Wondering What God’s Will is For Your Life?

I saw this Fall embellished version of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – read it, took it to heart, and, whoa-la -- my blog for today! Thanks, God, for the inspiration! I love it when I see and hear from Him. I’ve always said, my blogs are for me AND you!

Clearly, this verse from 1 Thessalonians 5, speaks more about God’s will being in our actions than His actions. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for THIS IS GOD’S WILL for you in Christ Jesus.” When we do our part – staying in a mindset of rejoicing, pursuing Him in prayer and having an attitude of gratitude IN ALL circumstances – we can let go, and LET GOD! BTW – notice the scripture says “…give thanks IN all things” not FOR all things. So in the middle of an illness or a crisis of some kind….right smack dab IN the middle of “the things”, we thank God for His goodness, love, mercy, and grace. That is HIS will for us.

God knows the beginning to the end of our story and when we live in sheer resolve to keep Him up front in our lives – His will, just naturally, is a part of every action, reaction, decision and follow-through. But, dear Lord, how can I rejoice ALWAYS, pray CONTINUALLY, and give thanks IN ALL circumstances? That sounds like a waaay over-the-top, unrealistic challenge! But God never speaks in “impossibilities”. He is always "all things are possible” speaking! I believe that we can ALWAYS purposely focus on our heart’s attitude. It expresses itself throughout the day with silent prayers of vital communication with the LORD. We can always be "on line" with God so when the Holy Spirit moves us to pray, we can instantly agree with Him. When in agreement with the Holy Spirit, we are praying continuously. The heart attitude of praying without ceasing means an ever-open heart to the Lord’s leading.

If we are praying without ceasing -- even while driving, changing the baby, washing dishes, or running a lawn mower -- we can be open to the leading of the Spirit when He urges us to pray for something or someone. We all need a refresher course in clearing our heads and hearts to hear directions from Heaven-Central! And, when we stay connected to the “hot line” by rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks in all circumstances….we can be assured God’s plans and will are being done on earth as they are in heaven.

Where we are – He is and when we trust Him as we’re doing our part to rejoice, pray and give thanks – He gives us peace and understanding. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5,6). Get that? We’re “IN ALL HIS WAYS” when He gets our attention. We don’t have to look far or go far --- because He’s already there.

Back to God’s Creation & Baseball

So I’m back to living out loud with my family, but that sure doesn’t hinder me from keeping my eyes wide open for God moments. I took Brennan to his baseball practice at 6:30 pm. This photo of the western skies doesn’t do it justice. They were the reddest red, exploding with “the beauty and majesty of the skies that our God created”. Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

The next thing that captured my attention were these signs all around the baseball field. I love the optimism that was picked up on by these pro baseball players. To me, it was another “sign” of God’s presence. No parent, coach, baseball player or onlookers were thinking about the troubles of the world. They were basking in the joys of those kids working so hard to be their best. I’d say those are also God moments – experiencing the blessings of a great American sport, seeing our kids being taught sportsmanship, as well as skill in the game.

Though it was 85 degrees in the daytime, it dropped to the 60s while watching practice so I made my way back to the Home Run Room – that’s where it was cozy warm inside, as well as wifi, a kids’ area where younger siblings of the players can hang out, as well as restrooms. That may seem like TMI (too much information), but, once again, in my style of noticing…..I saw this prayer on the wall as well as the night light that said BELIEVE on it. You may think I’m over-the-top with my noticing God all around me, but isn’t that what Paul meant when he penned 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.“ My take on that scripture is this. Praying is expecting, hoping, believing, and looking for God in the everyday of life. What impressed me about all these little scenes and nudges from heaven on this normal, run-of-the-mill day -- taking a grandson to baseball practice -- was that it wasn’t in a church or another religious institution. It was at a baseball field where life is happening.

I came out from my solitude with God to simply hanging out with God -- on purpose. Either place, He’s there. In fact, He’s everywhere – in that sunset, in the trees and skies and cooler temperatures. He’s in all those boys and their parents. Maybe you haven’t taken the time to notice Him. Maybe we complicate finding God too much. Since He created all of this, just maybe He's in all of this. I encourage you to stop, look and listen….I’m quite sure you’ll find Him in the everyday of your life, too!

Change of Pace = Change of Perspective

I had a change-of-pace from all the unpacking and organizing here with my Austin family yesterday. I was designated as one of the chaperones for my 11-year old grandson’s class field trip to the Hill Country Science Mill in Johnson City, TX, the hometown of President Lyndon Johnson. The kids rode in school buses and the chaperones drove in their cars and met them there. No problem….. so I thought. I listened to my GPS gal and I headed out for the one-hour drive. Who knew my gal would play a trick on me because, instead of the highway route, which I didn’t know about until later, she took me the long scenic route. Of course, this was all new terrain for me. After all, I’m not from around here! I realized that when the two-lane road became narrower, the shoulders disappeared, and my speed had to be reduced to 20 mph because of the intense turns in the road.

I was getting more and more concerned about my time and before long, I sensed God speaking to my heart – “Slow down and enjoy the journey”. That’s when I looked all around and I was enthralled by the most beautiful hill country that I didn’t even realize was in Texas. I passed many wine and olive vineyards , enormous ranches AND some notorious longhorn steers (pictured here). Aww! I AM in Texas. Basking in the beauty of my drive, soon I came upon dastardly vultures that were having a feast on a dead deer, and then before long, I encountered a natural waterfall on the road that I was driving on. Yes, I went through it with trepidation. Soon, I saw workmen on the road and asked if I was on the right road to Johnson City, and he assured me I was and my destination was just ahead.

Once in Johnson City, the buses arrived and we had a day filled with all the hands-on science experiments and explorations that could ever be included in a single day. Once the kids loaded back on the bus, I headed straight to the Lyndon B Johnson Park, seeing the home he grew up in and saw the electric co-op that brought electricity to this area of Texas. Yes, I stopped to smell more roses – er, Texas air!

Of course I was writing today’s post in my head, as I experienced this day. It can be so boring to go through the humdrum fast lane to our destinations. If we slow down and savor the beauty of nature and God’s creation, we just might experience the thrills of the journey along the way. Yes, life isn’t about the destination – it’s about the journey!

When we stop and smell the roses, we're reminded of God's blessings. We think about the good things He is doing in our lives, rather than our troubles. Our thankfulness is then reflected in our prayers, as well as every aspect of our life. We "rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks". 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18