My Safety Deposit Box is Secure

For years, my husband and I had many important documents in a safety deposit box at our bank. Ours held only documents, but my dear friend had some very precious, rare, expensive jewelry in hers. I wondered "Why have those items if they can't be worn or used?" But to both of us, we didn't want to risk our items being stolen, broken, or burned up, so we took them to the bank and entrusted it all to the protection of a safety deposit box.

The key word is ENTRUSTED. We entrust our home's protection to a security system. We entrust the care of our children to a day care or school system. Even more than a bank lock box, our home's security system or our children in someone else’s care, whatever we entrust to God, we can be assured that He is going to take care of it. We can count on it. He has a perfect track record. Other people and systems may not have a consistent track record of taking care of things for us. But whatever we entrust to God, we can be assured “It’s done and done!” A long time ago when we were young, inexperienced and green in just about every area of life, we entrusted all we had to God – and that included what concerned us – from the huge pressures to the daily details of making ends meet.

Maybe today there are worries, concerns, family, children, husband, wife, and every situation that is on our minds today that need to be entrusted to God. All of it – from the least to the greatest – needs to be entrusted to the safety deposit box of God’s love.

Worry is, in a way, like atheism. We act like spiritual orphans who don’t have a Father in Heaven Who loves us and Who can be trusted. Worry is unbelief. It’s saying we don’t believe the thousands of promises God made in His Word. The most difficult time for us to put our "stuff" in God’s safety deposit box is when we’re in pain. When we are suffering, we don’t want to trust even God. We want to pull it back and hold it to ourselves. St. Paul knew this, but he also knew that when we’re in pain, that’s when we need to trust God the most: “I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that He is able to guard what I have ENTRUSTED to Him until the day of His return.” (2 Timothy 1:12)

Maybe, like me, you need to take all those concerns and worries today – let them go, give them – ENTRUST them to God’s safety deposit box. That's when we have been convinced God is alive and well and He can be TRUSTED to work ALL THINGS for our good in due season.

Welcome to my Wild Frontier!

Maybe not the frontier, but it’s sure been wild at my place. I have felt like Annie Oakley in my determination to rid my home of an outlaw squirrel. This wildlife adventure began several weeks ago when I heard scratching outside my window. I went out to my patio and saw all kinds of wood shavings on the ground. I spied the evil varmint who was cozy in-between my pergola and roof eaves. I shewed him away using a can of bug spray (not harmful to animals) to deter him and he was gone for a week. The next week he returned. I shot my spray and he left again. This went on for a few weeks but no more wood shred because of my keen eagle eyes and ears. But when I went to Austin for a week and returned home, that critter had succeeded in chewing out a 6” x 3” hole, quite adequate for his home in my attic! His tactics were made clear when I heard rustling above my bedroom."Vengeance is mine" saith Donna (rather Annie!).

I sought Dr. Google's advice and found others who had squirrel invasions and how they rid themselves of the nuisance and destruction they can cause. They said, "Use mothballs, fox urine (gasp), animal deterrent spray, a cage trap or get a remove-a-pest company (and plan to pay $250 to $500)." A friend told me I should be glad that I only have one squirrel. He had two squirrels and a possum in his attic! WHAT???

My accomplice, Denise Gerrich, and I went to Lowe’s and found an animal deterrent spray. When an animal smells it, it triggers their natural instinct to escape. When we got to my home, we made sure the rascal wasn't in the attic and then in my best Annie Oakley sharpshooter form, I proceeded to spray the animal deterrent all over the eaves and pergola. The smell was ghastly. I can see why it makes an animal run in terror!

That was a week ago. It's quiet now at Donna's wild frontier. When scurrying up trees, that cute, little furry guy was a friend, but when he started messing with my domain, my peace, my comfort, and MY frontier, he became my foe. Like that annoying squirrel -- so is the enemy of our souls. He pesters us and gnaws away at our hearts and minds trying to invade our thoughts with concerns, doubts, and worry. It can be incessant and troubling -- just like that pesky squirrel. We can let our concerns get to us or we can let go, and let God do what He is best at. What I’ve come to know is worrying gets us nowhere and gives us nothing but sleepless nights and destroys our peace of mind. God’s Word says: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Our best defense against annoying intruders or circumstances that try to steal peace is doing what we can and get on the offense instead of letting the enemy take over. Seal up and fortify the weak places, like in my roof AND in our hearts. We apply covering to the vulnerable places to protect our roof and we apply prayer and God's Word to our heart. He will give us His peace that’s beyond anything we can understand. His peace will guard our hearts and minds against the anxieties that can be as persistent as that squirrel. I’m hopeful that the squirrel has moved on to another frontier. I'm also hopeful and determined to be on guard against the enemy of my soul! "Be clear-minded and alert. Your opponent, the devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

Let's Play Hot Potato With Our Cares

Do you remember playing the game of “Hot Potato” as a child? We got in a circle and we tossed around a small ball, instead of a potato, but the object was to pretend it was a a very HOT potato. It was way to HOT to hold so we wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible. Either music was played and stopped or someone was designated to shout out “HOT” and whoever was holding the “potato”….er…ball, would be out of the game. It was a great opportunity for practicing motor skills involving eye-hand coordination and catching.

I think it's time for us, as adults, to play that HOT potato game with the worries, concerns, challenges, fears, intimidations and any other adverse taunts that the enemy sends our way. He plays games with us, so why don’t we play games with him? When we play offensively against our arch-enemy #1, with the power of God’s Word and His Spirit within us…..he will be the loser every time. 1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” I love that. Casting is like playing Hot Potato – getting rid of that potato as soon as possible, and getting rid of our worries and anxieties by casting them on He Who is our worry-bearer, our care-bearer, and all our other concerns-bearer.

Anything that causes us anxiety takes a lot of space in our brains. Let’s trade those thoughts for “I am expecting things to turn around for me. I am expecting blessings. I am expecting the answer to my problems. I am expecting God to take over all my concerns. I am expecting good things coming my way. I am a faith-filled, fully devoted follower of Christ, therefore, there is no space in my place for doubt and worry. I can’t help but overcome because THE GREATER ONE LIVES in me and occupies ALL that space in my brain, in my thoughts and in my actions. I speak to the enemy “Liar, Liar – pants on fire – you lose. I win, because I am on the winning team!