Day 65: Eradicating Locusts Everywhere

I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—my great army that I sent against you. You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied. You will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. My people will never again be put to shame. You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame. Joel 2:25–27

While trotting down an almost deserted Florida beach toward our hotel on a recent rainy day, it occurred to me that Missy and I were on our first real vacation. We’ve been on scores of work trips and mission trips and several vacations with friends and family members, but it was the very first time just the two of us had some uninterrupted down time away from home that wasn’t associated with my work and/or didn’t include someone else. And while the weather remained uncooperative the entire three days my little girl and I got to spend alone at the beach (we were forced inside by thunderstorms and had to cocoon ourselves in multiple layers for warmth during the rare hours when the sun did shine), we still had a fantastic time!

We got so tickled while schlepping our stuff back to the hotel room from the beach during yet another monsoon, that we collapsed deep into the wet sand in a full-on giggle fit! We spent one long rainy afternoon sprawled contentedly on the too-soft hotel bed: she shared her Cheetos with me until all twenty of our fingers were stained bright orange, and I shared every single thing I knew about her first mama, Marie (who died of undiagnosed AIDS when Missy was just a baby), until Missy ran out of questions.

Lying there, the lovely realization hit me that I have a lifetime—or at least until Jesus returns or she gets her driver’s license—of rainy days, giggle-fits, and talk-fests to share with my daughter. Which caused me to smile inwardly and whisper “Thank You” to God for restoring unto me several decades of life that I’d unwittingly served up to locusts on a silver platter. And I made a mental promise not to let fear or foolish choices ever again keep me, much less my miracle of a daughter, from the abundant life God graciously planned and generously provided for us.

Whether the figurative weather in my future is sunny or stormy, from this day forward I aim to spend it swimming in the cool, clean current of God’s will instead of flailing about miserably in the muddy trickle of my own!

• How resolved are you not to repeat the mistakes of your past?
• What usually tempts you to keep your perspective focused on the things that “locusts have eaten” as opposed to the gracious gifts God has given you?
• What kind of “locust damage” has God restored in your life lately?