Blocked

I pushed the automatic garage door button to close the door but to no avail. The overheard light responded with a frantic blinking but I just pushed the button again ignoring it because I had never seen that happen and had no idea as to why it was flashing. I don't know why I thought anything different would happen if I kept on doing the same thing, but I hit it again and again. Finally put the car in park, left it going and got out to try to figure out the problem. And sure enough there it was! Sam, my little toddler had been over that morning and had been playing with his riding toys. One of them didn't quite get back to its designated position and was blocking the laser eye that sends messages to the garage that the path has not been cleared for closure. Until I got that toy out of the way, the door was going to refuse to close....out of safety. And when I moved it, got back in my car, again pushed the button, all was again well and the process was completed. I just needed to get the deterrent out of the way!

I know you know where I am going with this. We say our prayers, we insist on God's guidance and his input, we expect his performance on our time schedules, and we push buttons but sometimes to no avail. Sometimes we have to get out of God's way before he will close the deal. We as parents get in God's way, we as friends give our own savvy advise and get in God's way, we as control addicts get in God's way, even we as "johnny on the spot" helpers somtimes get in God's way, not allowing God the ability to use circumstance to his advantage of buidling us up, running according to his schedule, his timing and his way. We tend to block progress, for ourselves and for others; not always as an intentional deterrent but we let our impatience block his path, our personal motivations get in the way, and our obstructed view of a situation cloud that which God has his perfect solution to.

We sometimes get too entranced in a situation that we keep on pushing the same buttons over and over thinking if we bully it, we can make it work. We forget to stop, investigate, evaluate and let God oversee whatever it is that is before us. He has all the answers, but we too many times forget to go to him with all our questions. We are called, as Christians, to take hold of the control panel that God has given us.And by taking hold of that control, I mean push God's buttons. Seek the button of his power, push the button of dependence, know where to go for his button of strength and grace. And if things aren't going down and closing as they should, that is our Que, to stop, to evaluate, and to investigate .....and seek God. And then move whatever obstacle that is in the way, (warning, it may be you) out of his way so he can continue on with his automatic and pre programmed response of love that is always for our own benefit and for his glory.

My husband always tells me jokingly to pick up after my friends...(for he always knows when the grandbabies have come for a visit).He was right, and if I would have remembered to do that then the garage door would never have been an issue. (and this would not have been a devotional ha) But this was a reminder to me that I need to pick up remnants of my pride, self centeredness, tainted thoughts, and occasional discontent and let God push "my" buttons. If I am to operate smoothly for this day or even this moment, it has to be under God's control, so that he can open and close his doors according to his wishes and his plan for my life.

Things do run smooth when I allow God to be in control of my thoughts and my attitude and guide me in his direction. It is when I begin to press the same "me" button over and over without seeking God's hand that my trouble begins. It takes a little patience and a true will to want to figure out what is holding up progress...but so many times I have figured out that it is me who is in God's way. It is me who has consciously decided how something should be done or how someone else should be behaving, or how things should work out, and I leave God out of the equation. Forgetting or putting aside for the moment that he is the one who knows everything.

God is the one who sees a whole picture and who is growing me, building me up and making me stronger. It is though my knowledge of him and my dependence on him that he is transforming me, using the circumstances that he has allowed to be set before me. I fight it and deliberately try to sidestep his involvement when in fact if I would just move, out of His way, I would be able to see things so much clearer and God's response time would be so much more effective. I just have to evaluate and decide if I want to be stuck in my way or get out of His. The choice is mine.

1 Thessalonians 2:18
For we wanted to come to you-certainly I, Paul, did, again and again-but Satan blocked our way.

Dear Lord, I know that I so often get in your way. Help me to be aware of my deterrent and be willing to move when I see that I am blocking your path of truth and action. Amen

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!