Faith

Security Blanket

As a little kid, I carried Grover through the house, through the city while making errand runs with Mom, and through the muddy back yard after it rained. I remember holding on to him so tight once, I lost my kite because of not wanting to release Grover. My brothers would tie him to the ceiling fan and play games to upset me. I sit and laugh at the way “things” can make us feel secure or insecure cause when we reach adulthood, those same things just don’t do it for us anymore. We face the calm or daunting nighttime silence. We open our eyes in the dark, and we reach. Thankfully there is something there. It’s not scary and it doesn’t have to be held tightly, named or dressed up! No it already has a name…The Comforter. Funny that blankets are called the same thing!

Security comes through putting our trust in things that won’t leave us. Insecurity develops through casting our total trust onto things or people who can leave, die, or just plain disappoint. When Jesus went away, He didn’t leave us all alone while He was gone. We were thought of and taken care of. God as our Father made us but has stuck by…preparing the earth, watering it, sunning it, etc. We have been equipped. Something dynamic takes place when we’re saved that doesn’t take place in any other happening! We are equipped with every good thing to combat every bad thing.

In each season of our lives where it seems everything that brings us security is going away, we are to blanket ourselves. So often, our response to true comfort won’t come unless the thing we depend on the most, leaves! Jesus said He was going away. If He didn’t, the Comforter would not have the chance to be all that He’s suppose to be. Jesus physically left us back in Matthew…but left us His peace in another form of Himself.

A couple years ago, a peculiar homeless man downtown Mobile became very interesting to me! He stood out because he had an extreme amount of “security blankets” packed and stacked, draped high on a buggy. When he parked himself around town, a huge, brown, old teddy bear sat beside him or behind the man as he rests. All I could think is this guy needs true comfort! One time, I went to Starbucks and got an extra “perfect oatmeal” for him and sat it on top of all those blankets while he was away from the cart. I absolutely loved sitting back to see this homeless man’s enjoyment once he discovered the warm oatmeal! It was great. He slowly opened the bag with toppings and stirred his oatmeal. I nervously prayed a simple prayer after stepping into his world and the stench of faded, unwashed blankets for a moment. The man looked around as he ate but never saw me and Ardo (our little white maltizoo) in the jeep behind some bushes at Walgreens!

Before I knew the “Comforter”, I went through very uncomfortable things not sensing relief. That is exactly how I began knowing I needed Him, whoever He was…It did not matter anymore that His name was kinda wild. The Holy Spirit. Now I was ready to have this Spirit because I had dealt with a spirit of turmoil and a spirit of defeat, so my reasoning was why not have some dealings with this so called peace comforter. I began studying and receiving. It made all the difference. Gradually I learned to lean on God’s principles and promises. Each time we see “hoarders” on t.v. or every time we notice someone over eating, etc., we ought to say a prayer of comfort for those people struggling. Even if you haven’t had those same exact trials, don’t think that you cannot help. My husband reminded me that Jesus was without sin and he helped us!

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 Praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. for just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows…”

One Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *