Friday, March 4, 2016

Crazy Socks!


Psalm 143:10
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; your Spirit is good.  Lead me in the land of uprightness.

It is the morning of my birthday.  My husband, Danny, is sleeping in today because he is working at home.  He gets up so insanely early on those days he has to go into the office, I try to be quieter than the proverbial mouse in order to grant him that luxury.

About nine o' clock, I hear the shower running, so I know Danny's up.  I hasten to make fresh coffee, turn on his computer, and am looking forward to my own leisurely clean up routine.

That's when my phone rings.  It's not a number I recognize, but the town, I do.  It's where my daughter and son-in-law live.  Intuitively, I think it must be Virginia Rose's school calling.  I'm spot on.

"Hello, this is Martha."

"Hi, this is the school nurse, Susan.  Are you Virginia's Gammie?"

"Yes, I am.  What's wrong?"

"I can't get in touch with her mother or father.  Virginia is running a fever of 101 degrees.  You need to come get her as fast as you can."

So much for leisurely anything!  I'm over thirty minutes away from her school, so I fly into action.  Showered, dressed and out the door in record time, I'm anxious to pick up my ailing granddaughter and get her home.

As I drive along, the urge to speed is overwhelming.  But that could have dire and unwelcome consequences.  I choose to pray instead.  Lord, don't let Virginia's fever spike.  Let me arrive in time without doing anything foolish and without anything worse happening to her.

It works.  I heave a deep sigh, keep my eyes on the road, and trust God will get me there safely and in His time.

When I arrive at the school, Virginia is in the clinic, lying on a cot, and looking wan and pale.  Yet still she has a big smile and a hug for me.  I'm so relieved to find she is able to walk on her own to the car, which I miraculously managed to park quite close to the school building as the lot was packed by people arriving to vote.  Thank you, Lord, again!

I fasten my listless little grand-girl into her car seat, and we embark on the brief ride to her home.  I can tell she isn't feeling well because she isn't talking much at all, a sure sign that all is not well with the usually gregarious and bubbly Virginia.  But I feel compelled to ask her a question.

"Virginia, when did you start to feel sick today?"

"When I woke up this morning."  I'm shocked by her response.

"Why didn't you tell Mommy you didn't feel well?"

"Because," she explains, "I wanted to go to school.  It's Crazy Socks Day."

Crazy Socks Day???  I have to remember I'm dealing with the rationalization skills of a five-year-old.

But then, it hits me.  How many times do we, as adults, fling ourselves headlong into an activity we want to do or an event we are bent on attending without a second thought as to whether this is something God would have us do?  I know, if I'm honest with myself, I stand guilty as charged.

It behooves us to remember this verse from Psalm 143 before we make decision of any kind.  We must seek out God's will, for His Spirit is good, and He will never lead us down the road to temptation.

Even when we're wearing crazy socks!

~

Are you asking God to teach you His will?

Prayer:  Father, so many times, we are tempted to go astray, neglecting to first seek Your will for our lives, and putting our selfish interests first.  Help us to stop and pray for Your guidance in all that we do, so You may lead us in the land of uprightness.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

11 comments:

  1. Martha, You've painted a beautiful word picture today. It's so easy to mistake our will as God's will. To discover God's will for me...well...that's going to take a long season of being QUIET and LISTENING to discern His will verses my will. In addition to knowing God's will, we also need to know His timing.

    Love and blessings!

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    Replies
    1. His will combined with His timing - You are absolutely right about this, Kim. And we do need to take those necessary times to simply be quiet and listen for God's still, small voice.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  2. I don't know how many times our lives have been 'interrupted' by the needs of our grand children. It is ok, just a 'change of plans'. You are a good grandma, she will remember you going to get her.

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    1. I guess it's something that comes with grandparent territory. And those change of plans, when it means helping my granddaughter, are welcome ones.
      Love and blessings, Sharon!

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  3. Ah! I have done that so many times and mistook it as a sign from above.

    Healing hugs to Virginia. Take care

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    1. I think we've all been there and done that, Privy. Virginia is all better now, but not before giving the bug to little sister, Savannah. :( Oh, the vagaries of childhood!
      Love and blessings!

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  4. Hi Martha! Oh my goodness, Gammie to the rescue!! (I just came back from babysitting the grands so that my daughter could go to work. The oldest, who is 4, was on antibiotics for strep.) So glad Virginia is better, my little one has just started a new round of antibiotics.

    Crazy Sock Day? I love that. It's so attractive, right? I'd be running to that too, without a thought for where God would like me to be. What a great cautionary tale you learned from this situation. Thank you for passing it along too. I think if I am stuck on the wrong road, I will call it a 'crazy sock' moment!!
    Blessings,
    Ceil

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    1. Ceil, I love, love, love your association with being stuck on the wrong road and that 'crazy sock' moment! That is a perfect analogy!
      So glad your grandchild has the antibiotics she needs to get well, and hope you don't catch what she has. That is the only downside to babysitting as a grandparent - we expose ourselves both to the little ones' love and their bugs. Stay healthy!
      Love and blessings!

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  5. I trust that Virginia Rose is feeling better now?! And yes, how precious, she just didn't want to miss Crazy Sock Day. Maybe you guys can just have a crazy sock day of your own!

    I love the lesson that you brought out of this. Yes, I have been known to rush headlong into things without thinking about the Lord's will. Sometimes I forget to seek His counsel. And yes, then I often end up not feeling *well*...

    Crazy socks are fun for real, but not in a spiritual sense.

    GOD BLESS!

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    1. Yes, Sharon, Virginia is doing fine. And I love your idea of having a crazy sock day on our own. I'm hoping to have her over Friday to spend the night, so I will suggest that idea to her mother.
      And it is such a valuable lesson to learn - to go to God first before we lunge after something we think we want or need. It does make us "ill" when we realize we've made that crazy sock kind of move in our spiritual walk.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  6. When I was young, I went to crazy socks day, and almost everyone wore toe socks, now I only see one kid wearing them, whats wrong here?

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