Repair and Relationship
Psalms 17:6-9 CEV
(6) I pray to you, God, because you will help me. Listen and answer my prayer!
(7) Show your wonderful love. Your mighty arm protects those who run to you for safety from their enemies.
(8) Protect me as you would your very own eyes; hide me in the shadow of your wings.
(9) Don’t let my brutal enemies attack from all sides and kill me.
There is this great expectation and assurance of safety and peace in the presence of the Lord. There is, however, something most precious about the ominous threatening of an enemy or distressing life predicament. The greater the crises and the louder the threatening shouts, the more intense can be the passionate cry for help. Relationships are established and reestablished with those seen as the source of help in ways that would never otherwise take place as soon as the barrel is empty and defenses are penetrated. Many of the songs from the Psalms and prophecies from the prophets (intense advances in God-awareness) are inspired and motivated by a time of great difficulty. How great and oftentimes essential is the onset of a trial in turning the head and the heart back towards the Source of help and protection?
At the time when Kim and I were first married and living in Broken Arrow, OK, I was working various jobs that required the use of a Datsun diesel pickup. This was a most dependable vehicle in which I logged many, many miles, but owning any vehicle means that at some point there will be some maintenance and repair required if it is to continue getting you down the road. As long as all the meters are at normal and no scary noises or shakes are taking place, everything’s good to go and you just make the frequent stop at the gas station. But, at some point parts wear out and there is just a need for some care. This was indeed the case for me and my Datsun, and while I was able to perform certain levels of auto maintenance and repair, there were many breakdowns that required more expertise and equipment than I had.
This was how I came to know, cry out to, and greatly appreciate John, someone I met at the paper drop for a paper route I had early in the mornings. He had his own garage set up with all the air tools necessary for any job my truck was in need of and a simple inquiry about how to perform some repair more often than not ended up over at John’s with him demonstrating how it was done. A relationship developed because of this dependence that for me was most rewarding for my business, but especially for a friendship with someone who became one of my closest friends during that time. His willingness to help me out whenever I came to him with a need provided many bonding times that otherwise would never have occurred. Not only was he gifted with fixing things, but he also had strong opinions along with an ability to express them and our times together were always informative and stimulating. Although vehicle failure was certainly not something I would look forward to or anxiously anticipate, there was a friendship treasure that came directly from this time that made me incredibly grateful for whatever it took to bring us together.
While there is a knowing of the Father that can take place through every moment, there is something about the times when peril is imminent and something is beyond our means of fixing it that brings us to His side with greatly intensified passion. Rather than somehow feeling separated from Him or compromised in faith towards Him, there is an opportunity in the greatest of attacks to discover a depth of relationship that would have never been developed without the difficulty. If He is but sought out over other acquaintances for the help that only He can provide, there will not only be a resolution to the problem, but an incredible bonding that takes place as a result of the time spent with a focus on Him alone. No matter the period of life we’re going through, it is an opportunity for increasing a relationship with the One who is looking forward to any cry for help with a great desire to not only meet the need, but to also just be there with us through it all. He can be the One who meets us at every awakening with an anticipation of repair and relationship.
Psalms 17:15 CEV
(15) I am innocent, LORD, and I will see your face! When I awake, all I want is to see you as you are.
