Somewhere In The Middle

Spring Break is among us and I'm enjoying family time.  I pulled an old post from the archives.  It still resonates with me. Maybe it does for you as well.  Have a blessed week.

The music group Casting Crowns has a song entitled "Somewhere in the Middle". The very first time I heard the song it reached into the very heart of me. Even though it's been quite a while since the first time I heard it, the song continues to resonate with me. Maybe it's because I still have something to learn. The whole song is full of great lyrics. The chorus goes as follows: 

"Just how close can I get Lord, to my surrender, without losing all control?

Fearless warriors in a picket fence,

Reckless abandon wrapped in common sense,

Deep water faith in the shallow end and we're caught in the middle.

With eyes wide open to the differences - the God we want and the God who is.

But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle?"

There's a lot of meaning in just a few lines. But for now I want to focus on the first sentence. "Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control?" This statement sums up one of my biggest struggles. It's the age old battle of surrender versus control. There is a huge part of me that desperately wants to give up control of my life over to God. After all, His will, His ways, and His plans are far better than mine. 

The problem is I don't fully know how to surrender - to give up control or even what that truly means. I see control as somewhat as a necessity. In my mind giving over total control means the possibility of allowing chaos into my life. And, unless I learned incorrectly, chaos is the opposite of order.

The ironic thing is this - my control has yet to produce an orderly life. In the eternal words of Dr. Phil: "How's that working for you?" I have to answer: "Not so much, really!" You'd think I'd learn something. Instead, I'm stuck "Somewhere in the Middle".

I want God's participation, His blessings, and His guidance.  But do I want God's participation more than I want His leadership? If you were to ask me I'd say of course I want His leadership but then there's always a caveat. I still would like to be able to have plenty of input.

People who know me know that I'm not necessarily good at blindly following. I always have questions and/or input. It's not that I won't agree with the direction we're taking - it's that I just need to know all the parameters - all the details. I like to see the big picture. It calms me to have all the information before me.

I spend a lot of time asking God to take the wheel. But the funny thing is the trip never goes like I think it's suppose to. It's because I don't fully understand God's ways or His methods. And because I don't understand - the journey can sometimes seem chaotic and my instincts to take control kick in. Here's how I envision my typical stint as passenger on my Godly car ride of life:

"Now, where are we going again? I might be more at peace if I knew where we were going and what's going to happen along the way. "

"Are we going the speed limit? Because it seems like we're going really slow. Would it be okay if we went a little faster because I'm kind of anxious to get there - whereever "there" is."

"We're going to do what? Pull over and stay in the desert for a while? Huh? That doesn't sound fun. Did we even bring any water with us? Won't we get thirsty? Wait a minute. You're not going to leave me there, are you? How about stopping at Disneyland instead? That's kind of where I thought we were headed when I got into the car."

"WOW! That looks like a pretty nasty storm up ahead. Shouldn't we turn here? We're what?! We're going to go through the storm? Oh, no, no, no! That cannot be good."What did that sign say? Paradise!? Up ahead!? We have to go through the storm to get to Paradise? Oh.  I see. There is a plan." (Personal course correction now.) "I knew there was a plan. Really, I did. I trust you. You know what you're doing." (I think Someone just shook His head at me.) "I'm going to close my eyes now...and my mouth. I guess you'll let me know when you want me to do something."

Maybe you can relate. On the good days I'm closer to the surrender side. On the bad days I'm closer to the control side. On the average day I'm probably "Somewhere in the Middle". The good news is I see the problem and am willing to work on it. I don't want to fight God for control of any kind. I know it's not Godly or beneficial to me in any way. Like I said before - God sees the bigger picture. His ways are best. Yes, there may be pain in the journey and undesirable stops along the way but Paradise awaits.

Casting Crowns closes their song like this:

"Lord, I feel you in this place and I know you're by my side - loving me even on those days when I'm caught in the middle."

Enjoy The Ride

Have you ever been afraid?  Silly question, I know.  Of course, you have.  We all have.

Have you ever let your fear dictate the course of your life?  Chances are the answer to this questions is "yes" too (at least a time or two).

So what does it take?  At what point do we let go of our fears and fully, truly trust God?  At what point do we make the conscious decision to get on the ride of life and simply enjoy it?

