Running Shoes

I am grateful to be alive! Today is my birthday and like many people do on their birthday, I spent some time reminiscing on my life.  Time thinking about the things that I have been through, the places that I have been, who I used to be, and how much I have changed even over this last year.

I was speaking with one of my brothers this morning and I was telling him that I often wonder how I survived without knowing God like I know HIM now.  I realized after I said it that God is the only reason I am alive.  God is how I survived. It is true!  The fact that I made it through my teenage years alive was a miracle!  I joked with my brother that I am amazed my parents did not kill me.  When I was a teenager I was sweet and loving to everyone except for my family.  I had a problem as a teenager treating people with the same respect they gave me, that included my parents. I spent most of my teenage years grounded and unhappy because of my attitude. 

God has saved me many times from many desperate situations.  God has pulled me out of the fire more times that you could even imagine and many times without the credit he deserved for doing so.  I am sure that if you keep reading my blog, you will hear about all the wonderful things that God has done for me, but today I want to talk Scarlet Fever.  

When I was in the first grade, God saved me after I was diagnosed with Scarlet Fever.  How do I know it was God who saved me?  I know because I was running from the Devil.  I do not remember much from my childhood, but I remember having scarlet fever.  When I tell you that the devil was chasing me, I am not exaggerating. We did not really go to church, I was not a Christian, and I had no idea that a relationship with God was possible back then. I may have been sick, but I knew even then that it was the Devil that I was speaking too.  At first, I was just having normal conversations with him.  As we continued to talk though he started asking me to do things I did not want to do or for things I did not want to give away. I would say no & he would get mad.  When I got scared in my dreams/visions, I would run which always lead to me being chased. I was absolutely terrified & I was surethat the Devil was going to kill me. I remember being so afraid that I cried out for help & I am alive today because I received it.

If you are like some people that I have come across in my life, I lost you there.  You are ready to throw in the towel on reading this and ready to call me crazy.  Sure, we can explain all of this simply by saying that my fevers were very high & I was hallucinating. In fact, that is what several people have done when I shared this story.  I would ask you to think a little deeper though. I got scarlet fever when I was 7 years old.  Today I turned 47 & I can still remember the conversations, the fear I felt & the running.  It gives me chills just thinking about it. 

Were you ever really sick as a child?  What do you remember about it?  Do you vividly remember the things that happened?

For those of you that are still reading along, I have a point to what I am sharing. God protected me even before I knew who HE really was.  All I did was cry out for help.  God jumped into the situation and protected me. I asked for help and God freely gave it.  There was no discussion about how I needed to clean up my life or change who I was before help was given.  He did not look at me and say, “Child you are a mess, I can’t help you right now. Get it together and then try again”.  God saw his child being harassed by the enemy and he stepped in. 

No matter who you are or where you are at today, God can protect you.  He doesn’t require that you get it together first.  He doesn’t demand that you follow a list of rules for a while before he can help.  He is here waiting for you to ask for his help.  God knew you would be in the situation that you are in.  Luke 12:7 says that God knows every hair on your head.  If God knows every hair on your head, then he knows you well enough to predict your moves.  In fact, he knew we would all need him.  Why else would God have sent Jesus?  John 3:16 NIV “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  God knew that it was not going to be easy.  He knew you would sin, fall down, and have trouble getting back up. HE KNEW! He loves you so much that he sent Jesus to take all of your sins. He sent Jesus to die then to raise from the dead 3 days later so that you would have eternal life.

Are you running from something right now? Cry out to the Lord! Say it! Please Help me God!! You don’t have to be afraid! God is saying; If you want to run, run to me! Call out to me!! It is time to put away your running shoes! Your running days are over!

Love Abby