Breakfast With Jesus

I mentioned to a very dear friend of mine recently how I have changed my devotional time to evenings because my mornings are just too rushed for me. I feel I'm at the drive-thru with Jesus instead of a sit-down full course meal absorbing every verse of every chapter of His Word.

I can't wait for the weather to get a wee-bit more warmer and the days to get longer so I can sit out on my patio with my coffee, Bible, birds and the fresh air. It's happening, just not at the rapid pace I'd like it to happen. 

I am finding I get more time with the Lord in the evenings these days. Because when I can't really soak in His word I find my life to be more crazier than normal. 

Let me explain.

Picture if you will two scenarios.

Scenario One:

Here is Jesus at the drive-thru taking your order, and there is random harsh static and you want to ask him to help you through a problem at work, and you are worried about your mortgage and you also want to ask him for healing of a loved one. 

Still more static.

Jesus is still trying to ask you, "What do you need? How can I help you?" But you are too busy calming little Joey in his car seat because his diaper is wet and you have to get him to daycare to get to work in 20 minutes, you are thinking about dinner and how you are going to get to Ross to get an outfit for the company Christmas party and your 12 year old needs braces and the list of prayer requests are getting longer and longer by the minute. 

Oh, Netflix just premiered that new episode of Sweet Magnolias finally. Can't miss that!

Your long lost friend from 3rd grade is calling...."Hello???"

Jesus is (PATIENTLY, I might add here) waiting for your reply, with a loving smile as He understands your frustration and knows how sometimes life can throw you some nasty curve balls, (because after all dear sister, one time He himself was human too) and He continues waiting for your response. Your phone begins to ring and it's work.  They need that report at 10:00 a.m. instead of noon. 

Jesus is still waiting.

Waiting for you to look to Him. 

Waiting for you to put that phone down. Waiting for you to stop worrying about things out of your control.

Still waiting.

You ask Him for the total of your bill He tells you it's all been paid for.

With a puzzled look upon your face, you drive forward as you apply your lipstick and fix your hair in the rear view mirror. 

You leave the drive-thru without your order.

Your day has turned into a hot, stinkin' mess.

You seem to be more frazzled than normal these days. Everything is just getting under your skin.

You complain a lot too. 

The woman you work with is too loud. 

Your boss is annoying and mean. Why do the neighborhood kids have to be so loud, it's 4 p.m. in the middle of summer. 

Your patience has basically gone out the window.

You aren't very kind to the woman in the car in front of you as you wave a finger around like a magician's wand at her when the light turns green, although it isn't your pointer finger you are waving around. 

Nothing is going right.

(or is it and you just don't see it?)

"God must be mad at me or something. Why is this happening to me?", you scoff as you head into work dropping your coffee on the ground as you attempt to open the door.

Here is Scenario Two:

You pull up at Denny's, turn off the engine, get out of your car and get little Joey out of his car seat. As you are walking up to the Denny's  you see Jesus at the door and He waves at you. He opens the door for you and Joey, and you smile and thank Him for doing so. He asks where you would like to sit and you say "How about a window seat so we can enjoy the view?" 

You place Joey in the high chair and hand him some crayons and some paper you found crumpled in your purse. Jesus is smiling and as you sit down across from one another, He sees that you are worried and asks, "What is going on today, you look as though you have a lot on your mind. How can I help you get through this?"

Well, I have an electric bill due on the fifth of the month and Joey needs to have his shots and I lost my insurance when I started this new job, because the old job was too far and gas is so expensive and I have to find a new sitter by the end of the month because my sitter now is moving to Antarctica, or somewhere like that, and I can't follow her to Antarctica and I have this hole in my sock and my toe is poking through it and it's driving me crazy but I couldn't change my sock because I had to get Joey and I breakfast here this morning because I haven't had a chance to go grocery shopping,  and we only have 30 minutes to eat, and I was going to go through the drive-thru but you called me and said you had something important you wanted to share with me over breakfast, so I rushed over as fast as I could. 

Whew...that's a lot to say without taking a breath, but Jesus heard it all.

Every.Last.Word.

He didn't look at His watch, or fidget in His seat.

His eyes, heart and mind were focused on two things; You and Joey.

As you are rambling about the bills, the job, the sitter and the long drives to and from work every morning, He picks up Joey's crayon that rolled on the floor and wiped his juice off the table when he spilled it (as most toddlers do) as His eyes were STILL focused on you and YOUR heart and what's on your mind. 

Because He is Jesus.

But He is not drive-thru Jesus, He is "sit down and relax and enjoy this moment with me Jesus" right now. Absorb every morsel of the Word and listen as God speaks to you in the calm of His presence.

Jesus tells you to read Philippians 4:13 and verses 6-8. You open your Bible and you feel a sense of calm rushing over you. 

Jesus reaches across the table and holds your hand, "My grace is sufficient for you and My strength is made perfect in your weakness".  He tells you that these trials you are facing are for God's glory and that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called for HIS purpose.

"Don't worry," He says, "I've got this. I've got you. Rest in the Word and know that no matter what happens I am with you always."

You breathe a deep sigh of relief.

Joey finishes pancakes. His face and shirt are covered in syrup.

Instead of freaking out, you laugh, hysterically because he is two and that is what two year-olds do and that is what makes them absolutely adorable and why you love Joey so very much.

You calmly wipe down his face and change his outfit before heading to the sitter's house. 

You thank Jesus for spending time with you and He tells you He was so happy to hear from you and to be able to spend time with you(and Joey).

You call the sitter to let her know that you will be a few minutes late getting Joey to her house. She says her husband's company won't be moving to Antarctica (or wherever it was, you can't remember) for six more weeks so that gives you more time to find a sitter. 

You have no clue who will watch them, but you aren't worried about it anymore either.

You call the orthodontist on your lunch and they say they can make payment arrangements for the braces and they can give you a discount as well for paying cash.

You head to the dollar tree for a pair of socks after you hang up with the orthodontist's office and then you call your doctor's office to see if there is somewhere you can get Joey's immunizations at a cheaper price. 

They give you the number to the local health department...free.

Yay!

The problems didn't disappear, your daughter still needs braces and you still need to find a sitter and pay the electric bill, but because you spent time with the Lord you KNOW without a doubt ONE HUNDRED PERCENT GOD WILL SEE YOU THROUGH THIS.

He doesn't make the rainy days or the worst storms in our lives disappear, but He does help to make them a little more bearable,  even when it doesn't seem like it at the time.

HE IS OUR STRENGTH and VERY PRESENT HELP IN TIME OF TROUBLE -Psalm 46:1

Lean on Him.

Spend time with Him, just YOU and JESUS.

But don't just do the drive-thru.

Sit down with Jesus and enjoy His company. 

His comfort.

His strength.

And most importantly, His Joy.

Because the joy of the Lord IS our strength.