Life is short (as I discussed here).  We labor and toil.  We plan our lives and then get put out, fed up and done in when we run into a detour.  We don't like things we can't control.  We want fun but it has to be our kind of fun.  Or does it?

When will we finally realize that our lives are not about our plans. That when we get caught up in our own plans we tend to get a wee bit uptight.  If we're not getting upset, we're probably getting worried.  Neither one of those options sound much like a joy ride.

Think how much fun it would be if we simply allowed God to take us on a ride - fully trusting that the ride He puts us on is safe, rewarding, and a whole lot of fun.  Sure - the ride might be a roller coaster.  It's likely to have ups and downs, even some twists and turns but who really cares. In the end - it's invigorating and you want to get right back on.

Yes - we can stay on the kiddie ride.  You know - the little roller coaster that's really just a coaster.  It goes super slow and maybe gets you a couple of feet off the ground.  But what kind of life is that?  Let God take you on a great adventure.  When He says "Get on! I've got a plan", don't hold back.  Don't hesitate.  Get on!!!  Enjoy the ride. 

You can live your life according to what makes sense to the world or you can live the adventure God has in store for you. If you're wondering if a "calling" makes sense, stop wondering.  Life is too short to waste time in debate.  Get on the ride while you still can.

God's Umbrella

No temptation has seized you except that is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 

1 Corinthians 10:13 (also the memory verse challenge of the week)

You think you know a verse and then one day you notice something you haven't noticed before.  In the verse above the scripture says that when we are tempted God will provide a way out.  And that's where my memory of the verse use to end.  But as you can see - the verse goes on.  It finishes with "so that you can stand up under it" (depending on the version you're using).

I didn't understand what that meant.  A "way" that you can stand up under??  Then something struck me.  I like analogies - they simplify things for me.  So let's draw an analogy where rain represents our trials or the endless temptations from the devil.  There are periods in our lives where we simply get beaten down by the rain.  But God has provided us a way out so that we may stand up under it.

We know through scriptures that God is our shelter.  So with that in mind in our analogy God offers the protection and shelter of an umbrella.  Once it covers us, we are shielded from the barrage of temptations.  We no longer have to endure the constant pelting.  With His coverage we can now pick ourselves back up.  We can "stand up under it" and freely move about in the rain without getting wet.  His "way out" will get us to safer ground.

Now every time I read this verse I picture God's umbrella shelter over me. It gives me a great feeling to know I'm protected.  The rain will always come (the trials, the temptations) but I know enough now to take my Godly umbrella with me wherever I go. It would be foolish to go out unprepared.

God Is Amazing

I know I've said it before (at least in my mind) that God is amazing.  I don't always understand what He's doing or even agree with His course of action.  He sometimes lets me sit in my pain for longer than I'd like or let's me wallow in my sorrow until I just about break or even leaves me in a confused state of mind until it's uncomfortably awkward.  But - the truth is - He's still amazing!

Even when I don't hear from Him - I know He's there.  Even when I don't necessarily feel His presence - I know He still loves me.  There was a time in my life when, admittedly, I wasn't completely sure of this truth.  My insecurities played a big part in this.  I mean, really, I'm quite flawed.  I couldn't fully see what He might see in me. 

I'm older and wiser now.  I know God loves me.  I am certain of it.  How do I know this is true?  It's because I've seen (and felt) Him work in me.  I've felt the molding hands of the potter forming me into a new vessel.  Although it hurts sometimes (that reshaping), He always molds with gentleness.

You see, anybody can be a potter - even the devil.  But not everyone molds with the kind of love God does it with.  I've experienced the molding hands of the devil before (him trying to get me to believe a certain way or do certain things).  There is no love there - only condemnation.

Yes - God loves me!  I know because He takes the time to care.  He takes the time and the effort to shape me.  If He didn't love me, He would leave well enough alone because, frankly, sometimes the experience isn't pleasant for either one of us. God goes all-in and gets His hands dirty because He truly, deeply loves. 

And those silly, little, annoying flaws I have.  Well, they give me character.  I once saw them as something bad but now, I think God sees them as what makes me uniquely me.  In fact, it gives us both something to work on - together.  I think He might even enjoy the challenge.  And that, my friend, is one of the many reasons I think God is amazing!!  I mean - who goes to that much trouble?  God does!

