When the World Would Have Us Shaking in Our Boots

Have you heard the news?

The world would have us shaking in our boots, and I’m not big on cliches, but this one truly fits.

I know you don’t need details, because you’ve heard it all too. There’s no sugar-coating evil.

There are times when it hits us head-on. As a bank employee for almost thirty years, I’ve been through two bank robberies.

In the first robbery, I was the teller who emptied the drawer and apologized to the robber when I didn’t have the large bills his note requested.

During the second one, I sat in the lobby at a desk behind glass, watching the event unfold, surreal, as men with guns stormed the innocent.

We’ve been through trauma, we’ve seen evil first-hand. But evil isn’t new. It’s been around a good long while.

In John 7:7 Jesus said this to His brothers:

The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.

The world we live in hates the truth. When we walk in truth, share the truth, stand up for the truth, we’re going to face some haters too.

But we need not fear and we need not cower, because after Jesus said that, Jesus said this:

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

And we can say this:

So we may boldly say:

“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”  Hebrews 13:6

And this:

The Lord is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me? Psalm 118:6

So let’s put on our boots, because we need not shake in them. We can walk confidently as children of God, and boldly say the Lord is my helper, I will not fear.

And instead of shaking in our boots when the world goes crazy, let’s kick up our heels and dance with Jesus, because He has overcome the world.

Don’t worry if you don’t know the steps, He’ll take the lead, because He is The Way.

Will He Notice Me?

This is my second time participating in Five Minute Friday. So what’s the deal? The deal is, Kate Motaung gives a one-word prompt on her blog, and you take that word and write on it for five minutes straight. No editing, no grammar concerns, no writing rules to follow. Just write. If you’d like to check out other writer contributions, or participate in this fun exercise (yes, I just used the words “fun” and “exercise” in the same sentence), look for the button on the right side-bar and click! Here goes with this week’s prompt: NOTICE…

 

I wanted so much for him to notice me. Seventh grade, and this awkward girl wondered if she could catch the eye of the popular boy, back in town for a visit.

Why would he? What made me think he’d walk past all the other girls?

I’ll never forget that night. I have the entire event documented in a tattered diary; a record  of those years where I seemed too boy-crazy for my own good.

It was as if I had been planted smack in the middle of a fairy tale. He saw me, walked over, and asked me to dance. He chose me. He took notice of me. Me.

That was many years ago, and as exciting as that night may have been in the pages of my little red diary, he wasn’t “the one.”

I met my man six years later, the one I’ve been dancing with ever since.

But it doesn’t end there…

Shortly after I met the one, I met The One and Only.

I will gladly dance with Him for all eternity.

Does He notice you? Yes, His bride.

Jesus will take your hand. He’s asking you to dance.

Keep dancing; never let go. He will lead.