Catch Me When I Fall

Photo: Safely In His Arms by Dee Kamp

 

Catch Me When I Fall

With a deep breath I drew up all my strength to climb up the steps of the crowded shuttle bus. With a too large carry-on bag, a purse slipping off my shoulder and a camera case slung over the other shoulder I was wondering how I was going to manage it.

I could feel the anxious crowd behind me eager to get on board too. I gave a mental heave-ho and lifted the carry-on up the first step. But I didn’t make it to the second step! To my horror I felt myself careening backwards falling fast out of the shuttle van.

“The eternal God is your refuge,

and his everlasting arms are under you.”

 Deuteronomy 33:27 NLT

 

Just before I crashed into others and hit the ground I was amazed to feel strong arms underneath me and lifting me upright again. It wasn’t until I managed to find a seat that I could look around in search of my rescuer.  

 

 I looked up and there stood a very tall man with a big cowboy hat on his head and boyish grin smiling down at me. I felt my face burning red with embarrassment as I thanked him, and happily heard him say, “Everyone needs help when we have to carry too much It happens to all of us from time to time.”  

 

There are times in our life when we need a lift, when we could sure use someone’s strong arms to catch us when are falling. Falling not always in the physical way― but emotionally from our heavy burdens― when life throws us off balances and threatens to gets us down.

 

We are always in God’s strong arms to catch us when we fall. We can count on our loving Father to lift up our spirits, encourage us with loving kindness, and comfort our hearts to help us climb on board life’s crazy journey over and over again.

 

“I can face that which I must endure while in my Father’s arms.”―Miriam Brown

 

“Catch Me When I Fall” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© September 30, 2013

The Good News

Blue Door House Photo by Dee Kamp

 

 

The Good News

“He keeps it to himself, he doesn’t share much about his past, and he’s shy about that.  But it’s really an amazing story of how God came to his rescue,” the wife, a new acquaintance, shared with me this past summer.

“I have told all your people about your justice.

 I have not been afraid to speak out, as you, O LORD, well know.

I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden I my heart.

I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.

 I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness.”

Psalm 40: 9-11 NLT

 

I remember so vividly as a new believer the very first time I heard someone’s testimony of what God had done in their life. It had a tremendous impact on my faith in God. It was like a gate of hope swinging wide open. It also made me look back on my life and realize all the times God had been there for me. It was a great day when I heard this sharing, it was a great day when I discovered Jesus was all around me.

 

It’s natural for us to share a good bargain, a joyful event, a special time, and good news, and it should be natural for us to share the good news of what God has done for us too.

 

If God’s faithfulness has changed our lives, it’s not the time to be timid. Our testimony has the Holy Spirit power all through it to encourage, give hope and spread God’s love in ways we can’t imagine, and may never see this side of heaven.

 

Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones are available to us daily. God’s divine appointments, healing, miracles, goodness, mercy needs to be the Good News we share with others whenever, where ever possible.  

 

 

“The Good News” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© September 27, 2013

 

The Little Things

 

The Little Things

 So often it’s the little things in life that bring the greatest pleasures. The things that money can’t buy and bring joy without measure.

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,

His kindness endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34

 Recently I joined my sister-in-law on an overnight journey to Victoria, British Columbia. After crossing the Straits of Juan De Fuca by ferry we immediately joined others on a bus to tour of the famous Buschart Gardens.

Our expectations were set on the anticipation of the beauty of the gardens, fountains and trails. But to our surprise it was over shadowed by the little unexpected moments of pleasures and kindnesses of strangers from all over the world who joined us there.

The gardens were crowded on this beautiful sunny day, but one never felt pushed about, crowded out or left out to stop and enjoy every single moment of the beauty.

Without the need to ask, people stepped aside or waited without complaint if others were taking a group photo of loved ones or simply taking a long time to focus on a single flower. There was peace, respect and tranquility everywhere we went.

In this world we view through the media and more that seems to be filled with greed and discontent I’m so glad God has given us the awareness and love of the little things.

It’s the little things in life money can’t buy that brings us the greatest pleasures. It’s the sight of an unexpected rainbow, the smile and kindness of a stranger. It’s the sudden understanding that laughter is a language understood around the world.

Oh the great comfort in knowing God is in the big picture, but always in the little things, the details of our daily life.

We can expect to find God’s enduring love for us scattered in the little things along our paths in life every day.

“The Little Things” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Miniseries© September 25, 2013

In the Nick of Time

 

 

In the Nick of Time

 

When you run an old country store built back in the 1930’s, you learn to be hands on ready for anything. Thank the Lord, my husband Bill was a skilled handy man.  But from time to time he needed me help him out and on this particular occasion it was my pride that nearly caused a real big mess.

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 NIV

 

Bill had formed up an area next to the store to make a patio picnic area for our customers. The busy tourist season was just around the corner and it was time to order the cement for the patio and get the picnic tables set up and ready.  