This Blip Called Life

Not too long ago our minister provided our congregation with an illustration.  He produced a long rope on stage which represented eternity and at the beginning of the rope was a very small section painted red.  The red part represented our lifespan.

 
Our lives, in truth, are just a blip in the scheme of things.  Once our earthly lives are over we begin to travel along the span of time called eternity.  And the farther through eternity we travel the section that was our earthly life appears to get smaller and smaller - eventually disappearing from our sight and memory.

Does that sound depressing?  I hope not.  But I do think it gives us a different perspective on the things we place our importance on.  Halfway through eternity are you even going to care about your car, house, or all those other things you possessed (or wanted to possess)?  What about the trials we go through?  Sometimes our trials last for weeks or even years.  They seem like they'll never end.  But one day they will be a far distant memory. We spend an awful lot of time worrying about things that essentially last less time than it takes to blink.

I think the most important revelation of this illustration for me is thinking about how I live this blip called life.  It's so easy to get caught up living this life for me - thinking the prize is my pleasure.  But the prize is eternity with God.  And it last a whole lot longer than any pleasure I can have in this earthly life.  I have a very short time in order to make a difference in this crazy world.  I want to make that little bit of time count. I want my life to be a light for God and not for myself.

My take-away is this:  We are given two lives.  One on earth and one in eternity.  Focus on the one where you'll be spending the most amount of time.  Make decisions with that mindset and the blessings of God will be upon you.

Smelling The Roses

 

Maybe you've heard it said that there are two types of women in the world: the "Martha's" and the "Mary's".  (Luke chapter 10: 38-41) Mary seems to be a free spirit and shall I say, people focused.  Martha is focused on the task at hand.  I'm definitely a "Martha".  My life is made up of a continuous list of to-dos (either written down or stuffed in my brain in an unorganized form of chaos).  There is always something to do.  

Don't get me wrong.  I'm most definitely not a "type A" personality.  I'm not a go getter.  I'm not a task master (although my child might disagree sometimes).  I don't thrive on 5 hours of sleep just so I can put together a 20 page scrapbook of my daughter's piano recital that lasted all of 1 minute or to prepare homemade frozen meals for an entire week.  Believe it or not - there are people out there like that (you may even be one of them).  But it's not me. 

I'm the kind of person that seems to always find the importance (or over-importance) in the most menial of tasks.  I create a list and can't truly relax until the list is complete.  Problem is - the list has a hard time getting completed because I keep adding to it.

Sometimes I look back at my life and realize that I've missed out on some of the enjoyment of it simply because I was focused on the "responsibility" of it.  Let's face it - girls just want to have fun.  So does it sound silly to add something fun to my to-do lists?  Maybe I'm the type of girl who just needs to give myself permission to prop my feet up, to take my daughter to a movie, to go on a date with my husband or to eat chocolate for dinner (okay I already do that sometimes).  

We're only here on this earth for a blink of an eye.  It's important to soak up the special moments and treasure them.  In fact, I'm pretty sure there will be more special moments if I actually stop to notice them.  I recently read a book that was heavy on eye-opening insights.  If I had read the book straight through without stopping to chew on what I read, I would have missed 90% of the message.  

Life is like that.  If we don't take moments here and there to absorb what's happening in and around us, it will simply pass us by unnoticed.  This year on my to-do list, I'm going to try my best to stop, smell some roses, and smile as I take in the blessings around me.  I hope you can do the same.

From Here To Eternity: A Glorious Transition

A college friend of mine is losing his earthly body today and gaining a fabulous new one in Heaven.  I'm incredibly excited for him for what is sure to be the most glorious day of his life and birthday into eternity.  Eagerly awaiting his arrival will be a sister, a mother, countless angels and his heavenly Father with open arms. 

His passing, of course, makes me sad and my heart breaks for his family but I can't help but think that his infectious smile will be larger than its ever been once he gets to his new home.  He touched everyone he met.  He had a huge heart and more love than most to give away.

