Help from the Hills?

 

One of the first scriptures that I was able to grasp hold of after my son's accident was Psalm 121. I spent day and night in the ICU waiting room for just over 3 weeks. Even though I was taught in the word and had taught the word for years, I was at a loss. As many of you know, that kind of trauma can knock the air out of your body, soul, and spirit! Mostly, we sat and waited for word from the nurses or doctors. Numb. I know most people experience this at some point in their lives.

At some point during the first two weeks of the ICU waiting room life (that was a journey itself!), I read Psalm 121. I realized my son was getting very good care. But I knew that the expert medical staff was not my help. I remember thinking about how God was my help and I tried my best in that numbed-out state to life my eyes to God.

As a caregiver, you know that there really are no easy days. Am I right? There are just days that are a bit better than others, and that looks so different for all of us. Well, this week has been one of those weeks. My son spiked a temp over 103 and we ended up spending most of one night in the ER running tests. I'm happy to say that all is well and we were not admitted! That's a huge win! But we came to an all-too-familiar standstill while he recovers from whatever is going on. 

This morning, I found myself back in Psalm 121 and in God's faithful norm - He used it to encourage me once again. I'll do the next few posts as a deeper look at this powerful ascension psalm.

The psalmist begins with I will look to the mountains - does my help come from there? This thought was likely penned as the traveler was reaching Jerusalem, which is surrounded by mountains. The journey was an annual one and a requirement for the Israelites. Even though they were in the very act of obeying God and getting closer to their destination - the psalmist realized that the beauty of the mountains before them wasn't the point of the trip. The purpose was to meet God in Jerusalem.

Psalm 125:2 comes to mind, which says that the Lord surrounds His people just like the mountains surround Jerusalem. What a beautiful sight it must be! But the physical mountains offer no strength. They offer no help. It is indeed the God surrounding us that helps our souls.

Today, I will remind myself that even in the middle of my messy life, God chooses to surround me and help me. It's more about finding Him in the journey than arriving at a spot in time or on earth. I'll remind my soul that I will not find help in home health (funny thought). No one person is going to come to my soul's aid today - but I will find that God is still surrounding my soul - He is indeed my help. So, I'll lean in a bit closer today and listen for His heart, His breath, and I'll follow after that today and let Him breathe His strength into my soul as I trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

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