Throw A Rock!

Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. – 1 Samuel 17: 49 & 50

I needed to take a walk. It had been a rough week and my frustration level was well above boiling. Slipping on my shoes, I trailed off, hands in my pockets, head down and gritting my teeth. A long walk would help clear the thoughts, work out some of the irritation. At the end of the driveway, I made a left and headed toward the bluff along the river. The quiet and serenity of the woods would offer me respite.

Behind me I heard the lumbering walk of my son. His disability forces him to slightly drag on foot. Turning to face him, I pointed to the house and said, “Son, go home.”

“But mom, I need to give you something.”

“Give it to me when I get back.”

His persistence caught up to me as touched my shoulder. Taking my hand, he opened my fingers and placed three small smooth stones in my palm.

“What are these for?” I asked.

“Well, I was just thinkin’ about that little boy that threw a rock. He killed that big giant. He took that rock and threw it.”

I was not in the frame of mind to sort through his thoughts. “What are you getting at son?’

“Well, if that boy believed that God would help him hit the giant, then why can’t you throw a rock? It would be like throwing Jesus at the target.” He closed my fingers on the rocks, turned and started home.

Dumbfounded, I opened my fingers and stared at the stones. He had a point. Why couldn’t I just throw Jesus at the frustration that plagued me? I took a few steps then stopped. Grasping one of the stones, I drew back and flung the rock, all the while thinking, “I’m throwing Jesus at the problem.” As simple as it sounds, it helped.

You see, God simply wants us to hand our problems and frustrations over to him. Submit. He is our rock – literally speaking. He will take the things that gnaw at us and ease the pain. Our problem is letting go. We tend to cling to the hardships rather than lobbing them across the field. So, as I walked this morning, I reminded the Father of that day.

He smiled, “Took you long enough.”

“I know, I guess I’m slow sometimes. “

“You’re not slow,” the Father remarked, “You’re stubborn. You want to hang on to the things that cause you pain. All I want, is for you to trust me.”

I hung my head. “You’re right. But it’s hard. I feel like I should be able to handle things.”

The Father placed his arm around me and pulled me close. “I understand it’s hard. That’s why I’m giving you these.” He kissed my forehead and walked into the mist. I lifted my hand and opened my fingers to find rocks. When all else fails. Throw a rock.