Brag Post - Proverbs 21:1

Scripture: Proverbs 21:1  The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

This verse has been bouncing around in my mind for a few days now, and I want to take a minute to share what God has been doing in our community, and why this verse is on my mind. (Do take note, that the verse never mentions whether the king is a good righteous king, or a corrupt two-sided king.)

A little bit of background before I get to what God did yesterday... In Colorado, a law has been passed to make the selling of medical marijuana legal. That means that businesses are popping up here and there. Our town has one such business right now, and it it sponsored by the state and had to follow relatively strict rules to be there. However, other businesses are now trying to come in... and they want the rules changed. One of these rules is that they can only sell in designated commercial/industrial zones, and another is that they cannot open a business within 1,000 feet of a playground, school daycare etc. Churches, however were not originally on that list, and I've never seen a church, that didn't have some children. And that is where we get to see God step in and start working (I know He has been working all the time, but now we get to watch!)

Yesterday was the county commissioners meeting to establish some of these rules. It was open to the public, and one of the men at our church has been talking daily with some of the commissioners trying to get them to see the importance of adding churches to that list of protected places. Out church has been praying and asking God to guide the meeting and protect our children from this. (Just on another side note... there is a building for sale next to our church and there were some people considering buying it for this very purpose! That building borders out children's playground.)

Anyhow, several members of the church attended the meeting yesterday, including two families with children. (7 children ages 10 and under.) We were warned by a gentleman that the nature of his comments were obscene and inappropriate for children, and we had agreed that the mommas and children would wait in the hall until what he had to say was over... but God had different plans.

The Chairman of the meeting brought all of the children into the meeting room (through what I found out later, was the WRONG door!) and in front of the entire assembly, seated them on the floor in the very front. Again, the fellow objected to the children being there, and we promised that they children would plug their ears. We went through the opening ceremonies (Again, a side note... I was so proud of the children! When all of the adults stood to say the Pledge of Allegiance, the children knew just what to do and joined in... the Pledge of Allegiance is no longer taught in public school, but our children are home-schooled, and they are taught the Pledge at church.) and the first fellow got up. He again stated that what he had to say was obscene, and the chairman asked him to remember that children were present - the fellow replied that he had already talked to the parents and warned them, and that when we had promised the children would plug their ears... please keep in mind, that this is in front of many members of the community here. As they were told, the children did plug their ears - obediently and openly. (Ever watch a child plug their ears? It isn't discrete.)

After the fellow was done , the children unplugged their ears and listened to the rest of the meeting.  When it got to the part about the medical marijuana restrictions, attention was again drawn to the children - that it would affect them, and God's hand showed up... even to the children being in the meeting at the beginning, and plugging their ears from the obscenities.  - God showed the NEED to, and that we WILL protect our children from those things that would harm them, whether in word, or in deed.

And God blessed the meeting through those children. Many times, they were referred back to, in that the outcome of the meeting would be affecting their future. And many times, it was brought to attention, not by the parents, but by the chairman himself... (who by the way, was one of the people who did not respond about the churches being included in the regulations.) God truly turned the heart of the king... and He did it through 7 little children who sat quietly for three and half hours, through a very boring public meeting.

The final decisions have not been reached yet. But churches were added, the requirement being kept at 1,000 feet (in spite of dealers requesting that a church be considered residential and therefore only 250 feet) and we will again be present at the final meeting.

So please remember, that there are things going on, that we may not see, and that no matter what, when we know something is wrong, we need to stand up and say something. I would have never taken my children to a meeting like that, and I have never been to one myself, but God used the little, faltering steps that we took as we followed righteousness to affect the whole community. Please, don't wait for someone else to take action. The king's heart is in God's hands... God will use your stand for righteousness, and you never know how He may turn that king's heart. 

And as a personal request, please keep this issue in prayer. The final meeting has not been scheduled yet, but we want to be able to be there to hear the verdict.