Muster Station E
It wasn’t until we boarded our cruise a couple of weeks ago that I first heard the term Muster Station. Like many other people, when I’m not sure what something is, I do what I think is going to provide me with the quickest information on any given subject; I google it.
Muster Station (n.): an assembly of troops, as for battle, display, inspection, orders, or discharge.
About 30 minutes prior to setting sail, we were summoned to Muster Station E where we would take part in an emergency procedures drill. As a former flight attendant, I don’t take these drills lightly as I know how important it is to be prepared in the event of an emergency.
Before the drill began the crew members waited for everyone who was supposed to be in that particular station to arrive and upon arrival we were all instructed to remain silent. This of course was so that once the drill began everyone could hear the instructions that were being given out by the cruise director via the loudspeaker system.
Honestly, the silence in the room was a little eerie. The seriousness of the crew members actually gave the impression that a real emergency was taking place and I had to keep reminding myself it was just a drill by looking out the window and seeing that we were still docked.
Once the drill began, we became familiar with escape routes, safety evacuation measures, the proper use and location of life vests, as well as where our lifeboat embarkation station was. We were also instructed that in the event of an emergency this would be our meeting place.
I finally understood Muster Station E was a preparation area.
There’s a quote by an unknown author that states “The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle”. I can’t help but see the correlation between this quote and the Muster Station. If a real emergency would have taken place while aboard the ship, we would have been completely aware of what the procedures were and what our plan of survival was. Of course, there is always room for panic, but because we were rehearsed on the course of action to take it would have made the situation a little easier to deal with. The 30 minutes of awkward silence and semi-realistic role play were not only useful, but necessary.
The same preparation strategy applies to our daily lives as well. The more we sweat in practice, the less we bleed in battle.
If during the rough times we don’t have God to refer to, or His Word and promises to fall back on, the panic will overtake us and we will not know what to do. You see God’s Word is like a life vest; hope if we put it on and hopelessness if we don’t.
So how exactly do we prepare at our spiritual Muster Stations? Let’s take a look:
P – Preventive Prayer – Preventive Prayer is like preventive medicine. Do it before hand and it guards against the enemy and offers us protection.
R– Relationship – Establish a relationship with God where you worship, praise, and communicate with Him daily. Remember that it’s a dialogue not a monologue. Set aside time to hear from Him.
E – Endurance – Seeking God is not a Sprint but a marathon. You’re in it for the long run. Commit to setting apart quality time with Him daily.
P – Position – Remember who you are at all times. Forgiven and redeemed and in a position to receive all His promises because of Christ’s finished work on the cross.
A – Affirmations – Remind yourself of who you are, who He is, and what His promises are and confess those daily.
R – Reading His Word – Reading the bible is a discipline. Commit to reading a portion daily.
E – Expect – Call those things that aren’t as if they are. Remember your words have power. Expect His favor everyday in every situation.
Take time today to prepare and remember that practice makes perfect!
I Woke Up Like This…
I hadn’t even opened my eyes when I heard the buzzing sound from my phone indicating I had a new text message. Who could it be so early in the morning? 6:39 am to be exact. If this day was going to be like the day before, I might as well have just stayed in bed, buried my face in the pillow, and have gone into a sleeping marathon to carry me over another 24 hours.
Perhaps you’re familiar with days like those. The type where the distance between you and God is so great that Left Behind feels more like your reality rather than a movie. The last thing I wanted was an encore presentation of that day’s occurrences.
I’m not exactly sure what caused me to falter. The only thing I’m sure of is that I forgot who I was. Science and medicine call it amnesia; God calls it deceit.
Have you ever had your identity stolen? The thief grabs a hold of your personal information and claims to be you. He runs around committing illegal acts all while using your name and face. Although not accurate, to the outside person, it appears that you have committed the transgressions.
Deceit works in the same way. It begins with a light fog of confusion that slowly invades your mind, robs you of all truth, and eventually clouds your judgment. Before you know it, you are walking around in complete dysfunction and compromising that which you normally wouldn’t. To the outside person, it is you who has committed the transgressions. Your reputation is destroyed!
How easy it is to fall prey to deception!
-And that’s when I heard my name. What was I doing? Where was I at? How did I get here? Faith, Courage, and Boldness had been replaced by fear, timidity, and uncertainty. I went to sleep that night in a shattered state. Convinced that I had digressed so much that I might not know how to get back on track.
“Thank you Jesus for another day“, read the text message. Then all of a sudden it hit me; His mercies are new every morning. Yesterday was gone and this day was another opportunity to get things right. This is how I got back on track, with the start of a new day and the realization that I woke up like this; Flawless!
Have you ever forgotten who you were?
