about me and stay focused! The confidence and peace I had started out with were eroding quickly and I began to doubt my ability. In order to scale the expanse of water to our cottage, I had to row while keeping my back to it; the whole time looking at the opposite shore, which made the distance seem even greater. Feverishly I rowed, praying constantly. I called out to God to give me strength and to stay with me, while every other minute I looked back over my shoulder to keep the house
in view. With my focus on praying and the view of the cottage, the site grew larger, and as it did, my confidence slowly began to return. I would be there soon! Finally back on shore, I sat in the sand exhausted, and thanked God with all my heart for my safe return. How could I not realize that all the while, my "Father" had been watching over me?
How many times in my life has this happened? How many times have I set out to do something and faltered because I faced an obstacle that isolated me from that goal? How many times have I felt totally alone with a situation, thinking that I had to "go it alone?" How many times have I forgotten to keep my focus on God and neglect to call on Him? How many times did it take for me to learn that we are never alone! God is with us always! Sometimes we have to look back over our shoulders to remember all the goodness God has blessed
us with; all the times that He has never left us “alone.” But keeping Him in focus, we will always find our
way.
Father, thank you for answering me when I call on you! Abba, Father we are yours!
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson
They will call on me, and I will answer them; I will be with
them in trouble, I will deliver them and honor them.
Psalm 91:15
The sunlight sparkled across the water as I got into the rowboat. It was a warm
July morning and the sun had just come up. Next to me a dragon fly hovered; its delicate, iridescent wings shimmered in the morning light. On a lily pad off to the side, a plump green frog sat
at the ready, waiting for an unfortunate food source to fly by; but was keenly attentive, ready to jump off if I came too close. The lake looked so inviting and peaceful! How I needed some peace and “quiet time” with
God right now! Family activities had consumed me with little time left to even have a thought without interruption.
I had never taken the boat out far, only skimmed around the nearby shore line early in the mornings sometimes,
looking at all the scenery there; all the beauty God created, that on most days I had no time to even consider. This morning, not a soul was out on the lake! It was so still and quiet that it seemed as though the whole lake was all mine for the exploration. How wonderful it felt!
Instead of heading left or right, I rowed out, keeping the cottage in view and finding it amazing how different it looked from out there. Although the cottage grew smaller, it did not seem as though I had gone far, when suddenly I felt it. I was in an eerie stillness, a quiet that actually made me shiver. Here I was in the middle of the lake . . . totally alone! There was not another person anywhere in sight! As I looked around, I realized no matter which direction I chose to go in, the distance was about the same; it would take me as much time to reach any shore. I could get no where in a hurry. The silence was deafening. The water looked darker than ever and the shadows underneath began to look ominous. A splash came to my right as something jumped to catch an insect on the surface of the water! What was it and how big was it? My heart started to race in panic! I felt isolated and I just wanted to return home! Fast! I knew I had to muster up my strength to get back to our dock on the shore! It was up to me to keep my head about me and stay focused! The confidence and peace I had started out with were eroding quickly and I began to doubt my ability. In order to scale the expanse of water to our cottage, I had to row while keeping my back to it; the whole time looking at the opposite shore, which made the distance seem even greater. Feverishly I rowed, praying constantly. I called out to God to give me strength and to stay with me, while every other minute I looked back over my shoulder to keep the house
in view. With my focus on praying and the view of the cottage, the site grew larger, and as it did, my confidence slowly began to return. I would be there soon! Finally back on shore, I sat in the sand exhausted, and thanked God with all my heart for my safe return. How could I not realize that all the while, my "Father" had been watching over me?
How many times in my life has this happened? How many times have I set out to do something and faltered because I faced an obstacle that isolated me from that goal? How many times have I felt totally alone with a situation, thinking that I had to "go it alone?" How many times have I forgotten to keep my focus on God and neglect to call on Him? How many times did it take for me to learn that we are never alone! God is with us always! Sometimes we have to look back over our shoulders to remember all the goodness God has blessed
us with; all the times that He has never left us “alone.” But keeping Him in focus, we will always find our
way.
Father, thank you for answering me when I call on you! Abba, Father we are yours!
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson