i’ll take care of them

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God Cares The warm, glowing embers in the fireplace crackled welcomingly, pushing away the sounds of the cold, lonely, late-November winds outside the living room window. It was our last night in Chicago. We planned to pile our three sleepy kids in the old blue Chevrolet sedan at 3 a.m. and set out on a journey that would take us to an entirely different life. From our little church of 400 I-love-you-like-family friends, we were heading off to Florida—to a church of 5,000 people, most of whom we had never met before. As I lay there watching the dying embers fading softly, I wondered, “What will Mom do without me?” I thought about the whirlwind of change that had happened in her life in the last few months. One little word--cancer--had turned her life upside down. And it was only three months ago that my father had suffered his third heart attack. Just then the dying fire sputtered, and sparks lit up the almost-dark fireplace. As I watched the sparks slowly fade, God whispered in my ear, “I’ll take care of them--and of you too!” I smiled as I remembered the first time I had heard those words. It was three months earlier on a Sunday morning in a motel room in Florida. Jim and I had been invited to do a Singles’ Seminar at a large church in Florida. After the Friday evening portion of the seminar, the pastor invited us to go to dinner. At the restaurant he reached across the table, touched Jim’s arm, and asked, “Why don’t you and Barb consider taking the position of singles’ pastor here at our church?” That Saturday evening the pastor and his board made the offer official. Sunday morning Jim attended the first two worship services so that the pastor could introduce him to the congregation. I remained behind in the motel room. I was going to be picked up later for the third morning worship service. I prayed and agonized alone in that room for what seemed hours. Exhausted by my sobs and aware that I would soon have to get up, wash my face and make myself look respectable for my debut at the church, I lay there, unable to sob any more but feeling desperately alone and frightened. At that moment I felt arms “physical arms” encircle me. Thinking that Jim, who knew the turmoil I was feeling, had returned to the room to comfort me, I reached over to pat his arm. But there was no one there! No one I could see, that is, because at that precise moment I heard God speak to my spirit--Spirit to spirit--with these words: “I’ll take care of them! And I’ll take care of you and your family also. Just trust Me.” “I do trust you, God,” I whispered aloud. “You’re the fire that warms my spirit. You’re the fire that directs my path. You’re the fire that burns within me with the message that You have a glorious design for my life and for Jim’s life and for the lives of these three precious children. I don’t have to fear the cold, lonely winds outside. I’m inside Your love, inside Your care, and my parents are, too. It’s going to be all right.” Whatever the cold winds blowing in your life right now, never forget that God has encircled you--and your circumstances--within the warmth of His loving embrace. You and your loved ones are inside His love, and it’s going to be all right!