Behind and Before
One of my friends just had a brand new beautiful baby girl.
Celebrating new births always makes me think of Psalm 139. It’s definitely one
of my most marked-up psalms! I also had Jeremiah 1:5 running through my head. Before
I formed you in the womb, I knew you. I read back through Psalm 139 again,
it’s got so many encouraging spots in it if you haven’t read it in a while,
it’s a great read for today!
This whole psalm is great, but a couple of things stuck out
to me this morning in particular. In the first verse, David says O Lord, You
have searched me and known me - and
I added a note in my margin – “And it’s okay!” It’s okay that He knows our
thoughts, our words before we speak them, when we get up and when we get down.
I’m quite alright with Him seeing and knowing every part about me and my days.
You see, He sees those parts no one else sees. As a personal
example, I maintain a FB page for my son’s progress. I post to it every day or
so as he does something notable like standing alone, moving something new, or
making new sounds. What I don’t post are the in-betweens. You know, those days
he doesn’t do something remarkable and I am sitting around wondering what I’m
doing wrong, if I’m doing enough – totally second-guessing myself. I leave
those days out – so no one sees the struggle side. All I share and all they see
are those great moments.
But God sees past all that. I’m sure He monitors social
media lol – so He is aware of the progress notes I keep updated on Chris. But
He sees far past my posts – and sees when my heart is discouraged when I’m
feeling defeated. That’s a place no person is allowed to go. I keep it hidden
in general. But God sees it – He knows.
Maybe that’s why on down in verse five David says this: You
have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand on me. He knows
my thoughts – the good, the bad, and the ugly! He sees when I start spiraling
down in my emotions and despair tries to set in like rigor mortis to the soul.
It’s easy most of the time to keep those emotional parts of the caregiving
journey to ourselves. But He knows. And He has already prepared to walk through
it with us.
Early on I told my son I was committed to the journey. I
whispered in his ear, Chris, I can’t walk this for you, but I will
walk it with you. God cannot walk this journey of life for us – but
He is certainly committed to walking it with us. Behind and before – He’s got
us covered. Actually, He’s already walked it before us – and He just comes in
behind us to undergird us and provide strength and encouragement to our souls.
Today, I will meditate on how God is behind and before – how
He is committed to this journey I am on – this journey you are on. He willingly
walks it with us. He’s already been through today – and made a way for us to
continue trusting Him in spite of the storm. I’ll turn my thoughts to how He
truly understands what makes me – me. He knows my thoughts when they only leak
out as tears, and He doesn’t run away. He continues to walk with me and wait
for me to come to Him. I’ll be thankful for His patience with me as I trust Him
for one more day – will you join me?
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