Superman Loves You and Me

 
Father's Day was today and we treated my father to a fun weekend.  It all began with watching the new Man of Steel movie. (Go see this movie if you like action and sci-fi.) My father is a big Superman fan.  And then we took him out for a steak dinner.  Needless to say he was very happy.

I love you dad.  Thank you for being such a faithful husband to my mother and for being available for us kids.  Thank you for teaching us the importance of maintaining a healthy relationship with the Lord and for being a role model in how Christians should live.

I am so blessed to have you in my life.

Anyway, back to the post!  A few days ago I had been struggling with worries about my future.  I find myself single and in my 30s.  Most of my friends have married or moved away.  My career, although I enjoy it, does not pay well.  And so, although I am debt free I don't have much in terms of financial support for my future. I'm thinking of going back to school for a second career.  My life right now is not how I envisioned it to be when I was younger.

I was worrying myself and getting frazzled with all the negative "what ifs" that could come along.

I was so upset I decided to get out of the house and spend some time alone with God and His word.  So I bought myself a small ice-cream with rainbow sprinkles (because rainbow sprinkles are awesome) and I drove to a nearby park.  Once there I found a quiet bench that overlooked one of the lakes and I sat down and took out my Bible and a notebook and I began to pray.

I was in a bad way and so very, very lonely.  There was no one I could talk to about how I was feeling, well, no one who could truly understand.  I knew I needed serious one-on-one time with God.  But I also knew that sometimes every day places could be a distraction.  That was why I visited the park.  I've only gone there a precious few times.  Each visit for me is significant.

The weather was gorgeous, there was hardly another person in sight!

There I sat, wondering what to read.  And so I prayed and asked God for suggestions.  Revelations came to mind.  So I flipped to chapters 19 and 20.  The new heaven and the new earth that are to come.  The bride of Christ.  The end of death, misery, suffering, and Satan.  God was reminding me of my ultimate destiny and how much joy and amazing things I will not only witness but participate in.

I started to feel better.  But God wasn't done speaking to me.

I found myself flipping to Psalm 37.  This is when He started addressing my specific fears and desires.

My greatest desire is to be able to care for my parents as they have cared for me.  As things currently stand I don't see how that will happen.  But verses 3 + 4 say, " Trust in the Lord and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.  Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."  

I thought, " Ah!  A promise!  Thank you Lord.  I needed that today."

And then God spoke directly to my fear of lacking what I need in the future.  Verses 25 + 26 say, "  I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.  They are ever giving liberally and lending, and their children become a blessing."

So this is how I should be thinking and living: giving and lending to others in need, and trusting God. 

So simple and yet such a challenge.  But God promises to move people and events, including myself, for the better.

Psalm 37: 5,  " Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act."

When I finally left the park, and that quiet bench, I felt renewed and full of hope once again.  My spirit had been lifted and I was ready to face whatever came next.  I know God was sitting on that bench right beside me.  I think He may have even had His arm wrapped around my shoulder as I read His word and wrote down my thoughts.

And as I was driving back home I remembered a scene from the movie I had seen the evening before.  Superman's father was telling him he had a purpose for sending him to Earth. 

" You will give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards... They will stumble.  They will fall. But in time they will join you in the sun."

And it is a nice thought.  But I know the true savior, Jesus Christ.  He was sent to earth and became the ideal man!  And anyone who believes in Him is saved.  It is true that we will stumble but we will not fall.

 Psalm 37: 23 + 24  " Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when He delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand."

In life we will all experience deep valleys.  Loneliness, sorrow, fear... they are unfortunate parts of our damaged humanity.  But God sees every direction our lives will go.  He even tells us our destiny! 

We cannot fail!  God is with us holding our hands!  We may stumble but we won't fall.  There may be sorrow in the night but joy comes in the morning.  Jesus is our morning star.  Our superman is real.  And yet with all His power and glory, He is so gentle and kind that He delights in spending time with a lonely, young, woman on a random park bench just to let her know she is loved.

Thank you Lord for your son,

thank you for being my father,

thank you for my earthly father,

and thank you for listening to me 

when I need someone to lean on.

You are always willing and waiting.

That means so much to me.

Happy Father's Day

~ Sincerity