Furnace Walkers

chris standing and looking me in the eye

This morning, I read the story of the Three Hebrew Children in Daniel 3. I love this story for many reasons. Like other passages of scripture, I always see something new when I read it again. Take a minute if you have one to read this story again. Let it build your faith.

The order went out for everyone to bow to the idol when the music played. These three chose to be furnace walkers rather than bow to the pressure of the day. We may not have a physical king who is trying to get us to bow to an idol, but our culture is constantly digging at us and trying to distract us from all things God. The king was so angry that they wouldn't cave into his evil desires that he ordered the fire to be stoked, ensuring their quick death. But it didn't go down that way at all.

Flames from the fire killed the men throwing the three Hebrew children in. (Miracle number one - it didn't touch them.) They fell in bound by ropes. (Miracle number two - they could not protect themselves in the fall - had no way to soften the blow - but they were uninjured.) Then, the king noticed there were four men in the fire instead of three. (Miracle number three - Jesus was in the fire with them!) In one instant, their faith made them furnace walkers.

As caregivers, every day can feel like a furnace walking day. Some days are hotter than others! But here we are, walking in the furnace of life, still clinging to faith. Furnace walkers are a rare breed. They face difficult circumstances. Furnace walkers have the tenacity to say - this may kill me, but I'm taking God in there with me! And right there, in the middle of the peace - they find a deeper relationship with God. They learn to walk in His peace, even though bound by the constraints life brings. They learn to trust God no matter how hot the flames get. And they lean into His heart and listen for His every breath. Yeah, you're a furnace walker, aren't you?

Today, I'll remind myself that God is in the furnace with me - He did not send me in alone. He's walking with me and won't bail no matter how hot the trial becomes. I'll take some time today to look back on this caregiving journey and reflect on those times when I knew He was with me. I'll use them to encourage myself to hang on for one more day and trust Him for one more walk in the fire. Will you join me?

Check out my website redo!

I just finished revamping the DFM bookstore. It's much easier to navigate. Check out the free download page (mostly there for caregivers, really!). And please sign up for my newsletter so you'll be the first to know when I release new materials!

Comments

Ups and Downs

Maybe it's just "that time of year" for me, but I've struggled a lot the last few weeks. I still affectionately call it the caregiver's fog. Lol. Okay, maybe it's not-so-affectionately. I know I can share my true feelings with you guys because you get it. You understand the day-to-day grind of caregiving. The military has a saying about there being no easy day. I think we live in that reality. It's just not easy caring for another whole person, is it? Caregiving presents many difficulties. We can find ourselves alone, so very alone on this journey. It doesn't just go away. We don't just work through it. It seems to go on and on. There are lots of ups and downs - and that can be about every 90 seconds some days. Right? (smile!) As I've been working through this emotional maze the last few days, I turned my thoughts to Daniel. Let's take a realistic look at his circumstances because as we read his story in the Bible, we tend to glamorize i

The Practical Side of Caregiving

This week, I've been reading the book of Acts. I am enjoying the journey of the early church. Can you imagine what it would be like if your church saw 5000 people saved in a day? Mass chaos would ensue as leadership tried to figure out how to serve that many people! It'd be great and difficult at the same time - kind of like caregiving. Lol. But yesterday, I got stuck in Acts 9 thinking about a practical caregiving issue. In verse 32, we read that Peter was traveling around and encouraging all the new believers. He came to the town of Lydda. Verse 33 says in the NLT, There he (Peter) met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. Now, the next verses talk about how Peter proclaimed healing, and the man just got up! That's so amazing. But my brain got stuck on some of the practical parts. Aeneas was paralyzed and bedridden. My mind compared the situation to my son, of course, even though he's not "paralyzed." I started wondering

Seasons Are Temporary

This morning, I found myself reading in Isaiah 28. I ended up there because I was looking for something in particular, and even though I didn't find what I was looking for, I found what I needed. God's so cool like that, isn't He? My eyes first fell on verse 29, which says in the NKJ: This also comes from the Lord of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance. I rolled that over in my mind and heart a few times and spent a few minutes thinking about how I'd seen His counsel in action in my own life. We've all had those times when we weren't sure what to do or where to go, and suddenly, an idea drops into our thoughts. There are many ways He provides direction for us. He may direct our steps through a passage of scripture, a trusted spiritual leader such as a pastor, a YouTube teacher, and maybe even a lowly blog writer. Lol. No matter how He chooses to deliver His counsel, it comes - but we must listen. After I had rolled these thoughts and t

Daily Devotions for Caregivers

Search This Blog