A Prayer for Obedience, in Honor of Charles Stanley
By Meg Bucher "Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD." – Psalm 27:14 NLT It was the loudest I have ever screamed. Pain shot through my body, stole my breath and left me crumpled on the floor. It wasn't the first time I'd fallen, but it was the first time I'd fallen like that. I heard an audible crack as my back smacked into the staircase and felt sure it was broken in half. Limping to the couch, struggling to breathe, all I could do was cry. Pathetic, painful, sorrowful cries. Cries for help, aching to breathe and hoping to stand again. My family encircled me as I gasped for air. I slowly stood, and gratefulness started to wash over me as all the limbs and functions of my body seemed to slowly return. Struggling through the rest of the day, severely sore and worried about internal damage, my feelings of gratefulness kept washing over me. Grateful to stand, walk, breathe, and move. Funny but not so funny, how a literal trip down the stairs caused the possible end of life to flash before me. I'm fine with meeting Jesus, anytime, but the pain of that moment is something I will never forget. Waiting for my breath to return took bravery and courage …all I could do was wait …patiently …on the Lord. Charles Stanley is known for this piece of sage counsel: "Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him." Obedience takes courage. In my breathless moment of severe pain, I didn't feel very courageous. But as the day went on, I remembered Who goes before me. God. The angel armies of heaven are on my side because He is for me. No wonder I survived the fall and walked away from what could have taken me out. Life happens in His time, not mine. Great leaders like Charles Stanley, as they pass on to heaven and leave their legacy for us to ponder, remind us of the courage it takes to be patient, and the bravery required to wait on the Lord. Obedience to God isn't easy. I can't even fathom Jesus' obedience as He anticipated and endured the cross. It's a daily choice to swim against the current of the world and the evil in it lurking in it. But the Lord is always greater. He can rescue us from any situation. We are safe in His arms. Pain will find us in this world like the morning I slammed into my staircase and tumbled the rest of the way down. Life will knock the breath out of us, but as we lay motionless, gasping for air, we can trust our lives to the Savior who has already won the victory over death. He removes the sting of fear from our lives. We are in His hands until He calls us home. | 
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