Standing at the counter frantically digging in her purse, and searching her wallet once again my customer kept apologizing for the hold up. What she didn’t realize was I had been in her shoes a few times in my life. I knew that panic feeling where the heart stops beating and the throat closes off, that feeling of not knowing where your debit card is when you’re standing somewhere trying to pay a clerk. After rushing out to check her car, she returned slightly relieved. Whew! she had left it in the car after she’d pumped gas. Something else she didn’t know is that I silently lifted her up in prayer.
Prayer for me is a daily, all day long conversation. I do take some time just to sit quietly with a list, and times when I just sit and listen. But mostly all day long as the situation arises the Lord and I are conversing. But because I knew what my customer was going through, I started to pray. I also knew that she wouldn’t be standing at my counter all day, every day for the next year. Most of the things we go through are just moments, but the panic is so intense that it takes a while for our hearts to beat normal again and our breathing to become easy.
I think of the Israelites as they stood waiting to cross the red sea. They were crying out in prayer to the Lord as Pharaoh’s army was close behind pursuing them. God encouraged Moses to part the sea so they could pass through safely. I bet their hearts were beating wildly, and their eyes raced from side to side as their steps were quick. I guarantee that there was panic going on as they moved forward, going through that parted water to the safe shore. Exodus 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.
What a relief they felt as they collapsed on the other side. I’m not sure how long it took them to pass through the parted sea as there were thousands of them. [bctt tweet=”Sometimes our circumstance lasts longer than a moment, but we can still count on the Lord to part the waters!” username=”@juliemahan63″]
Join me….and remind ourselves that some obstacles we face won’t last forever, that most things are just moments and that each should be handled in prayer, either for ourselves or for others as we can personally say we know what they are going through.
Father, we thank you for being with us, for fighting for us in all our situations. May we go through the long haul or short term difficulties with confidence trusting that you will stay with us til the end. In Jesus name Amen.