The events in this story that you are about to read are completely 100% true.

Each Friday afternoon, I set up the room where my husband, Brandon, and I teach Sunday School. The room where we teach is a multi-use room, so it must be broken-down and set up each week. This is actually a good thing, because while I am setting up the seven tables and 32 chairs, I’m praying. I pray over our class as a whole, over each of the people whom attend our class, over the people yet to join our class, for God to keep Brandon and I broken, humble, poured-out, so God can be strong through us, and give us the words to say each week, etc. However, this past Friday had unexpected events, so I did not have time to do so.

My family was at the church building on Saturday, so we set up the room then, but because our favorite college football team was about to kickoff, we didn’t take the time to pray over the class as usual. (Lord, forgive us!)

So, on Sunday morning, I told Brandon that I was going to watch the sunrise on the back porch and pray over the class. Now, you need to know that I have an extreme, warranted fear of spiders (that’s a story for another day), so I warned him that if I encountered “an unmentionable” while sitting in the dark awaiting the sunrise, that I would wake the entire neighborhood.  Little did we know that there would be yelling, but it would not be caused by “an unmentionable”.

A short spell later, Brandon joined me. I told him that I was praying with my eyes open, so we didn’t miss the sunrise, so he should too. So, we took turns praying, and when we finished, we sat there chatting, finishing our coffee, awaiting the sun to fully wake up the day, as it was still a bit dark.

Now, here’s where you need to bear with me, as it’s going to be hard to explain this next segment. I wish so badly there was a video of this next part, because I would watch it on repeat!

Okay, so remember, it’s still dark, and we have coffee with us.

All of the sudden, we hear this creature approaching us. We could hear it’s wings flapping rapidly. If you’ve ever had a hummingbird fly close to you, that’s exactly what it sounded like.

It seemed to try to land on Brandon’s head, so he raised his arm up above his head and swatted his arm downward. As in, such a downward motion, that it would’ve projected this creature right into the path of my leg that was crossed over my other leg.

In this exact moment, due to the extreme swatting motion going on, Brandon spilled his coffee, which ran down my shin and pooled into my house shoe.

Not being able to see, and feeling this warm substance run down my leg, combined with the projectile swatting path, I was convinced this unknown creature had landed on my shin and was drawing blood, which was why I felt such warmness running down my leg.

So, I did what any normal person would do in this situation…

I sat frozen, yelling “It’s on me!”, over and over again.

My now-soaked pajama pants had gripped onto my leg, which was why I was convinced “it” was still attached to me.

Unbeknownst to me, Brandon knew exactly what had happened, and at the same time I’m yelling “it’s on me!”, he is yelling, “it’s coffee!”.

Repeat this scenario a couple times.

It was not until Brandon touched my arm and got my full attention, that I was able to hear him, and understand that it was not a blood-sucking fire-breathing hummingbird attacking me, but rather just plain-ole warm coffee.

Once realization registered on my face, we both dissolved in laughter.

Here’s the thing though, it was amazing that I was so caught up in my coffee-soaked pajama-pant crisis, that I couldn’t even hear Brandon telling me what was really happening. In that moment, I couldn’t hear his voice, which was the voice of truth in the situation. When the coffee attacked, I was way too caught up in the moment to position myself to listen.

Man, oh man, I have done this EXACT same thing in life. I’ve been so caught up in a stressful season, a rage-filled moment, a crisis where “life” attacked, and I didn’t know what to do, that I couldn’t even hear The Voice of Truth, my Lord Jesus Christ.

This was such a tangible lesson to learn if I would JUST STOP. Just be still. Just pause. And position myself to hear The Voice of Truth, how differently would I be able to see my situation?

Very different.

When you and I take the time-out to seek wisdom, we are promised that we will find it.

And, that’s good news for the next time a blood-sucking, fire-breathing hummingbird, coffee, or LIFE attacks!

“Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’”
Jeremiah 29:12-14