"The Tent of Meeting"

         As I sit and rock our son back to sleep, I think about all the other babies that have been rocked in this chair. I've rocked all five of our children in this chair. It's been more than a decade of my life that I have spent time rocking and consoling my little ones. This is also where I do 90% of my blogging since our newest addition two months ago. The other 10% is done while pacing the floors.
          This rocker has not only been a place for me to console, but where I have been consoled as well.  I was also nursed and  rocked here. My mom spent just as many hours as I do holding and helping me fall asleep.  Truth be told, I haven't just been consoled here as an infant though. This is the chair that I have poured my heart out to God. I have told Him my fears and worries over issues ranging from where we would live to when our child would ever go back to sleep. I have cried out in anger, hurt, pain and joy. This has been my "tent of meeting". In the Old Testament, it was where the priests and Moses could meet God. (see Exodus 27:21) It is amazing what a blessing a little quiet time in the middle of the night can be for really praying things through.  I have told you all recently that my rocker has become the chair that I sit to read my Bible in the middle of the night as well (thanks to my lovely smart phone and the Logos app). As part of my church's challenge for "30 days in the word", I read James 1:26 which says,"If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless." Ouch! Given my temper issue, I often lack control of my tongue, but this verse hit me square between the eyes. I felt a bit overwhelmed and (honestly) ashamed. What do my outbursts say about me? That same night I was also reading in Psalm 141 which gave the perfect solution to the conundrum of wanting to control my tongue but feeling powerless to do it. Verse 3 says, "Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips."  That has been the prayer of my heart ever since. There is a caution to acting as if I'm the one with the power when I pray. Beth Moore says, "If we take credit when we receive what we ask, not only will we offend God and mislead people, but we will also place ourselves in the position to take credit when we don't get what we earnestly ask for." This verse in Psalms is the perfect example of this...instead of "trying" to control my tongue and taking credit for my effort, I can pray for God's help...leaving the end result up to Him. These verses and insight all came in the middle of the night in my "tent of meeting",  the rocking chair.
          I have a beautiful glider that my mom gave us as a present when we had our first child, but still my rocker of choice for the nursery has always been this one that is nearly forty years old. It is the place I not only nurture our children but feel the presence of the Lord every night.