Parents, What's Your Power Source? Words From COVID 19 quarantine

 Parents, What's your power source? Sitting in the wet grass at my childhood home repairing a weed trimmer extension cord in the light rain, listening to some Michael W. Smith on my Walkman knockoff cassette player, I had forgotten to unplug it first… the cord that is. I had just returned home from the “far country” of Atlanta after 7 years of rebellion that had started in college, however I had just had a powerful encounter with God who reminded me I was His child, but that I was acting like a child of the Devil. I had been reading His Word in my 365 Day Bible that my mother had given me before college. I tried to read it everyday in spite of whatever prideful or outright rebellious behavior I had engaged in that day. And then it hit me... “You have to get out of here…” “You need to go back home…” “You have to return to God and away from the sins that so easily entangle you.” So, I resigned from my position as Spirit Coordinator at Georgia Tech and returned home. I had the privilege of working with some really wonderful and brilliant students at GT, but I realized I was not mature enough to lead them. Though I went to church every other week or so at First Baptist Atlanta or All Saints Episcopal it was just a box to check off in my life to show that I was a “good person,” rather than a real connection with God. (Both churches happened to be within walking distance of my apartment that overlooked the Fox Theater.) So, sitting in the grass of my parent’s home repairing the electrical cord that I had just cut open with the weed trimmer, I got a pretty good ZAP as I touched both exposed wires while trying to twist them together and put some electrical tape on them. It quickly reminded me I had to disconnect the power source, because power still flowed through it when I completed the connection with my fingers. Fortunately my hand did not freeze to the cord, rendering me unable to let go. So, I unplugged the cord, repaired it, continued listening and singing with the Worship music and cleaned up the yard. I returned to my home church where they welcomed me back and my parents were so gracious to let me boomerang back home, like a bad penny, without judgement but with lots of love and prayer. Though I had plugged my headphones in to God with worship music and His Word, I had not fully disconnected from the influences that I had become entangled with in my years of rebellion. Thankfully, each time I completed the connection with the sinful nature, it became a very painful reminder that I no longer belong to that connection. Fortunately, God allowed my hand to let go of my demons… though some released more reluctantly than others. Even now, temptations can threaten my connection with God and I am pleased when He gently and sometimes not so gently reminds me that I belong to Him, that His hand is frozen to me and He will never let go…

Jesus was talking to a group of people who were asking if He was the One who could save them. He told them that those who belonged to Him were already hearing His Words of salvation and that His attachment to them was so mighty to save, no power could ever take them out of His hand. He says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” John 10:27-30 (NLT2) So, if you are tempted to pick up the cord connected to the wrong power source, be sure to disconnect it and listen for God’s voice. His hand is frozen fast to us, and He’s never letting go, so we gotta let go of those sins that threaten to harm us and make life painful for those we love and love us.

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for us all!

This is a condensed version of events in my return from rebellion... in a later post, August 30,2021 "Return to Me..." I include my broken engagement in the post as well.