 

Bill called me in the late afternoon yelling in the phone with excitement in his voice, “Get on your boots, grab the long handled trowels, the cement truck is on the way now! See if there is anyone nearby that can give you a hand at spreading the concrete until I get there.”

 

I wasn’t walking or moving around at my best that day. I had a very sore knee, in fact I was scheduled the next day to have knee surgery to repair an old injury! But I figured I could handle this little project until Bill arrived.  I wouldn’t need to call for anyone else to help.

 

 The concrete truck pulled up, the cement began to flow out the shoot and I started pushing on the long handled trowel with great gusto. Just as I pushed again I began to lose my balance and with flailing arms I was heading fast right into wet cement!

 

Suddenly I felt strong arms pulling me back rescuing me in the nick of time. When I was able to catch my breath and look around and I was very surprised to see it was our neighbor from across the road who saved me in the nick of time!

 

“Move over for heaven sakes and let me take over. This work load is too heavy for you,” he said picking up my tool and going right to work.

 

The Lord didn’t send just anyone to my rescue. Our kind hearted neighbor was a professional concrete worker and did this work for a living! He was on his way home after a long day’s work, saw my distress and drove his truck over quickly to give me a lift- in more ways than one.  My, how I appreciated the Lord’s perfect timing in sending me help.

 

I learned a lesson taught long ago in the Bible.  Pride hangs on, but faith lets go. Its faith in prayer that sends Jesus to the rescue in the nick of time. We can count on Him to share our load, and carry our heavy burdens, even when we try and carry them all by ourselves.

 

“In the Nick of Time” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© September 22, 2013

Friends and Kin

 

 Photo by Dee Kamp

 

Friends and Kin

We were sitting on the outside patio of a small restaurant sipping our tea enjoying the sunshine. As girl friends will often do, we were both talking and laughing at the same time perfectly understanding what the other was saying.  

The waitress came to our table paused and asked, “You two must be kin, maybe sisters? You look and laugh so much alike!”

We do laugh then, because for one thing, we certainly don’t look alike as family might. We thank her for the compliment that we should be thought as more than friends, because we are family— we are sisters in Christ.  

“There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said,

 “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.”

Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

Then he looked at those around him and said,

 “Look, these are my mother and brothers.

 Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

 Mark 3:32=35 NLT

Although Jesus cared and loved his mother and brothers, He also cared for all those who loved Him. Jesus never showed partiality; He allowed everyone the privilege of becoming part of His family. God’s family is accepting and doesn’t exclude anyone who chooses to believe in Jesus and choose do God’s will.

In a tender moment in my prayer time today I heard in my heart the Lord saying, “We are kin you and I, you know.”

Jesus is our most devoted friend, confident, comforter and constant companion. But more than that, we are His brother, His sister, His mother—He calls us His family, we are His kin.

It is with wonder and awe that we who love and trust in God live in the center of His heart, we are loved unconditionally and are forever called His friend, His family, and His kin.

“We can share with each other without being threatened by each other’s differences because we know that we are united by Christ, and this union is a union of love.”

Author   —Madeleine L’Engle

“Friends and Kin” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© September 10, 2013

Bit and Bridle

 Photo by: Dee Kamp

Bit and Bridle

A wispy ground fog was forming and floating about us as we walked near the gentle summer waves of the Pacific Ocean. Those who were walking toward us were barely discernible, more like shadows than normal human form.

I stopped a moment confused as to what was coming out of the fog. I stared and finally decided it looked like two people who leading a small horse our way.

^8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
⁹ Do not be like the horse or the mule which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
¹⁰ Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love
    surrounds the one who trusts in him.”

Psalm 32:8-10 NIV

As they drew closer I laughed, for it wasn’t a horse at all— it was a beautiful fawn colored Great Dane led by a bridle made especially for dogs.

It was a perfect picture for me for Psalm 32:8, which by Godly coincidence I had just read that morning in my devotion time.

As the dog and master drew closer I could see the beautiful animal was shy and uncertain in this strange and new environment. He had no former experience or knowledge of walking on the beach we learned as we visited with his owners.

“This bridle makes him feel secure and calm, but he really doesn’t need it, he loves and trusts us,” they explained.

How great is our God to provide for us His instruction manual for life, the Bible. And by His Word we too can rely on Him to walk beside us every step of the way, day in and day out. Our only job is to trust completely in Him and let Him lead us by His unfailing love.

No matter if we walk out of our comfort zone, if life leads us to strange places and strange peoples our Lord constantly walks beside us surrounding us in His unfailing love. Our only job is to be wise in His Word, trust and love Him to lead the way.

As with the Great Dane, no bit or bridle is necessary for those who love and trust in the Lord to lead the way.

“Bit or Bridle” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© September 9, 2013