God-Smacked

October 14, 2011 Carol Moncado

Like gobsmacked. But by God.

[Gobsmacked means astounded or astonished, by the way. In case you weren’t 100% sure. Like me. 😉 And it’s derived from the words gob [apparently Irish for mouth] and smacked [to hit] – but that’s a bit easier to figure ;).]

So God’s been smacking me upside the head with some stuff lately.

Janice Thompson mentioned something the other day about God preparing her for “Such a time as this”. Okay. Cool. And I love Janice’s books. So it’s all good.

But then Jody Hedlund [who I also love!] was on a blog called “Esther’s Destiny: For Such a Time as This“.

And if that weren’t enough… I was sitting at Panera on Tuesday and the ladies at the table next to me were Bible-studying and guess what I heard them mention in between songs?

You got it.

Esther 4:14 – For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” [NIV – bold added]

I talked to the ladies for a minute when they were done and they were quite pleased to hear that they’d encouraged me as well.

So, okay, God. You’re preparing me for something. For such a time as this. I’ve not heard the phrase in… well, I don’t know when the last time I really noticed it, but three times in two days? Time to sit up and listen.

And then… Yesterday on my way to work, the words of Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns resonated with me.

But the giant’s calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I’ve tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me, time and time again, “Boy, you’ll never win.”
“You’ll never win.”

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, “Do not be afraid!”
The voice of truth says, “This is for My glory”
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.

Easier said than done, right? Well something Ruthy* said over on Seekerville resonated with me and we emailed. She said the things I needed hearing. Reminding me that stinkin’ thinkin’ has no place in a child of the King. A joint heir with Jesus.

I’m getting there. Really. Well, sort of. I’m trying.

Yesterday’s positive thought of the day on my local Christian radio station was Jeremiah 31:25, from The Message:

I’ll refresh tired bodies; I’ll restore tired souls.

And it spoke to me as well. Except I was tired. Both mentally and physically. And to know that God promises to refresh and restore? Pretty incredible. Especially after the very down day I had Wednesday. I could use refreshing and restoring!

How it all ties together?

I’m not entirely certain. Except I know God is in this thing. Whatever it ends up being. That my certainty of being rejected forever is completely off-base. Sure, the proposals I sent out in the last couple of weeks may not end up in offers of representation, but I’m supposed to be writing. I know this as sure as I know my name. Surer than that sometimes ;).

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” [NIV]

Does that mean He’ll give you what your heart desires? Or that He’ll place the desires in your heart in the first place?

I’m not entirely certain, but either way this is the desire of my heart.

So it’s off to the Word file to pray the words will come. And to use banana clips. Because apparently the 80s are coming back. New York Times best-selling author Erica Vetsch**said so.

And because both the book and this post needed a touch of comic relief ;).