I've been reading friends' comments on Facebook.  Everybody says the same thing.  They reference his smile, his attitude, his love for and his dedication to God.  I can't help but think, despite all the health struggles, this man has lived a blessed life.  A life lived in that peaceful spot of truly understanding God's gift of forgiveness is greater than all the pain and suffering of this world.  Below is one of his postings from Facebook a year ago. You can get a sense of my friend's heart and life. 

"'Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases'.(Ps. 103:1-3) Today is the 11th anniversary of my stem cell transplant for stage IV Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I could go into all the treatments and share with you how difficult of a road it has been dealing with the horrible disease. But I am not going to do that. This day and everyday needs to be all about Jesus and how thankful I am for Him forgiving me for all my sins . That is why I chose this scripture. I am so thankful that I am forgiven. I reflect upon Christ and all the pain and suffering he went through to save me from my sins and not from cancer. My prayer is that we all don't forget His benefits."

I'm touched by the fact that his life was so clearly lived for God.  Not everyone can say that about their own life nor will it be said about them. There is, in my humble opinion, no better way to be remembered than for everyone to know your life centered around God. Well done, my friend.  Well done.  

Now I'm left to wonder:  If he has been the life of the party here on earth, what will he be like in Heaven?  We will miss you, Rick!

Sunday Blogvotional: The Guidance of a Loving Father

If you're like me, you recognize multiple areas within yourself that need improvement.  For an introspective person, it can be a bit overwhelming to discover all the areas which could be improved upon.  But what I think is so wonderful is that even if I never change, I know without a doubt that God loves me.  But it's that very love for me that leads Him to point out my flaws.  No, He's not trying to pick me apart with a fine tooth comb.  And He doesn't do this because I have to reach a certain level to meet His standards.  He does this because He wants the best for me.  He knows the good that I can do.  He knows the good that I can be.  He's simply trying to help me to reach my potential.  That's what a loving father does.

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.

Philippians 1:6 

Encouragement for the week:  Pick one of your flaws (yes, we all have them) and thank God for helping you recognize it.  Write down a few ways you can work on it this week.  Ask God for help.  Remember - it's like getting help from your best friend not your worst coach.  Love makes all the difference!

On My Heart

Do you ever have those moments when you feel like God is working in you?  The other night I had one of those moments.  I don't know exactly what to do with it or what His plan is but I'm sure He'll let me know when He's ready.

I was watching a segment on 60 Minutes with my husband.  The piece contained an interview with Bill Gates (Microsoft gazillionaire if you weren't sure who that was).  The story was about his desire and efforts to eliminate certain diseases from the world through advanced research and technology.  For example - creating machines to kill mosquitoes to rid Africa of malaria or creating refrigeration devices to hold antibiotics without the use of electricity (which is hard to come by in third world countries).

Although I was impressed with what the Gates Foundation is doing I was more struck by something Bill said. And it's been on my heart ever since.  He made reference to the fact that people in this country spend money on all sorts of frivolous things while people in other countries die because they don't have basics like medicine, clean water, or refrigeration.

I think his comment was meant more to explain his desire to use his money on something worthwhile than him making a statement about our selfish culture. But still I couldn't get away from the reality of what he said.  We want our excess regardless of whether we could make things better for someone else.

This is what I feel we say without actually saying it: "I see you need clean water and that you might die from some water-born bacteria.  I could help a little bit and probably with some friends we could help a lot.  But, I'm sorry.  I've got plans to go to a movie tonight and then after that I'm going to buy some new shoes.  Maybe next time when I get some extra extra money I can help."  

Please don't misunderstand.  I'm not writing this to make anyone feel guilty.  I'm simply sharing what's on my heart.  I don't know what to do with this anymore than, maybe, you do.  All I know is that if it's on my heart - chances are God is working in me. Where that leads remains to be seen.

God Walks With Me

Modified from my archives

Have you ever thrown a temper tantrum?  I mean - as a grown up?  I have.  Maybe I didn't lie down and flail my arms and legs about and scream at the top of my lungs but I certainly gave plenty of attitude. I'm not proud to admit my occasional composure failures but I have to be honest. Life can be hard and downright unpleasant at times.  Sadly - I admit - I've resorted to childlike behavior in order to cope.
 
Thankfully, I grew up with a good foundation of who God is and what He's about. Even though I don't always understand Him or His ways of doing things, I still know that He loves me and He will never leave me.

