Say So

At any Young Life camp on the last night you have a "say so". Psalm 107:2 says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so" another version says "Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story" and YL pauses to let campers talk about what the Lord did that week at camp. Anyways, this is how God spoke to me at Trail West and I need need to say so.

 This was my nightly view in Colorado.  

 Aren't the stars beautiful and majestic? And yet I could have totally missed seeing this had I not gone outside and looked up. I literally felt like God was whispering "look up Melissa, look up". 

Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. Isaiah 40:26

And He brought him (Abraham) outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Genesis 15:5

I love that Abraham got a sign with a visual reminder and the more I thought about it, it reminded me of the part of The Silver Chair (from the Chronicles of Narnia) where Polly and Eustance were called into Narnia, met Aslan, got instructions or signs for their mission, which was to save the lost prince of Narnia and that they would know their way by following the sign Aslan had given them.


“But, first, remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.”

So, as I mulled on the verses above and was away on my mountain I could totally relate to what Aslan was saying that "here on the mountain the air is clear and your mind is clear". I mentioned it in my Trail West post that I purposefully unplugged as much as possible, which wasn't hard because we didn't have a great internet connection anyways, but still. I also didn't have to cook, clean, or plan anything for a week and by the end of the week I literally felt like I could hear God again. The second part he kept whipsering to me was "Look up Melissa, look up and remember. Remember what I have done for you. Remember how I have proven faithful. Remember."

I can definitely say that the "air is thicker" here in Austin with all the distractions and to dos, but that is where the second part is so important to remember. I can't make the day-to-day burdens go away and I still find it hard to have joy for example as I am changing all the bedding for the second morning because of an over night accident, but it goes a long way to remember "my signs". One of which is when I prayed in the front parking lot of Galindo Elementary discouraged trying to get a teaching job. Wouldn't you know that 6 months later I had a 5th grade job at Galindo. Funny thing was that I somehow didn't connect that prayer to Galindo because for the first 6 weeks or so I parked in the back of the school. It wasn't until I was running late one day and parked in the front (in the same spot) I prayed that prayer and was pretty much blown away. I will never fully know why God waited to answer that prayer, but I think he wanted to show me how much I would enjoy 5th grade as opposed to Kindergarten, which I was certain I was supposed to pursue. I would have also totally taken the credit had I just gotten the job, so maybe it all happened so that I would know that He did it. Kinda reminds me of the story of Gideon- "And the Lord said to Gideon that the people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself" Judges 7:2 God then whittles the army down from 32,000 to 10,000 (which was still too many to 300). Those 300 then went on to win by blowing trumpets and breaking pitchers.

ALL THIS TO SAY, I know God has a purpose for this phase of my life and that if I could just jump to the next phase that I would take credit for something or not have learned something I need to or not grown in some way, so while I am here I need to be content and remember the signs. So this is nothing new, but I felt very clearly God was telling me to remember this. The last part of the Psalm 107 verse that I started with is this "Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord".