Recently Gaylon and I spent the day at Dauphin Island, Alabama, celebrating our granddaughter Alana’s birthday.  It was such fun!  The girls had no idea we were coming.  They heard a knock on their hotel door and opened to find Papa and Granny standing there!  The excitement and giggling made our day!

On Saturday morning we went down to the beach for the day.  Alana loves the beach, so her parents granted her wish for a beach day.   From the car to the beach was quite a hike, as we walked to the end of the pier, and then down a flight of stairs, and across the white sand. 

After bathing in sunscreen, and getting things set up, we settled in for a fun day.

Did you know there is very hot sun at the beach?  It’s true!  Very hot sun!  I didn’t plan very well, because I rarely get in the sun anymore.  I definitely should have brought a beach umbrella. 

As time passed, I got hotter and hotter.  The girls were having a blast, and I enjoyed watching them and helping them look for shells.  I watched as their mom helped to build a drip sand castle.   These girls were so happy.

Did I mention that the sun gets very hot?

Time seemed to go in slow motion after the first couple of hours. The sun was beating down on me, and I wanted relief.  Finally, clouds came into the area, covering the sun’s hot rays.  There was no rain, just a cloud cover, and it stayed for quite a while.

That cloud cover was my best friend that afternoon. 

Yet, there were others who wanted the clouds to go away. They wanted the hot rays beaming down. To them it was a part of the enjoyable day at the beach.  Those seeking tans wanted the rays to come back.  They were praying for clouds to go away, and I was praying for clouds to stay.

To one the cloud was a blessing, and to another the cloud was a nuisance.

Sometimes when we pray about situations, it’s easy to pray for an answer that would be a blessing for me.  Yet, we forget that God is listening to millions of prayers, and is orchestrating how they will be answered, and the timing of those answers.  I’m praying for clouds to bring relief, and someone else is praying for clouds to go away. 

Praying takes more than faith; praying also takes trust – trust in a God who is working all things together for my good, but also for the good of others who are praying.    It takes trust to believe God knows when the clouds are a blessing, and when they need to be gone.  

In life there are clouds of disrupted schedules, unresolved issues, family issues, health crises, daily stress, unsettling moments, problematic people and just plain old aggravation.  My prayer is:  God, take this away!  Is He listening?  Absolutely!  He is also orchestrating the greatest use of the clouds of life.  My cloud that is a curse might be the very cloud that blesses another to see this great God that we serve. 

Are the clouds rolling in on you?  Trust God to use them and remove them as He determines.  “Yes, clouds will come. They are part of the fabric of life. But by God’s grace we need not be depressed by their presence. Like the misty billows that float above us, they protect us from the brightness of the sun; they reveal the glory of God, and from their lofty height God speaks to us. Like the children of Israel, we are travelers to the Promised Land. As the Israelites traveled through the wilderness, the Bible says, “The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way” (Exodus 13:21).” – Billy Graham

Have I ever mentioned that I have a granddaughter named Madison Benton?  I know, I know – only ten thousand times!  Madison has brought me so much joy and has taught me a lot.  Out of the mouths of babes!  We love our grandchildren.

For a while, Gaylon’s mother lived with his sister Sheila.  One Sunday the whole family was able to be together.  All my sons and their families were even able to be there.  Madison loved Grandma Benton (Gaylon’s mother)!    When Madison walked into the room and saw Grandma Benton, she went over to the chair where Grandma was sitting to give her a hug, and then sat with her for a while.

Grandma Benton, at that time, wore a necklace that was connected to the alarm system of the house.  Should Grandma have difficulty and need help, she could press the button on the necklace which would notify the alarm company; however, the alarm company was the only one who could hear it.  Madison was admiring the necklace and none of us realized she was pressing the button over and over, sending out an alarm.   The company called to ask if Mrs. Benton was okay. Indeed she was okay, it was just that someone was pushing her button.

Who is your button pusher?  We all have people who push our buttons.   It can be the controlling boss, the distant husband, the adult child, the difficult co-worker, the parent who can’t let go, the gossip at church that causes division, and on and on.     I hate to say this, but there are even times we are “stuck” with button-pushers who will be a part of our lives for a looooong time.  We don’t have to allow them to ruin our lives.

Grandma did not stop enjoying her day or her family because someone pushed her button, and the reason was:   the secure connection she had.

Jesus had button-pushers waiting in line for a turn to push His buttons, but He always spoke and reacted based on who He was and to Whom He was connected.

I have watched so many people rant and rave in real life, in church and on Facebook about their “button-pusher.”   I am still shocked to see on a social medium, like Facebook, that many identify the button-pusher for all to see.   Yet, this does not bring peace.

I used to scream at or plot against my button-pushers causing my emotions to get out of hand, ruining my day and the day of others.   In some cases that is exactly what the button-pusher wanted.  In other cases, it just made me seethe longer and dislike myself.  One of the lessons button-pushers taught me was that I don’t have to attend every argument to which I am invited. My peace means more than that.

My name is Barbara Benton and I am child of the Most High God!  I have a direct connection with Him. I’ve now learned to allow God to speak peace to my heart, to calm me down.  Like the company that monitored Grandma Benton, God is out for good and He will keep me secure.  He can calm my spirit when I am agitated.  He can touch me where I hurt so deeply.  He can help me love myself.  He can lead me to relationships that help me grow and enjoy the journey.  He can tell me when it’s time to walk away from some people.

So, the next time your button-pusher starts pushing, push your own button.  Call out to God who is a very present help in the time of trouble.  He is a faithful and trusted security company.

Count it as pure joy to know that no matter what comes your way today, your security is in the Lord. Security in the Lord is knowing that you completely trust in the Lord and that He will work all things out according to His will for your life

Hebrews 13:6 – So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

“No one is likely to experience real church life without times of hurt, disappointment, or rejection. Those who overcome these by growing in love, patience, forgiveness, etc., can make huge strides forward in their spiritual lives. Those who allow hurt, frustrations, or disappointments to dictate their courses will likely go from defeat to defeat, shipwreck to shipwreck, until they resolve to be over-comers instead of being overcome by these things.”  – Rick Joyner

If you are in a local church, and I hope you are, you will experience both joy and pain at the hands of other believers.  Raise your hand if you have been blessed by others in your church.  Now, raise your hand if you have been hurt by or disillusioned with others in your church.   When we experience the hurt part, there is a tendency to run and never darken the door again!

I know many people who have turned away from the Church after painful experiences.  I understand, more than I wish I did!   Yes the church is filled with brokenness and imperfection, but I  am still  convinced that the local  church is the primary means of forming believers and setting them on a pathway to spiritual maturity.

I must admit that I have been hurt by the Church, and I have hurt people in the church.  I’ve tried to learn from my mistakes and be a healer and not a “hurter”.

Be careful about assigning to God the “mess-ups” of His children.  God did nothing to you; people did!  Don’t give up on the church!  Please don’t.  I think there are many grace-filled, caring, loving and forgiving people in most churches. Seek them out. Spend time with them. If you have really made an effort, and cannot find them, then find another church.

God thought the Church was a good idea.  I want to be a part of anything that has been blessed and created by Him.  Don’t give up on the Church!  Even God is often pained by its behavior yet He doesn’t give up on His  Church and for that I am grateful!

“Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.” – Jeremiah 17:14

I love dividing words to really grasp their meaning.  Words like nothing, NO THING.  Nothing is impossible with God – and NO THING is impossible with God.  Today I am focused on remind, RE-MIND.  Our thoughts lives can wreak havoc on so many levels.   As a child of God, when our minds are bombarded by thoughts that do not line up with the Word of God, we must RE-MIND.

When someone or the devil puts the thought in your mind that, you are nobody, it’s time to RE-MIND with what God says. God says you are His child and none of His children are nobodies.   1 John 3:1 (NIV) “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 

When you are tormented with the thought that you are not going to make it, it’s time to RE-MIND:   Philippians 1:6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

When your head is saying you have sinned so badly, God is finished with you, it’s time for a RE-MINDER:  Psalm 103:  “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons ALL your iniquities…”

When your mind is saying, the doctor can’t do anything else, RE-MIND with Psalm 103:”Bless the LORD, O my soul,  And forget none of His benefits; Who heals all your diseases.”

When your thoughts are filled with, “God does not hear my prayers.”  Let’s do a RE-MIND:  Jeremiah 29:12: (NIV) “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

What is your mind saying to you today?  The Word is filled with RE-MIND-ers.  It might be time to get the Word of God out and RE-MIND yourself who God is and who you are!

“Look at what is obvious. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should RE-MIND himself of this: just as he belongs to Christ, so do we.” 2 Corinthians 10:7