I picture my life as a journey down a path. Fortunately, I am not walking down the path alone. My Lord and Savior walks with me. Most days are spent in peace. We walk along talking, making note of the splendor around us and taking in the blessings of life. But, as with all journeys, we encounter obstacles, speed bumps, detours, forks, or flat out collisions (whatever description seems to apply at the time). It's at one of those unpleasant obstacles where I might have a tantrum moment.  I picture myself crossing my arms, sitting down and stubbornly refusing to move forward. I'm not happy and I'm not going to get up! It's my silent protest. 

But here is the remarkable thing: God doesn't yell at me. He doesn't call me a crybaby and tell me to get up. He doesn't tell me I'm ungrateful and I'm lucky to get as far as I've gotten in life. He doesn't say, "Fine, you stay here. I'm going on without you."

I believe with all my heart God waits patiently for me to finish my tantrum so that we may proceed together. He'll wait however long it takes. I know my attitude disappoints Him (frankly, it disappoints me) but that doesn't mean He doesn't love me. It doesn't mean He wants to write me off and forget me.  His hand is always there ready and waiting for me to get over myself. When that moment finally arrives (when the hurt and anger have subsided enough for me to see truth again) I look up at my Savior who lovingly asks if I'm ready.  I answer "Yes." and take His outstretched hand. He helps me up and our journey begins again (together). 

I'm so thankful for God's loving patience. Knowing that God walks with me in my journey through life helps make each step easier to take.

Never Again List

How many times do we say things like "I can't" simply because we don't have the strength to believe we don't have to do anything on our own?  How often do we forget that God always meets our needs even when it seems like He doesn't? How many times to we run to the corner and cower out of fear even when we've been told we are stronger than we think?  How often to we think we aren't wise or elegant enough to speak the truth even when we know God will give us the words and the wisdom on when to use them?  There are so many doubts that creep into our thoughts.  We know God's truth.  The trick is applying His truth to our lives for all time. Strengthening our faith and changing our thought patterns take practice (and repetition).  I came across this "Never Again List" and it seems like a really good place to start.

NEVER AGAIN will I confess “I can’t”, for “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” PHIL 4:13

NEVER AGAIN will I confess lack, for “my God shall supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” PHIL 4:19

NEVER AGAIN will confess fear, for “God has not given me the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” II TIM 1:7

NEVER AGAIN will I confess doubt and lack of faith, for “God has given to every man the measure of faith.” ROM 12:3

NEVER AGAIN will I confess weakness, for “The Lord is the strength of my life.” PSALM 27:1

NEVER AGAIN will I confess defeat, for “God always leads me to triumph in Christ Jesus.”  II COR 2:14

NEVER AGAIN will I confess lack of wisdom, for “Christ Jesus is made unto me wisdom from God.” I COR 1:30

NEVER AGAIN will I confess worries and frustrations, for I am “casting all my care upon Him who cares for me.” I PETER 5:7

NEVER AGAIN will I confess condemnation, for “There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus.” ROM 8:1

(author unknown) 

"There Is No Other Way"

I’m always leery when people say things like: "There is no other way." or “We don’t have a choice.” It seems to me when humans think there’s only one (usually desperate) solution to a problem then we’ve pretty much come to the place where the devil wants us.  One of the devil’s goals is to get us to act out of desperation.  If he can do that, he keeps us from acting on faith.  

The devil likes to get us to a point where we think (sometimes subconsciously) that God isn’t going to help us and we’ll have to handle things on our own.  Through our mostly blinded eyes we see only one course of action – one answer to our problem.  Ironically, we may even be able to admit that the course of action isn’t altogether desirable.  Our “only choice” may have some strings attached and yet we, through desperation, say “there’s no other way”.  We feel backed into a corner and make decisions accordingly.

Here’s my thought:  When the human mind conceives of only one possible solution, that’s usually the point where God says “Wait for it……wait for it.” and then poof something miraculous happens.  It’s in these moments that God puts the impossible into the proverbial hat and pulls out something completely amazing.  It’s the moment where human logic takes a back seat and God takes the wheel and drives home the point: When God is in the car, there is always a better alternative than what desperation would have you believe!!

