Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Tent on a Rooftop

Again, again--life was going well, I thought I was heeding God but really wasn't putting much energy into Him, and things crashed. Crawling from the rubble, my hand came across His Word--and I opened my eyes to see.

Part of what He led me toward was an article by Elisabeth Adams in the Boundless webzine. "Into the Wilderness" started off with a blurb about visiting and living in Jerusalem, which always piques my interest. Then she began talking about the Feast of Tabernacles or, from my Bible memory, the Feast of Booths, which took place on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Imagine my joy as a child, reading that God had ordained a holiday to take place on my birthday. Imagine my disappointment when my mother pointed out that the ancient Hebrew calendar did not align with ours.

Adams' explanation is that the Feast of Tabernacles was meant to remind the people of where they had come from. They hadn't always lived in cozy houses with quick access to marketplace wares. They had lived in tents, had wandered in the desert...and the LORD had provided...

The bit that struck me in relation to current events in my life was the theme of Adams' statement, "I am always dependent on God: the desert just reminds me that I am."

I've done all I can in this current quandary. I've shaped my cozy house and know who will sell me the right stuff and how I can earn my keep. Yet a situation came along that reminded me that I am not in charge of my little world.

God is.

And I choose to be thankful for this tent.

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