I Go to the Rock

We were on our way. Wind in our hair, the radio blaring another Veggie Tale tune, and a little time on our hands. Summer was in full swing and our plans were becoming a reality.
Suddenly, Hunter said something that his scientific mind had come to realize.
“You know, Mom,” Hunter reflected, “everywhere you go, there’s rock underneath you.”
Hunter’s random statements, especially ones that pertain to nature, usually don’t cause me to pause and think. Often I hear a simple “Guess what?” and I know he will tell me about the migration of a roly-poly or a particular food that crickets eat. Parker always chimes in with a similar comment about the bug being “cute” or “he’s just a baby.”
However, this time, Hunter’s comment about rock being underneath us all the time made me stop. The idea--rock underneath me everywhere I go--stayed with me. I thought about the journey that my life has been and through it all, I can honestly say that it is true--God, my Rock, has been with me, all around me, and supported me--even when I was in areas I didn’t need to be. God has always been faithful.
As a single parent, I sometimes feel alone in my life. Decisions about many things--work, finances, future plans, even what’s for supper--are made with a little input from my kids and a lot of it by myself. If I’m not careful, the pity party will begin. I start believing my ever-changing emotions instead of resting in God’s Word. I stop believing all the Truth that God tells me everyday and kick and cry like a spoiled child. At that moment, if I were a cartoon drawing, I’d have a big cloud hanging over me or a grumbling scribble above my head. It is in those moments that I forget that God is with me all the time.
In Psalm 27:5 in the Amplified Bible, God says, “For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter: in the secret place of His tent will He hide me: He will set me high upon a rock.” He commands me to “Be strong, courageous, and firm“…because He reminds me “for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6). Best of all, I can have confidence in the fact that “the Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower” (Psalm 18:2).
When I am reminded of His presence, then clouds of self-centeredness fade and I begin to see more clearly. I become more confident in that everywhere I go and in every twist and turn in my daily journey, Jesus is with me. I also notice some things I‘d been missing--people. Some people are with their spouses, their family, and their friends. However, all of them are souls who are looking for acceptance, security, and kindness. I see spirits longing to be spoken to, included in a group, and recognized as someone of worth. That is when I think about Hebrews 13:2 which says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
This summer my sons and I will travel to many places, even if it’s just the backyard. This upcoming school year will welcome many adventures that we never fathomed. I can go confidently in the direction that God has planned for us since the Rock is underneath us everywhere we go. “Blessed be my Rock: and let God of my salvation be exalted.” (Psalm 18:46).