I know all too well that waiting for God's alternative solution can be difficult but I firmly believe it's worth waiting for.  Reacting out of panic or desperation because we can't see any other plan usually causes more pain than good.  If we can remember not to jump out of the car, God has great things in store for us and will always get us to them at just the right time.

Sunday Blogvotional: What Road Is Your Goal?

Thank you Father, for talking about roads in your word. You've made it clear that the road of life we travel on is so very important. One road leads to destruction and the other leads to life eternal. So, maybe we should check our roadmap and consider which road we are on. Is our goal to reach heaven? Maybe we are just wandering aimlessly without a plan or goal? We must first have a destination in mind in order to get there.

There are many goals in life that we strive to attain like getting a college education, a good job, financial security, a happy marriage or maybe even some of us strive for fame and fortune. Some goals are more worthwhile than others yet it is important to have a goal. Without goals it’s most likely we will never reach our destination.

Our days are numbered and if heaven is our destination we have to make plans on how we will get there in the unknown days allotted to us. Will our life end on a side road where we got side-tracked? We could get stuck in the mud or lose our compass and end up lost. Where is your life taking you? Regardless of our goals, today is the day to reevaluate and check the best roadmap ever (the Bible) and see if we are on the straight and narrow road or aimlessly wandering on side streets that will never get us to the destination we desire.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13,14

Encouragement of the week: Reading the most interesting book in the world with the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide us will definitely lead us to the right destination. What can be better than that?

Special contribution this week by June (my "mumsy").

The Path Of Gratefulness

During the past several months praise has been the topic of choice between God and me.  Recently, He took me to the next natural step in our journey which led me from praise to gratefulness.

I've found that it's easy to say the words "I'm thankful for...." and fill in the blank.  But, unfortunately, saying the words doesn't necessarily mean they come from the heart.  Saying the words doesn't mean my attitude is right.  Have you ever had those moments where your heart said something completely different than your head? As believers it's easy to get caught up doing (or saying) what we're "supposed" to.  But sometimes our heart - our attitude doesn't really match up with our words.

I realized through this little lesson that silent discontentment is the same as verbal ungratefulness. When we're not satisfied, we're essentially ungrateful (whether spoken or not).  So why are so many of us plagued with discontentment?  Is it because we're constantly wanting something we don't have or continually waiting for something to happen?  Is it because we're almost always dreaming of the life we want to have instead of living and loving the life we do have?

Can we ever truly be happy when we find ourselves always in "want" mode?  Can we find joy and peace when we're always looking for or expecting something different?  I don't think we can.  I believe that if we change our mindset to be in "grateful" mode then gratefulness will take over our hearts. Joy and peace will take over our soul.

Funny how being grateful takes a conscious effort when complaining and discontentment come so easily.  It may not come naturally but I believe the efforts of training myself to be grateful will reap the rewards of a very contented life.  Each day I make a conscious effort to "open my eyes" and see my blessings.  Then I tell God I'm thankful for each of them.  He wants to hear the words of my grateful heart.  And, in truth, it's not so much to ask.

The Daily Bonus

I wonder how I would live my life if I woke up differently.  If you’re old enough, you might remember the donut commercials where the alarm goes off and the still half-asleep guy stumbles out of bed saying “Time to make the donuts.”  That’s kind of what I do every morning only I say “Time to let the dog out, get breakfast going, make school lunches, etc., etc.”  Doesn’t exactly have aWoo Hoo!! factor, does it?

What if, instead of that, I woke up and said “WOW! I get to be a part of another day.  Thank you, God, for giving me this opportunity.  How can I make the most of this blessing?  How can I show others your amazing glory today?”  Truthfully – I’d love to wake up with a shout. WOW!! (Without giving my husband a heart attack, of course.)  

Okay so maybe hollering out “WOW!” isn’t the best idea for practical reasons.  But what about thinking it?  How do we train ourselves to be consciously aware that each day is a gift given to us by God?  Our days aren’t simply blobs of sand waiting to slide through a tiny hole in an hourglass.  They have purpose.

Ours days are presents and each day we get to open a brand new gift.  Sure – it looks like the one we opened yesterday but grace-fully (yep I said grace-fully not gratefully) we can mold and shape this new gift any way we want.  

