for a few minutes yesterday. Are you sitting down while you are reading this? Cause I'm not going to share this story with too many people, and definitely need to keep it out of hubby's hearing - he would have a fit! You won't believe what I did yesterday. Yes, me. It was so stupid ... are you ready for this? I told my little sister about it last night, and I thought she was going to pee her pants from laughing so hard.
I had to go to Penney's yesterday to pick up an order. Thinking the location was on the first floor, I parked to where I could go in on the first floor. That's when I discovered it was on the second floor..... and the 'UP' escalator was broken and barricaded off. You have an idea where I'm going with this, don't you? Yet, you have no idea of what I am capable - or not capable of. I walked around and couldn't find an elevator. So I go and stand by the down escalator, which was working. I stood there, actually, for several minutes. I dismissed the thought of going to my car and driving to the parking area on the upper level. I stared at the down escalator, and made a decision. It was a bit rash, I suppose. Stupid is more like it. No one was around. No customers; no sales people. Why not?
I decided to climb the down escalator while it was moving. Now I have no idea why I decided to do that. I have no idea WHERE that thought even came from. But you must picture this. A 73 year old fat woman, trying very, very hard, to run UP the MOVING DOWN ESCALATOR. I thought I'd be about halfway and looked back - and had gone only about 10 feet (and in my pause, went down a few more). I pushed onward, upward. Glancing back I finally made it half way - but looking ahead, it seemed like I was on the floor again. I pushed onward, upward.... 3/4 of the way... my legs are struggling to keep up with the moving escalator that was going in the opposite direction. Now I have short fat legs. Do you even realize how DEEP each of those escalator steps are? We don't, because we don't usually move about on them, right? Trust me, they are DEEP. Anyway, I finally get within 3 of the steps from the top..... and my legs quit moving. Literally. They are screaming at me "NO YOU ARE NOT GOING ANY FURTHER!!" So I turned around, stood up, and calmly was 'escalated' down to the first floor. I walked off the escalator and walked around until I found the elevator and took it up to the second floor, got my package, and walked out of the store.
What in the world possessed me to even THINK I could climb up the moving down escalator?! It wasn't because I'm in great shape, for sure! I have no idea what got in to me. It did prove to me that I wasn't in my right mind for a few moments. But what a RUSH!! LOL No one saw me (I hope!) My sister, on the other hand, is hoping someone took a video and would po st it on YouTube. And even more surprisingly, I am not sore this morning. May be later, but not when I got up, as I thought I would be. I have no idea how long I was on the down escalator, trying to get to the second floor (it seems so surreal, even in my own mind), but surely several minutes.
Nehemiah 8:10: "The joy of the Lord is your strength."
Now you know I do have a lot of joy in the Lord, and He gives me the strength I need for certain things, but I'm pretty certain He had no plan in my day for me to climb up the moving down escalator. I actually tried to find a scripture about being stupid and doing stupid things... but found none. Perhaps I should have looked for 'losing my mind for a few minutes'.
I can remember back several years ago when I had a boss who was really hard to work for. She would often torment me and say things to me. We were on the 4th floor of this building and had to walk the length of the hallway to get to the restrooms. I would walk down to the restroom - and back - singing to myself "The joy of the Lord, is my strength. The joy of the Lord, is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength, The joy of the Lord, is my strength." I would always return to my desk joyful and happy, because I knew from Whom my strength to get through any comments would come from, I still find it interesting how God works in these situations.
A few years later this boss had remarried and was pregnant. She actually came to me and asked that I pray for her and her baby.... she was in her late 30's, I think, and this was her first child. She asked that I pray that everything would be ok with the baby and her. Of course I responded that I would pray for her. What a turnaround!
If I had complained or responded to her comments, my witness would have meant nothing. But because I asked God for strength to endure, He provided, and allowed me to end up praying for the very 'enemy' who was so mean. (I had even considered changing jobs during this period it was so bad) She went on to deliver a healthy baby, and I heard a few years later, she had had a couple more - all healthy. God is good and is ever present in any trouble, and hears our prayers.
Psalm 46:1 (NKJV): "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
When was the last time you called out to God, "Lord, Help!" ? He is always willing to help you when you call out to Him. Just make sure you aren't climbing up the downward escalator.
Blessings!
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