Firecrackers and Blessings
Kaboom!!! A Black Cat firecracker exploded about 15 inches from my foot. “Leave me alone, or I’ll tell Dad,” I screamed as I ran into the house, slammed the screen door, and locked it. Fixing my hands on my hips, I stuck my tongue out and pressed it against the screen. Kaboom!!! Another Black Cat exploded on the porch in front of the screen.
Unbeknownst to me, Mother walked up behind me. She leaned over, popped me on the bottom, and said, “Get your tongue off that nasty screen.” Startled, I jumped back as my older twin brothers scattered in opposite directions. She unlocked the screen and peered into the darkness as she yelled. “Those firecrackers are dangerous. I know you can hear me—you two better behave.” As I turned to leave, she asked, “What are you kids up to?”
“Oh, nothing,” I replied, grabbing a handful of sparklers and dashing out the front door.
Fast-forward forty years: I stood outside at our old home place and watched as the sun went down. A full moon appeared so bright it cast a light shadow on the ground before me. I could hear the voices of my siblings, cousins, and nephews laughing as they played. It was so real that I peered into the darkness, hoping to catch a glimpse of just one of them.
Playing until Mother and Dad made us come in is a beautiful childhood memory. I never thought about growing up, which was a good thing because I would have never wanted to. I’m thankful God is the author of the plans He set in stone because His plans proved to be the best for me
Flashing back to 1972, I remember spending the Fourth of July watching a firework display at Big Town in Dallas, Texas. My two little daughters sat on the hood of our car as I stood beside the car, trying to keep them still. They pointed at the sky with each fireworks explosion and shouted, “Look, Mom, Look.” Each time the sky burst into a canvas of brilliant color, their faces lit up, and they took a deep breath. As I watched them rock excitedly, I tried to hang on to them. My heart overflowed with love for my children and the God who blessed me with them. I was having as much fun as my daughters. Was I the little girl that would not have wanted to grow up? God knew the plans he had for me, I thought.
Then suddenly, the fireworks finale ignited the heavens as if to announce something very special. Labor pains hit me intensely and less than ten minutes apart. Somehow, we maneuvered through the crowd of cars to the freeway, then off to Baylor Hospital.
The following morning, I held a baby boy in my arms. In my world of Joy with an “e,” fireworks on the Fourth of July represent our wonderful nation, but the exploding, ignited sky also denotes another very special blessing. “Thank you, God, for the plans you had for me.”
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Today, sometimes, I worry about the path our country is on. My husband and I read Daniels’ Prayer and patterned our prayer after his. We remind each other that groups of people may have plans for our country, but God has the best plan, which is much bigger and better.
Daniel 9.
So I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
The above three verses are part of Daniel’s nineteen-verse prayer. His prayer is a great lesson of history repeating itself. By replacing the word Jerusalem with the United States, the prayer will become a present-day plea for God’s mercy on our country.
Daniel was wise and obeyed God even as a young man. His actions may have had nothing to do with the reason Israel was sent into captivity. Still, he humbled himself as a sinner, took responsibility for his nation’s sins, and pleaded with God to save Jerusalem.
It’s reassuring and exciting to me that God revealed His divine plan through the angel Gabriel in response to Daniel’s prayer. This reminds us that God is always present, even in our most challenging times.