By God’s grace - if we made some bad mistakes with yesterday’s gift, we have an opportunity to correct them with today’s gift.   If we got distracted and left God’s path yesterday, we can get back on the right path today.  

If you’re like me, you may find it hard to look past the daily to-do lists.  I think if I woke up with a different perspective, I’d live my life focused more on God and what I can do for Him rather than on how I can live the day for myself.  After all – isn’t that what I was created for? 

Blessings In The Detours

I’m not particularly crazy about detours.  They’re known for being lengthy and slow going.  I like taking the path I’ve planned out and the one I know will get me to my destination with the simplest ease.  Plus I’m usually on a time schedule and detours have a tendency to slow down my trip.  

The truth is we don’t have much control over whether we have to take a detour or not.  Things happen to the road. Repairs need to be made. Sometimes a new road has to be created altogether. 

This scenario is the same in our lives.  We have our lives planned out pretty much since we’re teenagers if not before.  But our lives are full of detours – those unexpected side trips.  Sometimes we encounter detours as a result of decisions we’ve made.  Sometimes we hit a detour through no fault of our own.  Either way they usually throw us for a loop.  

Detours can be muddy, uncomfortable and lengthy.  And unlike detours on a road our life detours tend to be poorly marked.  A lot of times we don’t even know if we’re going the right direction.  This leads to anxiety and stress.  (Unless you’re one of those people who can simply enjoy the ride.)

My own life plan has hit several detours along the way.  Once the initial panic wears off, I eventually remember God is in control and steering.  Like I said – I’m not particularly crazy about detours.  I like knowing my destination and exactly how I’m going to get there.  And I’m especially not big on delays.  But as I look back at all those detours I’ve encountered, I’m able to see the unexpected blessings that came through them.

The funny thing is – we think they are detours when maybe they’re actually the roads God intended for us to take all along.  The roads may not be pleasant that we need to travel but I fully believe they lead to a fuller, more blessed life.  God has an amazing way of turning a chaotic path into a beautiful blessing.

Growing Fruit

We, as Christians, are tremendously blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.  In Galatians chapter 5 we read that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

For many years I assumed these characteristics (this fruit) would naturally and abundantly flow out of me simply because I carried the name of Christian.  I was puzzled by the lack of them at times.  Like most people I’m not always loving or patient or gentle, etc. etc.  I mean really, we all have our moments.  

I got to thinking about the word “fruit” and how fruit grows.  A tree will produce fruit if it’s watered, gets light, and has good soil.  If a tree doesn’t get these things – isn’t nurtured – then it will cease to produce good fruit and will eventually die.

What if we are like that tree?  We have been given a gift of a "starter" batch of Spiritual fruit (love, joy, peace…) and a purpose to bear more fruit.  But what happens if we don’t nurture our tree – if we don’t feed our fruit?  Will our fruit shrivel up?  Will it become tasteless and bitter?  Will our tree die? I think maybe it will.  Have you ever met Christians who seem completely void of any Spiritual fruit?  Maybe, just maybe, they've forgotten to nurture their fruit and now it no longer grows (or flows through them).

So how do we nurture our “fruit of the Spirit”?  We nurture by practicing or using them.  The more we practice the act of loving – the more love we grow.  The more we practice patience, gentleness, self-control and the others – the more these too will grow.  And the more of these fruit we have on our tree, the more we are filled with the Spirit and the fuller our lives will be.

Challenge:  Practice nurturing a fruit a week.  This week work on being more loving.  Next week work on being joyful and the next peace, etc.  Oftentimes our attitudes and actions just need a little focused attention and nurturing.

Intentional Living

I don’t remember where I heard it – could have been a sermon or in something I read – but the gist of the idea was to live "intentionally".  It’s not a new concept or one that should have rocked my world but it kind of did.  So much so that I typed the word and its definition in a pretty font and printed it out on card stock so I could frame it and hang it on my wall as a daily reminder (which I haven’t done). 

 

I looked at the word and saw a call to action.  It was a call to live out my faith "intentionally".  I mean there are plenty of times when I don’t feel like I’m an intentional Christian.  If I'm honest, I'm not "intentional" about much of anything.  Life happens and I usually end up playing catch up.  If I'm not careful, one day can bleed into the next without much substance.  And then I'm left to wonder how (or if) my faith entered into the picture.

