by Macy Johnson
“Give attention to the entrance of the
temple and all the exits of the sanctuary.”
(Ezekiel 44:5 NIV)
Summer vacation
at the beach house was a Christmas gift to our children and grandchildren. The
striking, seafoam green structure stood apart, named for seashells on display
in every room.
How did
God reveal Himself to me in the whirlwind of activity? A week later He woke me with
a clear memory of a life-changing event.
It
happened one morning while our children were preparing breakfast in the kitchen
on the third floor. I hurried down two flights of outside stairs to the
carport, turned on Spotify to Nichole Nordeman, and set Fitbit to track my
walk. Suddenly a door alarm blared. The annoying signal sounded every time the mudroom
door to the pool was opened and drew complaints all week. A tall person was
needed to silence the obnoxious alert.
I decided
to investigate the siren and pushed open the wooden gate to the pool. My two-year-old
grandson turned to look up at me. Caught in the act, Noah ran back inside. I turned
off the alarm, shut the door, set out on my morning walk, and promptly forgot
about the incident. Did God put me there at that time to rescue my grandson? I
think so. God jolted me days later out of a deep sleep to present this sobering
truth.
Sometimes
it takes a sounding alarm to call attention to dangerous doors in our lives. Exasperated
adults shouted “Shut the door!” more than once to children racing in and out of
the beach house. Perhaps we should bark it back to ourselves.
I
will guard the entrances and exits of my heart today and thank God for all
revelations of His presence and providential grace and mercy. I hope you will,
too!
Yes! Yes! Yes! The exit I have to guard most is my mouth ...
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment!
DeleteThe mouth is a revolving door needing much attention.