"WANTED: A changed atmosphere"......

Happy first Sunday of 2007! I must say since my last post, I have been feeling a bit better....people must be praying for me! If you're one of them, thank you!

This picture was taken while we were on our vacation last August. I posted it this week because I loved the way this little goat stuck like glue to the other.....the older goat looks so proud to protect and guide the little young kid.....it blessed me. Anyways.........

You might be wondering "Bethany, what's with the title?"

Well, this morning my father-in-law shared on "changing our atmosphere" in our communities from an atmosphere of the world, to one immersed in heaven......no, not streets of gold, angels playing harps and mass quantities of chocolate....but our communities full of the presence of God...healings, miracles, overwhelming joy, great peace, strength and glorifying God amidst trials and suffering, joining with others to alleviate the sufferings of others, etc. While he was sharing this blessed hope, I couldn't help but be reminded of a long conversation I had with a boy in our group home......

He's only 9, but struggles with more worries and issues than most adults struggle with in their entire lifetime. He is a booger at times, but he is a very genuine person, honest and real no matter what it costs him.

Last night he was anticipating a horrible night of bad dreams, sleepwalking, fear, and restlessness. He cried and tried everything he could to get out of having to sleep. He brushed his teeth twice, needed milk...then needed WARM milk, then a glass of water, some tissue, a new nightlight, a new blanket, the windows locked, the bathroom door shut, the bedroom door open, a second pee, a new book just in case he couldn't get to sleep, a stuffed animal, ANOTHER blanket, his coat and bag blocking the bathroom door cracks.......AAACCKK! I was spent....but as I began to FINALLY tuck him in, he started to share his fears......

One by one, he let the fears come out...his fear of being a bad boy and not pleasing his family, of disappointing God, of wondering why he was even born, of being frustrated that he was such a wimp, of never seeing his dad again, of God hating him, of boogie-men trying to break into his room, of aliens trying to get his attention by knocking on his window (it was just the rain). Whew. This kid was nervous and scared of EVERYTHING......After 45 minutes of letting him ramble about every injustice in his life, he ASKED me to change his atmosphere. He said, "B, what can you do to make it go away?" I thought he'd never ask.

I said that I couldn't take away his fears, but that I knew the guy who could. I first explained that God made him the way he was for a reason and that God knew exactly who and what he was going to be long before he was even born....he then asked why God would make such a big mistake by making him so naughty and full of fear....an honest question! The truth is, God made him just the way He wanted him to be, but without fear. The fear he felt was a result of another guy....satan. I told him that satan often tries to get us to stay awake all night fearing that God hates us and wants to punish us, but that isn't who God is.....I recited 2 Timothy 1:7,
“For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” God does not put fear into us! He calls us His kids! Our boy didn't believe me. He said, "B, can you write those verses down for me and show me where they are found?"

"Oh yeah!" I said. I printed out Psalm 139 for him and translated it into a kid-friendly version and stuck it in a Bible bookmarked to Psalm 139 and 2 Timothy 1:7. He read the passages and began to cry when he read that he is "fearfully and wonderfully made...without mistake". I told him again that it was the truth. He had trouble believing God really actually liked him. How sucky is that....to believe God hates you!? That's heavy!
The two of us prayed and even told satan to take a flying leap back to where he came from and thanked God for His protection and His love. The atmosphere of his room changed....it really did! Heaven reigned in his room.

This morning, our boy woke up claiming that he only woke up twice just to read the passages I'd given him and then he fell asleep again without any nightmares! What a joy! He later shared that he was REALLY glad that he knew God didn't hate him and wasn't disappointed with him. What a change. His life humbles me. I will miss these boys when we move.

Be blessed and read Psalm 139 again and think about how God REALLY sees you!