In My Cell Phone I Trust

Mike has been out of town on an environmental field trip. Yeah, yuck is right. He's not gone very often, but when he is gone I stay up way too late. It's quiet in the house. Then I see news stories and hear noises. The first night I found that the lock on the sliding door was broken. And I wished we still had our dog. The one we had to get rid of because he was mean and aggressive. So I slept with my cell phone under my pillow.

The next night I was looking for my phone. At first I was just annoyed. The kids were talking to Mike and left it somewhere in the house. I wanted to send him a goodnight text. Then annoyance gave way to panic. Not only did we get rid of our dog, but also our land line. I'm not sure that was a good idea with my track record of losing small electronic devices like iPods, cameras and cell phones. What if someone breaks in or the kids get sick or there is a fire? I'll NEED my phone.

I checked to see if anyone was still on Facebook that could call me but no one was. Then I demanded or um prayed: Lord, Show me the cell phone! And could it be now because I'm tired and want to go to bed. Why wouldn't He? I hear of people praying to find things all the time. Why would he withhold security from me?

I could almost hear Him whisper: "I'm your security. I'm sovereign in your life. If something should go wrong in the night is that not under my control? Do you trust yourself and your cell phone or me, the creator of the universe?"

Well, when You put it that way. I'll take God. Of course. Hands down. It's silly actually that I choose to cling to things instead of my loving, powerful Savior. Even when I don't understand.
Sometimes in my life God has to strip away the things I cling to for security. Usually in bigger things than lost cell phones like a job or relationship or money to get me to fully rely on him.

"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings on the dawn,
If I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,'
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you."
Psalm 139:7-12

Jenna brought the phone into me when I was still in bed this morning. But I didn't need it: Message received.

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake." 1 Peter 1:18-20