Day 17~ Let the Main Thing be the Main thing~ Eye of the Storm

Welcome for another beautiful day in the Lord! I am so overwhelmed in sharing this devotional and reflection! If you are just first time reading through, we are discussing Joyce Meyer's book, "100 Ways to simplify your life."

Day 17~ Let the Main Thing be the Main Thing

Our scripture reading is from, 1 John 5:21," Little children, keep yourselves from idols(false gods)-[from anything and everything that would occupy the place in your heart due to God, from any sort of substitute for Him that would take first place in your life]. Amen (so let it be)."

The Eye of the Storm

There is something about the rain when it falls! As a child, I liked to play in the rain even much so as an adult(Don't judge). It seems after it rains, everything smells renewed and flourished. I was in NY when 911 happened. I was working in a small manufacturing plant as the janitor. I was on my coffee break and I felt my heart jerk as the radio airwaves moved to a news break of one plane hitting the World Trade Center at 8:50 am and soon after another at 9:00 am. I lived in upstate New York away from New York City but we were in a complete stand still where nobody could leave until it was cleared. Our factory had military contracts so people were scrambling from different departments and were preparing for anything that was needed to be done. I was in lock down. My family was living in North Carolina and I was in New York. After hours in lock down, I was able to go home but I was scared out of my mind. My bible was sitting on my coffee table when the lid flew open and I just started reading until I found this verse from Matthew 24: 2," 'Do you see all these things?' he asked."I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."(read from 1-14 of Matthew let that moment sink into your mind). I started to write a song called, " When it Rains" at first it was just music because I couldn't find the words to sing. In about a week or so, we had to serve thunderstorms kicking in from the east coast, hitting New York City and upstate New York. We had potential thunderstorms causing tornadoes to form and hit random spots. This particular day, it was storming when I got home from work so I sat down in my studio and started working on the song. I didn't have the news on the TV nor the radio on to hear anything. The rain had stopped and it was so still that nothing was moving. My phone rang and one of my friends told me to get out or get low and hung up. All of a sudden the cloud over the rail road tracks was black as tar and the wind started to sound like a freight train. I hauled my butt to the bathroom floor and held my head between my knees praying the Lord's prayer until the sound and the wind passed. Seconds, my side door flew opened, and I heard my neighbors called out ,"look at that" so I stepped out. I was looking up straight in the eye of the Storm, peace was all around me. I smiled said," Thank you God!" The tornado swelled up, and a cold rain fell instantly. Later that evening on the news, five minutes after that tornado hit a trailer park a few miles down the road from me. I went and was able to finish writing my song, " When It Rains."

Reflection~ Remember Your First Love

God is a jealous God! We read it in 2 Corinthians 11:2" I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him." I thought someone was supposed to be my husband back then but it turned out that he didn't have God nor was it  safe. God was trying to get my attention,but I was giving the benefit of the doubt until that day I saw the eye of the storm. God gives warnings and we have to be still to hear him! I want to stay there with God now! I had to learn that he is my first love always and even if he provides me a husband, it will be his time and in his way. 

"When you have nothing left but God, then for the first time you become aware that God is enough."~Maude Royden