Pillar of Salt

Hello.  This is Julie blogging today.

Halloween is tomorrow!  At our house that means getting costumes finished, gathered, ect.  This year Jackson is going to be a race car driver, Kate - Queen Victoria, Landon - a football player, Isaac - a soldier, and Jonah - the old man from the movie Up.  When I've got the time, I really do enjoy creating costumes for the kids.  This blog entry is about a lesson God taught me while making Jonah's costume.
So here's the story.
                                                    Glynne found this picture on Pinterest...

and we just knew Jonah had to be this for Halloween.  So, I asked Bryan if he would make the walker part.  Even though he's been really swamped lately, he happily sat down and drew out detailed plans and off he and Kate went to the hardware store.  When I got home later that night, he had the walker done.  Jonah adored it!! Pushed it all over and would not let anyone else touch it.  But...it didn't look like the walker in the picture. 

Pause on that story...and join me in a different one - Lot's wife in the Old Testament.  (I know...bear with me...it'll make sense in a second!)  I've always thought - why didn't she just listen to God?  God told her not to turn around and look back at the city he was destroying or he would turn her into a pillar of salt.  Dumb woman.  How hard is it not to look???  Well...back to Jonah's walker.

I saw the Pinterest picture laying on the counter and the H.S. (Holy Spirit) said, "Do not say it!  Do not say it!  Just keep it to yourself."  Julie: I know it's wrong to say this.  I know it's wrong to say this, but I WANT to make it known.  "You know the walker you made does not really look like the one here in this picture.  I thought it was going to look like this Pinterest one."  Silence.  Bryan:  Quietly.  "Well mine is better because it has wheels."

Ouch.  Why did I have to say that?  Why couldn't I have just kept those words to myself?  Essentially, I was telling God, I don't want to listen to you. I want to do things MY way.

Ok.  Back to the pillar of salt story.  Now I can sympathize with her situation.  It is EXTREMELY difficult to stop doing something when you are downright bent on doing it. I no longer see her as the dumb woman who just had to look.  I see myself.  If God would've said at our kitchen bar that night "You keep on going down this track and I'll turn you into a pillar of salt," I would've been very salty.

It's hard to be presented with our faults, but I'm glad God reveals them.  I believe he does this not to make us feel badly, but just the opposite.  He loves us deeply and wants to make us more like him because he knows we'll be happier. Next time I'm in a situation where I need to exhibit tongue control (living with 8 children and a husband that will be sometime in the next 5 minutes), I will be grateful he cared enough to reveal himself to me - while soaking in the bathtub.  Hey, I know it's crazy but it's hard to find a quiet place to hear God's still, small voice!

                                                              Have a great Halloween!!