Grounded

A few weeks ago I was to travel with a team from Tennessee to Jamaica on a mission trip.  I was so excited about the trip.  The one task that the team would be doing is to love on the ladies of Jamaica and hold a women’s conference.  I had my bags packed, passport ready and I was prayed up.  All that was left for me to do was to load the car and meet up with the team in Tennessee.  However, God had other plans.  He grounded me. 

That’s right.  One Sunday before I was to drive to Tennessee on Wednesday I awoke in extreme pain in my lower back.  Monday morning I had it checked by my doctor and she said with much conviction that I would not be traveling anywhere especially out of country for at least weeks.  The next morning I started physical therapy for a herniated disk in the lower back.  I still do not know what I did to cause the problem and probably will never know. 

Girlfriends, my heart just broke into a million pieces.  I wanted so badly to be with my Jamaica team members.  I wanted to experience what they would be experiencing while they ministered.  I cried for two days straight from back pain, from the loss of experiencing the trip, and from just plain wishing my mom were still here to make me feel better.

However, on Wednesday morning I decided that I needed to be a big girl and focus on getting well and on the team.  Yes, I was grounded to the house and I could not go on the mission trip.  However, I could still pray for the team and visualize what they might be doing. 

God and I met each morning for devotional time.  Our team had a devotional guide written for the time they would be away so I used this guide as my main focus.  In addition,  I also continued my quiet time by reading from Journey devotional guide by Lifeway and from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.  Girls, I was amazed at how all three devotionals went together.   I looked forward to my time in the Word daily and I even found myself praying for the team during my physical therapy sessions.

One particular day called us to stop and focus on what God was doing.  We get so busy in the work that we forget to see God.  Boy, was I guilty of that!  I had been so focused on “going” on the mission trip that I forgot to really focus on what God might need of me instead.  Apparently, He wanted me to stay home and pray for our team and the work they would be doing.

Yes, I was grounded by my doctor to my home for basically two weeks.  However, God grounded me in a different way.  He opened my eyes to His word and allowed me to discover some deep seeded truths for my life. 

Have you ever been grounded?