The LORD said
to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A
staff,” he replied. The
LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses
threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the LORD said, “Reach out your
hand and take it by the tail.” So, Moses reached out and
took hold of the snake, and it turned back into a staff in his hand.” Exodus 4:2-4 NIV
I’ve been struggling with discouragement lately. Hard to
balance people and responsibilities in my life and have any creative energy
left over for these books that just keep growing. Counting down the days left
to me, counting up all I have left to write. Trying to come up with an answer
that equals productivity.
“Oh, LORD,” I ask with Moses, “do You have anyone else
for this task? The older I get, the harder the writing gets (and the bending
over it long enough) and the less I can handle distractions, and the more
distractions there are. I want to run from it. Think I could catch Moses?”
His answer to Moses: “What is that in your hand?”
His answer to me: “What’s that in your hand?”
“This old hand?”
“Well, duh.”
“A pen—but, uhhh, I think it’s empty.”
“Throw it on the ground.” Fertile ground. Holy ground. His
ground. I stand there barefooted.
“Listen! Quit trying to do it
in your own strength. “Throw – It - Down. Rest under My wings while
I give new strength to your wings. Then pick it up by the tail, right
where you left off.”
Thank You for
scratching that cowardly prayer, Avi. I’d way rather You give me the RoundToIt
and the UpToIt to finish my job myself, and to finish well. So here it goes. “Down,
Pen!”
Think my snaky
book can sneak up behind the enemy and bite his heel? No—but Your book through
me can. Thank You for not giving up on me, Avi, and for not letting me give up.
In Your Holy
Name, Amen.
