Into the storm...
The
Preparation of the Heart
The preparation of the heart and the answer of the tongue, is from the
Lord.
Proverbs 16:1
While searching
through our library for a particular book, I dislodged
several other books that tumbled to the floor. A letter fell from the pages of
one book, a single sheet tucked in a card, kept for some forgotten reason. The
date was July 1993, nineteen years earlier!
Curiously, I studied
the card. It was a rendering of a herd of buffalo heading into a storm. The
skies were dark, intense, the approaching storm threatening. However, the lead
buffalo was leading the herd directly into the center of the storm, a little
ahead, ready for whatever lay in the shadowy storm. The notation from the sender
read, “I wish to be more like you; steady in the face of the storm, leading
others through.” I wondered at the words, trying to remember the reference.
How many times
has God prepared the heart for what is to come, for what lies beyond our
ability to see? I recall countless times when God orchestrated a unique and
personal preparation, a divine work upon my heart. It is beyond my ability to
comprehend His gentle caring for my needs, desiring that I should succeed in my
spiritual journey. Even though I do not always understand His ways, I know that
His love for me is real and I find Him in those private moments when, unknown
to me, He orders my steps, walking before me in the misty and nameless beyond.
I sensed that
God was preparing my heart for a storm. I must press into the wind and rain, go
through the storm to the other side of the darkness. To run from it would be
futile. I could never outrun those menacing clouds or go around the vast
perimeter of the tempest. I must press into it, go directly through it, face its
terrors, and conquer my fears.
Discovering the
card and note nineteen years later was no accident. Once again, God was
preparing my heart, showing me the way I must go. I would trust Him to guide me
to the other side. I know that in my own humanity, I am not wise enough, not
brave enough, not strong enough to find my way, but with God beside me, I am
able.
Ignorance, pride, and self-flattery would make
me a poor judge of my own conduct in a stressful world, but God, who
understands the heart, prepares it to receive the grace He offers, to triumph
through every storm of life.
©ruthellinger2012
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