Praise The Lord for Elastic

**what I wrote 10 years ago about this contraption

 

Praise the Lord for Elastic

 

Preparation for the county fair was being made. Over in one area of the room a girl quietly worked on her dress that needed to be fixed. Suddenly without warning she could be heard shouting "Praise the Lord for elastic!" as her dress was finally repaired. The simplest little thing such as elastic once installed could do wonders for the world of sewing. Little do people realize just what a wonder it is in the spiritual world as well.

 

Often in life's struggles we find ourselves on the verge of breaking. Once during a struggle I was having I found myself on that verge of breaking, something that was soon turned into what I called that "urge to break." I was tired, I had no strength, I wanted to crack or break and get it all over with. That was my solution to facing my problem, "break and get it over with." Unfortunately the Lord had different plans and ideas than I did, he wasn't going to let me break. It seemed like every time I turned around, every time I was close to that breaking point he would slip in what I soon started to call "elastic" and bounce me right back together where I belonged. Whether it be a unexpected phone call from a friend that I hadn't heard from in years, or a letter in the mail, or a sermon on Sunday that seemed like the minister prepared solely for me.

 

It was interesting how the Lord had my attention; my thoughts were on Him how he wouldn't let me break. To remind myself of what the Lord was doing in my life I glued a piece of elastic between two clothespins, which I carried with me wherever I went. Whenever times got rough and I had that urge to want to break I would take out my clothespins and bend the two of them down. Over and over again as I watched them snapped back in place due to the elastic it indeed reminded me of what God was doing for me. Little did I know at the time, but that clothespin contraption was helping me to focus on the Lord not on my situation.

 

At first it made me kind of angry at God that He wouldn't let me break so I could "get it over with." However, now that that particular struggle has passed I'm glad that He kept me in place. That He had better faith in me than I did in myself. What a comfort to know that that piece of elastic is still there, still full of plenty of stretch to get me thru the next trial in my life. I saw my friend's names that helped me thru my struggle on that piece of elastic, God's name was on it. Time and time again I thought about how I would like to have my name on someone's piece of elastic, to be that thing in their lives that snaps them back in to place so they won't break.

 

Kind of like a teacher running her nails across the chalk board making such a horrible sound that all attention was on her in fear of her doing it again, the Lord had gotten my attention. I began to look up scriptures that showed me that He was there and how it was not meant for me to crack. In Psalms 34:18 it says, "the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." How interesting, that's why He was always so quick to respo0nd at those breaking point moments in my life. He was right there all along ready to slip in that piece of elastic where ever needed. Yes, He proved over and over again that He was close to the brokenhearted and because of this He is able to save someone like myself who was indeed crushed in spirit. When we are brokenhearted we need someone close, someone standing watch over us 24 hours a day, who is better qualified than God himself.

 

In Psalms 37:23,24 it says, "If the Lord delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord uphold him with His hand." I'm sure the Lord doesn't always delight in the way we are going, the paths, and the messes we find ourselves in. However He does delight in our truly seeking Him, seeing our hearts going the right way. For it's not our circumstances around us that have to be on track but our hearts within us. When our hearts are the way they need to be the Lord will make our steps firm.

 

God doesn't say He will straighten out our steps, or make it so there isn't so many steps, or fix it so all stepping is done on level ground. He says He will make them firm so although we often stumble in life there is no way we will fall thanks to the Lord. Like an infant holding on to his parents hands, although his steps aren't always firm ones, as long as he holds on to mom or dad's hands he will not fall. The Lord has got us by the hand to see us thru the areas that are dark and rocky in our lives. How foolish would it be to let go of the hand that keeps us upright, that keeps us from falling, that keeps us from getting off the path we need to stay on.

 

Both these verses kind of lead towards the verse found in Psalm 125:1 where it says, "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever."  Here we have the Lord coming to the rescue of the brokenhearted, close by those who are crushed in spirit. What does He do there, He makes their steps much firmer and He holds them by the hand so that they won't fall. The results? We become like a mountain that can't be shaken but (and this part I truly love) endures forever.

 

We are too precious to the Lord, He doesn't want to see us break. Protecting His treasure, His valuables, He finds ways to sneak in that bit of elastic in our lives that we need to keep us from falling, or being shaken. Allowing us to endure forever. Where is "forever" spent? With Christ if properly followed the one who cared enough to get our attention. Slipping in the wonder of elastic or as some have put it the beauty of love. No different than the valuables in our lives that wouldn't want to break, as God's valuables (and we all are) He doesn't want to see us break either.

 

Praise the Lord for elastic, Hallelujah for such a love!

Thank you God for making me, "your valuable."

 

 

© 2003 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing

2012 revise for God is my help book

 

Udder Words~~~~~~~~Back Up Again

When we fall down, God is always there to pick us back up.

 

 

I heard once from someone that it isn’t what knocks us down that matters it’s whether we are willing to get back up on our feet. We can share our wounded stories all we want about what knocked us down but what really counts is whether we got back up or not.

 

Too often Satan makes that “knocked” down position appear good. Been there and done that. The situations in life I had been fighting had finally got me flat on my back. At the time it felt like a great position to be in. It felt like a great excuse to stay there and rest and catch a breather. It was a milestone available to give me a great excuse to quit trying to fight the situation, give up and let others deal with things.

 

Wrong! All it was was a false sense of getting some kind of a rest that wasn’t going to last long nor do me any good in the long run. If I had listened to Satan’s lie I would have quickly become not only dead weight to myself but dead weight to God. Think about it, have you ever tried to pick someone up that didn’t want to be picked up or was totally limp and unable to help in the process? It’s almost impossible. It can almost be a danger to yourself and the person you’re trying to pick up if it’s not properly done.

 

In spite of life’s difficulties we need to not become dead weight. Pit stops along life’s roads are there to help us to keep going. Quiet times with God, prayer, reading God’s words are where we find our true rest in life’s journeys and the ability to travel on. These needed pit stops don’t prevent us from falling occasionally but they do help us to get back up to where we need to be. They give us the strength to reach out to God and to take hold of Him as He reaches out to us with that same mighty hand and outstretched arm He used to get the Israelites out of Egypt in the Old Testament times.

 

For sure there are times in all our journeys that we need to stand still and take a breather before moving forward. Even the Israelites as they escaped Egypt were told to stand still at the banks of the Red Sea and the Lord would fight for them. Next thing God told Moses was, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.” At that moment in life is when the Red Sea parted in front of them and they had to get up and go before the Egyptian army caught up with them or stay there and be defeated.

 

The first statement was to reassure them that things were going to be okay. The later was to tell them they needed to get back up and get going again. God doesn’t guarantee us “No falls” in life. What He does promise is the fact that He will pick us back up when we do fall.

 

The stories we tell should be the stories of victories instead of defeats if we are willing to allow God to lift us back up on our feet. There is no timer we can hold in our hand to see how long it takes God to pick us back up. There are no trophies for the least amount of falls. Instead there is a traveling companion in Jesus Christ that cares enough to be there to prevent, pickup, and preserve us through life’s journeys. Our part is to take life’s licks standing up and forever be looking for the outstretched hand of God. It is the very hand that will lead us to eternal victories, smoother roads, and everlasting peace and rest.

 

 

In the meantime, stop and read the road signs along life’s ways, “Satan can make me trip but he can’t make me fall thanks to God.” “I may be beaten but never defeated as God gets me back up again.” Back up again, in Him, thru Him, because of Him. Praise the Lord!

 

 

© 2013 Karen J Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing       In Udder Words Tuesday