Bugs, Rain and No More Shame

““Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice at what the Lord your God has done for you. He has given you the right amount of autumn rain; he has poured down the winter rain for you and the spring rain as before. The threshing places will be full of grain; the pits beside the presses will overflow with wine and olive oil. I will give you back what you lost in the years when swarms of locusts ate your crops. It was I who sent this army against you. Now you will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied. You will praise the Lord your God, who has done wonderful things for you. My people will never be despised again. Then, Israel, you will know that I am among you and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other. My people will never be despised again.” Joel‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬-‭27‬ ‭

The little things that bug

This is a passage that comes to mind when I consider coaching. It seems very long but in context it explains God can restore what has been lost, devastated, savaged, fierce, doomed and invaded. These are the words that The Message translation describes the locust. The King James Version says locust, cankerworm, caterpillar, and Palmer worm.

I looked up information about each of these and read that they typically are solitary creatures. However, if there is a change in their environment they will swarm. They also change their physical appearance when swarming and can be nearly impossible to stop.

Cankerworms are larva of moths. They attack trees. Caterpillars are larva of butterflies and are leaf eaters. They can cause damage to trees, crops of ornamental plants, hardwood trees and shrubs. Palmer worms are caterpillars that suddenly appear in large numbers. Regardless, God stopped them and restored what was lost by them,

How does this apply to my life and to coaching?

There are things that occur in our environment that change us. They feel overwhelming and unstoppable on the moment – childhood abuse and neglect, domestic violence, addiction, poor parenting, poverty, to name a few. These things shape the way we view the world and have the potential to keep us trapped if we don’t recognize their influence and take intentional efforts to change our perspective.

Moths are ugly little creatures, although their larva are really not destructive, once they have metamorphosed into moths they can cause a serious amount of destruction. Think about the damage a single moth can do in a clothes closet if left alone.

The little things in our life are easy to ignore and just let go not giving much attention to what damage they can do. However, they often cause a big destruction when little things if left unattended. Something that is small that can create massive destruction if left unaddressed would be our thoughts. A single bad thought it not going to do much, but if someone allows that thought to grow it can easily lead to anxiety, depression and anger. The behaviors that follow can destroy relationships when those thoughts give way to insecurities, jealousy, or broken trust.

Caterpillars look completely harmless but they can eat three times their weight a day. An example of this would be those relationships and tasks that consume more of your time than they should. This might be a place where boundaries and limits are needed for personal protection.

The palmer worms create problems based on their shear number. This could be looking for the world’s approval, people pleasing behaviors, and things that happen on a larger scale. God is willing and able to restore all the damage that are done by these life issues. I feel like that is where He is leading me.

The Former and Latter Rains

I also questioned the former and latter rains. I have been taught that this refers to the Holy Spirit. This was written before the day of Pentecost and so why would the writer describe something the readers would not understand? I went to Spurgeon studies and that that in the region they were in, there was a need for raining at the planting to promote growth and before the harvest to complete the growth. They were completely dependent on both the former and later rains.

It is because God was faithful with the rain that the threshing floor was filled with grain and wheat, and the vats with oil and wine. The rain provided by God gave the good harvest.

As I was still asking how does this apply to coaching? I feel like most people who would seek coaching have had some fruit producing time in their life. It may be career, family, personal goals, relationships, maybe physically, emotionally and/or spiritually. They are seeking coaching because they are looking for the latter rains to make life more fruitful. They want the best harvest they can have.

I know I want the best harvest that God has for me and I would love to help others in their process as well. Christ died for us to have an abundant life and that is what I want to help people restore in their life – the abundance He made possible for us to have.

No Shame

Something else that stood out to me as I read and then wrote out this passage was the repetition of “My people shall never be put to shame.” When we praise the Lord, when we stop and acknowledge the wonderous things that He has done, we will not be put to shame. When we acknowledge He is is the Lord our God and there is not other, when we acknowledge He is in the midst of His people, we will not be put to shame.

Shame can be a noun or a verb, meaning the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc. done by oneself or another or the act of being ashamed.

Putting God in the proper place keeps us from doing things that are dishonorable, improper or ridiculous. I think about the times That God asked people to do something that under the law would have been dishonorable. Immediately, I think of Ezekiel needing to eat bread cooked over dung. Or Peter being told it would be okay to eat unclean animals and Paul being anointed to go minister to the Gentiles. Each faced personal resistance to stepping outside the law, but in the end none were put to shame by their actions.

There are many times the “shoulds” get the best of us. What we “should” do keeps us from stepping out into our purpose and calling. “Shoulds” are a form of cognitive distortions, thinking errors that cause us stress. The law tells us what we should do, even if it is just manmade laws or traditions that we believe. Just as Ezekiel, Peter and Paul had to set aside these rules, so must we set aside the things that hold us back from what God wants of us.

The various insects or problems that we face in our life may impact the harvest for a season. but with God they are able to be stopped. When we take the time to acknowledge God’s hand in everything we will not be put to shame.

Prayer – Lord, thank You for helping me see the why. I feel a bit overwhelmed but I will just leave it in Your hands. I don’t have the capacity to worry. If this is what You want, I surrender to Your leading as all of this is beyond me, but with You all things are possible. Thank You for being faithful to bring the rain we need in the physical, but also in the spiritual. Lord, I want to be one of the laborers in Your harvest. Show me what part You have for me to play and I will do it. I surrender my will to Your will. Have Your way in and through me. I acknowledge You are my God, my Lord, and there is none like You. Thank You for all the wonderous things that You have done in my life, that You have allowed me to see and be a part of int he life of others, and that You are always with me. I praise Your holy name!