In Song of Solomon ( or Song of Songs) 2:15, the speaker says, Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard... (NLT) The old KJV says that it is the little foxes that "spoil the vine." I'm sure this is applicable to our attitudes, thoughts, sins, and things of that nature. But as a caregiver, I've been thinking about how it can be the seemingly tiniest thing that sets the day off on a wrong course.
Our days are full of all sorts of tasks, like ordering supplies, meal planning and preparing, transfers, therapies, and the list could go on and on for most of us. Our days are cram packed full of tasks, chores, thoughts, prayers, worries, cares, prayers, and meditations. It doesn't take much to throw a huge wrench in the mix and turn everything topsy turvy, including our emotions and thought processes. Managing the thoughts and emotions that come from a small hiccup in our day can feel enormous, even though our brain even acknowledges that it was little. But it often means we have to renavigate our entire day or even month. That can be so frustrating.
How do we deal with those little foxes then? Hmmm....
My mind goes to Isaac and how he was living in the time of a severe famine. (Genesis 26) He could have just stopped and given up, much like we are tempted to do from time to time. (Even though it's not really something we can do - we may think about it a little!) He did not give up; he did not look at the famine and refused to plant. He planted anyway. Do you know what happened? Verse 12 says that year Isacc's crops were tremendous! He harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted...(NLT) He just kept on doing and trusting God without wavering in the face of a famine. He saw the state of the land. He knew there was no rain. He knew nothing was growing for anyone! He planted anyway.
He kept his focus on God's provision instead of what he saw or maybe even felt. Right there in the middle of a severe famine, he planted. Doesn't it feel like we do that every day as caregivers? Our lives can be dry, feel barren, and even fruitless at times. But we just keep planting God's word in our hearts and trust Him to bring the seeds planted to fruition. He will do it every single time - even if we are staring down an emotional wasteland.
Today, I will trust God to bring fruit to this dry land. My meditations will be on His life-giving powers, and I'll lean in to listen to Him whisper peace to my soul. My thoughts will be on His life-giving breath that puts life in my soul. I'll hand Him all my worries, concerns, thoughts, and struggles while staring at the barren land, knowing that He will bring life and restoration to my dry soul. I'll trust Him for today and for tomorrow's fruit. Will you join me?
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