GUEST POST: Janie O'Dell
Last week I had an important appointment. I woke up early, got myself ready and then disaster happened. I spilled coffee on my blouse and had to change, which messed up my hair. Putting myself back together, I checked the clock. Whew. I still had plenty of time.
As I picked up my purse to leave, I couldn’t find my car keys. Oh dear, what else could go wrong? I looked high and low, becoming more frantic as I searched the house for any-place I might have put them. I checked the bedroom, the kitchen counter, I even checked the bathroom! All to no avail.
As panic threatened to overtake me, I stopped. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and prayed, “Please Dear Jesus. Help me find those keys!”
Calmly, I began to take everything out of my purse and to my surprise, there they were, right where I had put them all along.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, grounded means emotionally and mentally stable, sensible, realistic, and unpretentious. Freedictionary.com further defines grounded as providing a foundation for something.
When I stopped running frantically through the house and called out to the Lord, I became grounded which set forth a foundation for calm, sensible thinking. I stopped unpretentious thinking (imagining the worst). It was then that I was able to think through the process and calmly empty the contents of my purse where the keys had been all along.
Did Jesus lead me to the lost keys? Of course, He did. My faith assures me that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear…” Psalms 46:1,2 (NIV) Because I believe with all my heart that this verse is true, I am able to call upon the Lord in times of trouble. That is what grounds me when I’m running willy nilly through situations, trying to solve problems by myself.
In this day and time, when trouble seems to lurk all around us, it is important to be grounded through our faith in Christ Jesus and the Word of God through scripture.
“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.” Psalms 77:11 (NIV)