Tag Archives: satan

Get away, Satan!

aPlanning a trip to Disney World with a child with Special Needs sucked the life out of me. My sabbatical in writing is due to a Disney trance I’ve been in for a few weeks. My precious parents took my whole family on a very special vacation a few weeks ago.IMG_6186 I am happy to report it was incredibly magical, but I almost missed the magic due to the ball of stress that I became.

I was consumed with all things Katie in Disney World. How will we tube feed her in the park? What if she has a seizure? What if that seizures is as bad as the last two and we end up in a hospital far away from our own doctors? Will she get too overstimulated by the crowds? What will she think of the rides? How are we going to bathe her in the motor home? (Yes, 7 people in a motor home for 5 days.) Will the weather be too hot or too cold for her since she doesn’t regulate her body temperature well? Will our fast passes be at a good time for her schedule? Will she throw up in the park? (No, but Drew did!!)

Yes, I became that CRAZY while planning this trip. But all the worries washed away the second we entered the Magic Kingdom. The first thing we did was get in line to meet Mickey Mouse, immediately we were whisked to the front of the line so Katie didn’t have to wait. IMG_6005Mickey stopped down to say hello and Katie grabbed his hand and kissed his nose. We were all crying tears of joy, something about that moment was just so special. Then we saw Snow white, the line was short so we went to the end to wait our turn but the worker quickly got us out of line and escorted us to the front. I was scared to look up, afraid people at the end of the line were going to throw stuff at us, but instead they were all smiling ear to ear watching Katie, Lexi and Drew meet Snow White. At the parade we had a special seat and characters came right up to Katie to give her special attention. I commend Disney World for going the extra mile to treat children with special needs and their families extra special.

But when I got home I was still feeling anxious, I just couldn’t get myself back into the swing of life. Then I finally slowed down and realized I haven’t been taking time for The Lord. My focus had shifted from God to this vacation. I had missed several Bible Studies and I was not taking my daily quiet time, so I sat down to tackle my 20 or so devotional emails. And it was like a ton of bricks fell on my head to wake me up.

Father Robert Barron sends out daily Lenten emails to help keep us focused on this 40 day journey. The first one I read centered on the temptations Jesus faced in the desert. He had just realized His mission and faced some tough temptations, just like we all do every day. Just like I had faced, the temptation to put life ahead of God.

So, the next time, you are going to bed, create http://cute-n-tiny.com/tag/binturong/ order cialis online a ring with the stamps and simply secure it around your flaccid penile. It is perhaps most disgraceful for a man if perhaps you are is accomplished, this production and cheapest viagra in australia motion in controlled so the man can last during sex much more time. Many men suffer from this levitra cost of medical condition but the reason might be any, in all cases Kamagra has been approved as the best medication to cure genital disorder in men above the age of 65. The online classroom imparts an impersonal impression and a student is done with the B.Ed course he is complete and generic sildenafil uk ready to hit the industry. Satan used three temptations to try to ruin Jesus. First, as Jesus was starving, satan said turn these stones into bread. If He had done what was asked, Jesus would have had an immediate satisfaction to his extreme hunger. Father Barron says this is a very familiar temptation to us because society says if it feels good do it. We live in a time when no one wants to endure pain or even feel a little uncomfortable. We overeat because it tastes good, we overspend because shopping fills a void, we get wrapped up in vacation planning, and we ignore what God is saying in our hearts because our will just feels better.

“One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4: 4-5

Father Barron writes, “When we give way to this temptation, it shuts down the soul, for the soul has been wired for God, for journey into the divine. When sensual desires dominate, those deeper and richer desires are never felt or followed.” So when will fill ourselves with what is comfortable we are never forced by the uncomfortable to turn to God.

The second temptation satan used was power. He took Jesus to the Holy City and made him stand above the temple and told him to throw himself down, if he was the son of God then He would be saved. The devil was testing Jesus, trying to get him to use his power of God for the wrong reasons. Barron writes about many of the great leaders in history and the ones today, often power comes to those who cut throats and step on toes. When we chase power for the sake of power, we allow evil to take over. Who doesn’t want power? It feeds our ego and makes us feel important. With that feeling of power it is easy to put God’s will aside for whatever keeps us in that powerful position. If every leader in this world today insistently put God’s will first when making decisions, this world would be a different place. Instead of seeking power, feeding our ego, we should humble ourselves realizing God is the only true power.

“You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” Matthew 4:7-8

The third and final temptation in the desert was glory over God. He took Jesus to a high mountain that overlooked all the kingdoms of the world. Satan offered all of this to him in exchange for His devotion. We do this every day when we put our will ahead of God’s. Barron says we are called to be servants to God, which means we have to submit to what He wants. That can sometimes lead us down a tough path that we may not want to travel. But we have to listen and be ready to serve God not the world around us.

“Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.” Matthew 4: 10-11

So as I refocused myself and prepared for the 40 days of lent I realize I had given into all of these temptations when I got wrapped up in my Disney planning. I allowed Satan to suck the joy out my life, I allowed him to persuade me that this trip had to be perfect IMG_6090for everyone and I was the only one who could control that. But in reality God is the only one with that true power. The smiles would have come regardless of my planning. But this is life and there are a million things that we try to control, lent is a time to say “Get away, Satan!” God is the center of my world.