I believe this blog has just experienced its longest drought ever: three days shy of one month with nothing so much as a quick hello. All five of you that still pop over here probably had to brush off some cobwebs just to see if anything was new, and for that I simultaneously apologize and thank you! To say that this summer has taken on a life of its own, would be the understatement of 2010, and while God’s had me busy with gIRL and busy with my little GRANDgirl, I’ve missed my time “traveling the road home” with you! Thanks, again, for still stopping by!

There has been one thing lately that I’ve really been chewing on. It’s been about trying to keep my hands out of things so God can move. Consider this passage:

David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.

When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.

2 Samuel 6:1-7 NIV

This story has always bothered me. I’ve always thought God was, if you’ll allow this, out of line on this one. I mean, the poor guy just reacted when the ox stumbled and it looked like the ark was going down. When he didn’t know what else to do, he stuck his hand out to help.

Maybe I feel for Uzzah so deeply because I do this all the time. My motto seems to always be “when you don’t know what to do, do something.” If I see something not playing out like I thought it would or should, my mind immediately starts to work out a different scenario that might salvage the situation, or better yet, put it completely back on track. However, in many cases, my quick reaction is not what’s needed. In fact, my sudden involvement has, more often than not, made the overall situation much less than what it could’ve been had I just kept my hands out of it. And this brings me to another verse:

We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.

2 Chronicles 20:12 ESV

Note that there are no quick reactions or hands being thrust out or “plan B’s” being offered up in that verse. NONE. Their only action at a fork in their road is to keep their eyes on God. That’s it.

And maybe that’s what we learn from Uzzah’s demise. We’re privileged to be involved – every one of us – in God’s holy work. It’s a work that He hasn’t asked us to formulate or strategize or try to reorganize when things don’t seem to be going quite right; He’s just asked us to be willing and to follow Him. When we try to put our own spin on things, even with the best intentions, the results will be disappointing to us all.

Are you at a fork in your road? Things not going like you’d thought or planned? Try stopping and getting a strong focus on God. And I’ll join you.

With my hands in my pockets.