Table for Two
White sandy beaches, shovels, buckets, boogie boards, sunscreen, and coolers are typically what summers in Florida are made of. Temperatures that reach all-time record highs invite everyone to spend long days at the beach sunbathing and taking cool dips in the ocean water. I for one, immediately seek shade from the beaming sun and if at all possible, I make sure not one grain of sand comes home with me. I’m not sure what it is about the sand sticking to my feet and getting in every possible crevice that irritates me so much.
Fourth of July at the beach this year was exactly this. It included all of the above with a bonus of fireworks at the end. After about 7 hours of fun in the sun we packed up our belongings, shook off the sand as best we could, and started back home. The day’s activities had managed to build up an appetite in us, so we began considering where we could grab a bite to eat. Our options were few considering we were not dressed for the occasion, were sticky, and carried traces of sand all over us. As hungry as we were, we opted for picking up some quick snacks from the gas station and continued home.
Have you ever found yourself trying to shake off life? I have; many times in fact. Just when I think I have managed to wipe off all the particles of past failures, I find them sticking to me again. Oh, how discouraging it is when the “sand” of life shows up just in time to remind me of where I have been, and even worse, to convince me of where I’m not going.
Snacks from the gas station satisfied the craving that evening but what do you do when you have a craving for something bigger? Do you let fears, failures, and heartbreaks hold you back from sitting down at the table that has been reserved for you? I have since learned a valuable nugget of truth: Dirty Feet don’t scare Jesus! As a matter of fact, when we sit at His table all our weaknesses, failures, frailties, and sin are hidden. No one can see them there because they are covered by His grace.
Understand this today; it’s all about position. When we accept the position as His son or daughter that He has reserved for us, we are guaranteed that this newfound status will:
- cover
- heal
- restore
- redeem
- release
- make new
He is expecting you today. Take your place!
Caught at the End
At the end of what you ask? At the end of all hope. Most recently I had an encounter with a small bird that reminded me of what it’s like to be at this place. A place where lack of nourishment, unsafe conditions, anxiety, and injury all contribute to a rapid demise. As much as I’d prefer to not remember what that feels like, it’s memories like those that keep me thankful that I was caught at the end!
Maintenance, oil, filter and tires flashed across my dashboard indicating it was time to get my car serviced again. I called the dealer, scheduled an appointment and strolled in Friday mid-morning to get this taken care of. What I thought was going to be my usual, non-eventful, “change the oil” experience turned out to be a little different than I expected. I usually sit in the air conditioned waiting room where they serve courtesy popcorn, coffee, water, and even doughnuts all in an effort of making the waiting period more bearable. This time was different though. My husband, Frankie, was with me and he of course wanted to check out the latest model car so we made our way across the parking lot under the scorching sun. After about 15 minutes the sweat was literally dripping down my back when suddenly I caught a glimpse of it, my saving grace, a small wooden gazebo where I could take refuge from the blazing sun and rest until we were ready to go back to the comfort of the 72 degree waiting room.
As I stepped up onto the wooden frame floor of the gazebo, I immediately stumbled upon a baby bird camouflaged onto the floor. I had to question what I was seeing, as this was certainly not the place for a bird. He was tiny, and as I bent over in bewilderment over why he was there, he chirped and tried walking towards me with obvious difficulty. He was definitely injured. I imagined his nest was somewhere in the tree that hung over the gazebo. It was apparent that someone had found the bird before I had, as the cap of a water bottle had been filled with water and placed near for him to drink. Unfortunately, this baby bird was way too small to drink on his own or fend for himself in any way.
Although I had no idea how to begin caring for this little one, I asked the salesman for an empty box and decided I would take him home and search the internet for information on what to do next. I scooped the little fellow up, put him into the box and rested knowing that I had at least managed to remove him from this unsafe place. After all, it was only a matter of time before a squirrel or other predator would have eaten him.
Not 10 minutes had passed when the bird became very anxious. He was attempting to walk but in spite of all his efforts and due to his injury, he remained in the same place. His intention was only evident because of the scratching sound on the cardboard box. Within a matter of minutes the baby bird plopped over and died. It was then I realized, I had caught him at the end!
There have been times in my life where if it hadn’t been for divine intervention, I too would have plopped over and given in to my circumstances. Just like the bird, I’ve had injuries that have held me back and in spite of all the human effort I’ve put forth into freeing myself all I have produced has been an empty sound. I have allowed anxiety, fear, stress, and other emotions to create an unsafe place for me and have fed these emotions by depriving myself of true spiritual nourishment necessary for growth, health, and good condition.
It was unfortunate for this little bird that as I caught him at the end, I was limited as to what I could do to turn things around for him. Today, I not only understand what it’s like to be at the end, but I also understand what it’s like to be caught by the Hand of God at the end. Only that can make a difference!
Has the Hand of God caught you at the end?