Oasis

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom . . . ~ Proverbs 9:10

We all have weak spots. Places that seem insurmountable. Demons that keep revisiting. The enemy will go for the chink in your armor every time. He likes to play dirty.

It is a beautiful Saturday morning. I find myself in the throws of nature. All signed up to join the Jr. High kids for camping, I grab my courage (what little is there) and join the bunch for a nature walk. These youngin's are leaping to and fro without any effort or hesitation. I, on the other hand, want to park underneath the closest tree and read a book. But still, I press on.

We reach our destination, and a hundred feet below sits a beautiful creek filled with fresh water. Large boulders and loose dirt blaze the trail to the oasis. From underneath the shaded tree, I watch as every person, child and adult heads down the dusty trail. I participate with eyes only, and decide to stay where it is shady and safe. Watching from a bird's eye view was this girl's fancy. I was not wired to trample around in mud and sand. Some may call that fear, but I liken it to wisdom.

Taking a step toward God's voice takes a lot more courage than I can ever muster up. I am not much of a thrill seeker myself, usually retreating to the safest and most comfortable spot. I am sort of an inside girl, I guess you could say, when it comes to - well, a lot of things.

Hearing His voice and responding will often times mean recognizing who God made in you. There is freedom in the embrace of yourself. We long to fit in, and will often times try and alter our own personality to fit the mold. Which mold? If I remember correctly, God created each of us unique - there are no two of us alike in the whole world . . . in all of history.

The chinks in our armor can often times go unseen. Being down on yourself for not being just like everybody else is a slippery slope. Don't go there.

God made you the way you are on purpose - for a purpose.

If jumping into fresh water with reckless abandonment is your thing - then go for it! But if you'd rather park it underneath the cool shade of a tree, then have a seat my friend.

Fear can be pretty sneaky.

Fear of the Lord can keep all other fears at bay -- even the fear of knowing and trusting yourself.