Several weeks ago I wrote about my niece and her "sudden need for comfort." She was told a couple of years ago that she needed to have her wisdom teeth removed...four! Of course there would be apprehension and perhaps concern about having them all removed at the same time. Primary in her mind was recovery time, swelling and of course pain.
I wrote of how I went to be with her-four hours away-because she was hurting and in severe pain and I love her. When I got there, she was comforted by the presence of someone who loves her. Her husband was on a business trip and she was in a city away from her family and in pain.
The oral surgeon gave her some antibiotics and pain medication and told her she must get in when the infection clears and have those wisdom teeth removed. Guess what....she got better! And what do we do when we get better? We forget what the doctor said and we go on with life. She has an awesome job but it requires alot of time and she lives in a fast "business" lane. Having to stop and rest would interefere with this. So months passed with her doing good and no problems with infection or pain.
Yesterday however, my beautiful niece called saying she was in dire pain "Please help me!" She is off on vacation at a beach resort in severe pain. Again, the wisdom teeth. She begged my sister to get her home. My sister went to work calling airlines furiously trying to get her home and eventually did.
The doctor said "get her home, bring her to my office and I'll perform the surgery Friday!" Just like that! My niece is in so much pain she is saying "do whatever you have to do to fix me!"
In contrast, my son was also told he had to have two of his wisdom teeth removed.....life interrupted! He has a job, it was summer, football season was coming up and "I can't miss" all those excuses. I merely picked up the phone, made the appointment and got him in. Four days later, he was at football practice.
What a contrast in doing what you are called to do and running from it!
Life interrupted....sometimes we go to God and He will tell us exactly what we need to do. Unfortunately, we go on with life because we think what He requires might intefere with our life or may require too much of us. Ever played dodgeball? The idea is to keep running so you don't get hit by the ball. That's not how it works with God. When we run, it's called disobedience.
So if you've gone to God and asked him to "fix" a situation or get you to the next step....stop running when He does it! Obedience means doing it when you are called to do it, not waiting until time runs out. Running is not an accomplishment....running equals disobedience.
The word of the Lord came to Johan son of Amittai "Go to the great city of Neneveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." But Johan ran away from the Lord...Jonah 1:1-2
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