Sure, I’m intentional about going to church.  But that’s not what it really means to live a Christian life.  Talking about the Bible is not the same thing as living the Bible.  I want to be someone who lives my life intentionally - meaning actually making the effort to live and walk a Christian life.  I can’t just say I’m a Christian. Being a Christian means being compelled to do – to serve – to love – to give.  If I don’t make an effort to think about and do these things, there's the danger of going through each day without doing any of them.

As life lessons go, living intentionally seemed to apply to more than just my Christian walk.  You see, I’m the kind of person who comes up with a new organizational plan every few months.  Why?  Because I try and then I fail at them.  The other day I was bemoaning the fact that I was, yet again, failing another plan when it hit me.  The reason I've failed in the past is because I haven't been intentional with any of them. 

If I have a list of things that need to be done then I must be intentional about getting them done.  If I make a plan, I must be intentional about completing it.  If I want to raise a Christian daughter, I need to be intentional about teaching her.  Intentional living is not about having good intentions.  It’s about the commitment to follow through with those intentions.  

Speaking of which – I think I'll hang my “Intentional” sign on the wall now. One more thing completed (intentionally)!

Website Supermoms

This morning I was looking at something on the internet which led me to a link to another website.  At first I was intrigued.  I thought, "What a great site". There was so much information.  You've probably seen sites like this.  It was written by a mom who pretended to be just like you and me only she was really a Supermom in disguise.  The more I looked at the site the more I started going into a downward spiral.  I thought how do people like her do this (and by "this" I mean "everything")?  How is it that these people have that much time in their day to clean the house, plan menus, cook all the meals, homeschool four children, write curriculum, have individual time with each kid, and time with the husband, do Bible studies and write a blog all in 24 hours.  I think there's sleep somewhere in there.  Anyway - you get my drift.  I can barely manage a portion of that.  I looked at my husband in disbelief and said "What's wrong with me?"

Yes, I have a problem with comparing myself to "Supers".  I always wonder if there's a secret I'm not seeing.  My husband reiterated to me that I can't compare myself to other people and that people work at different paces.  This didn't actually make me feel better.  The realization is - I'm slow.  That's how I was made.  God didn't make me a high-octane person.  But, ironically, He made me with a desire to do a million things at once and to do them perfectly.  This is incredibly frustrating at my low-octane speed?  How am I suppose to do it all at that speed?

I don't know the answer to that.  But here is my big take-away for the day:  I shouldn't compare myself to the "Supers" of the world.  Instead I should compare myself to couch potatoes!  Then - my accomplishments will seem all the more significant.

In the end I know that God created me to be me.  He has never asked me to do more than I have the ability or the ability through Him to accomplish.  I need to learn to do a few tasks and do them well.  Loving God is the most important task of all.  All the rest is business!

Be Yourself

Recently my husband and I watched the movie "My Week With Marilyn".  The movie gives a brief glimpse into the life of Marilyn Monroe.  On the surface she was the most popular movie star of her time and yet her reality never seemed to mirror that illusion.  She was incredibly insecure and desperately longed for love and affirmation.  She feared and seemed to believe that everyone who loved her would eventually leaver her.  There was such loneliness found in someone so popular and adored by so many.

As the movie ended I couldn't help but feel sad for Marilyn.  Her on screen image became like a trap for her.  The question is - how can you find happiness in life when you can never be yourself - when the image people like isn't really even who you are.  Is it any wonder she fought depression.  Despite the adoration of millions there was always the constant question.  Do they like her or the person on the screen?  The eventual truth is realized.  Them loving her image is not the same as them loving her. In the end - everyone just wants to be loved for themselves.

One of the great things about God is that no matter what we've done or who we are - he loves us.  He would prefer we lose the act and just be ourselves.  After all - he created us.  He knew us before we were born.  He knows our idiosyncrasies.  He knows all our weaknesses and faults.  He loves us despite them.  And he will never ever abandon us.  With him - we don't have to be someone we're not.  What a great feeling to be loved so much.  With God - we can be free to be ourselves.