Our All-Wise Know-It-All has a Purpose

I have loved watching you moms and dads and your children forge through your, what seems to be, perpetual at-home time together. I've passed by families going on walks together. I’ve seen FB photos of you having family meals together and, I’ve heard you saying: “I’m going to miss this!” I’ve seen you being home school facilitators, and, latest news is you're going to get to supervise through to the end of the school year! Maybe that's more than you bargained for -- but you're surviving!

This time will pass and I pray that you look back on it as a life-changing time that will give you fond memories and many lessons learned, in spite of it being some of the most challenging and even disappointing times. I pray that your new value system of family meals together, playing games together and caring for each other and others, along with the tenacity, perseverance and fortitude you’ve acquired, to be your new non-negotiables.

We might consider these times to be a “hands-on seminar” by our Lord. He wants us to know “I have a purpose in mind”. And it’s verified in James 1: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

We mamas know the pain of childbirth. Oh, but it’s so worth it to hold that little bundle-of-purpose in our arms. We’ve heard it said “No pain – no gain!” There is so much gain that we will have had from these times of isolation and confinement if we but realize God always has a purpose.

Seriously, I'm speaking from firsthand experience. Out of the toughest times of our lives, when my sweetheart was diagnosed with terminal cancer, God had a purpose already planned for me. I had a choice. To waller in self-pity or to allow God to use that season as preparation time in my life. That latter option is what compelled me to start blogging, and from Facebook's notice to me yesterday -- it has now been 10 years of blogging. Our greatest tests turned out to be my daily testimony to others. God had a purpose for me way past my husband's life on this earth. I knew God wanted me to bring His light to the darkness on social media and I promised to blog 365 days a year with a 6 am post goal each and every day. I am driven with a passion for this mission. My passion is telling a lost and hurting world about the love, mercy and grace of Jesus.

I'm pulling out one of my favorite scriptures. Romans 8:28 “For ALL things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His PURPOSES.” Did you get that? HIS purposes! He is on purpose, with a purpose in mind. So, if we but take deep breaths, we’ll weather this season with new purpose right here in the middle or end of it.

Peter did. Remember what a coward he was? He denied even knowing Christ. Tough season for him and the other disciples. Everything they staked their lives on ended up in their Leader’s demise. Oh, but God had a purpose. The PURPOSE rose from the grave and ascended to heaven. The PURPOSE was to radically transform lives so we can live for eternity with THE PURPOSE. The coward, Peter, turned into a vibrant, Holy Spirit-filled, preaching machine after Pentecost. His first message brought in over 3,000 people to Christ.

What if God’s purpose is packaged in temporary pain and inconvenience? What if we understand that God’s purposes are always right on. What if we yield to our divine “Know-it-All” and surrender to His ways without whining and complaining? We should follow James’ words to “Count it ALL joy” – because a creative idea, a witty invention, a new way of solving problems, and a family bond is created that will never be broken. What if we hold tight and watch God do what He does best? He is our God and Father of PURPOSE, and Father knows best.

It Doesn't Have to Be My Way

Remember Frank Sinatra singing “I did it my way”? The song was about a man fondly looking back on a life lived on his own terms. But, is that the way WE want to live?

I heard a talk where the speaker handed out empty toilet paper rolls to each of us to make her point. She asked: “Have you ever had a dispute with your husband about the RIGHT way to hang a toilet paper roll? And, if you weren’t in agreement, did you correct it each time that he’d put it in different from the way you thought it should be? Did it frustrate you because it just wasn’t right or it just wasn't YOUR WAY? She said God had been speaking to her about having to have it HER WAY, so, on purpose, she has been leaving it the way her husband put it on. She realized “It doesn’t have to be MY WAY all the time. She instructed us to write on our rolls…. “It doesn’t have to be MY WAY!”

What a powerful object lesson! The point, well taken. It's such an erroneous belief that OUR WAY is the best way of doing things and then insisting others agree with us. There are those who seem to have taken a life course called, “How to Be Absolutely Sure of Everything”! And, honestly, in the light of eternity and what matters most, does it really matter? Wanting and insisting on getting our way is a set up for unhappiness and a lot of disagreements with others. We rationalize that THEY are the one that needs to change.

It’s part of our human nature to want to have our way. We all have a touch of the need to be right. We all have areas where we believe that we know better than others. As we learn to let go of the need to have it OUR WAY, the more energy we’ll have to spend on things that REALLY ARE important.

It’s time to ask ourselves, “Do I want to be right or do I want to be happy? Do I want to get my way, or do I want to feel a closeness with others?” Who wants to be a know-it-all, when there’s only one KNOW-IT-ALL? He is Father God. Instead of singing Frank’s “I DID IT MY WAY”, why not be singing…. “I did it God’s way!” And when we do it God's way.....in humility and love.....it WILL BE His way....and the BEST WAY! But, just thought I'd add a photo of the RIGHT WAY of hanging toilet paper!

"He has shown you, oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

"Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in HIS WAYS." Psalm 128:1

And That's The Way It Goes!

My mother-in-law, who has always been known for her wit, called me a couple of nights ago and she was on a roll. Typically, it is just a "check-in" call to see how things are going, but this night she was recalling some stories of her childhood and how she and her brother got into mischief. And that story led to another story. There are times when she'll repeat stories that I've heard dozens of times before, but this night, they were all fresh ones. She told me how the floods were coming quickly in Winnipeg (Canada) in the early 50s and how she had to pack a little suitcase and send her boy, my husband (then 4 years old), away to a friend's home so he would be protected. She said he stood in the driveway with his little coat on and holding his little suitcase....looking so sad and forlorn. I can visualize that picture now.

Mom finds great joy in talking about the past because she has such sweet memories of when times were tough, but God brought them through each and every time. The floods came, but they had the good sense to move their best furniture to higher ground before their home was under water.

Now, here we are in 2016 and. if taken at face value, it may seem we're in such a perilous and concerning time. When we listen to the news reports or to a voice that just called us on our phone, or when we've read the latest updates on social media and take them just as they are, it may seem as if the best escape is for God to open up a window above us in the sky and snatch us away to a better place beyond the clouds.

Mom has a habit of saying "And that's the way it goes". That's kind of the way she has looked at life -- when she could be down because her dear husband passed away and left her a widow some twenty years ago or that she can't get around as good as she once could.....she just patiently and calmly says, "And that's the way it goes."

Here's the deal -- we shouldn't be down about the way things appear. Let's don't lose hope based on what our news anchor or our social media feed or our great-aunt Lillie may be trying to tell us about the gloom and the doom and the brokenness of this world. All of this is not too much for God to handle. Whatever decade or political year or tough year it was, and is today, literally, whatever is upon us, will never stump God, or leave Him wondering what in the world to do next. I'm quite sure none of the stuff is enough to make God throw his hands up in surrender.

Psalm 147:5 says ".....He is abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite." ! Samuel 2:3 "For the LORD is a God of knowledge, and with Him actions are weighed." Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity; plans to give you a future and a hope." Psalm 27:1

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?"

Mom has it right. "That's the way it goes" -- trusting, leaning on and depending on our KNOW-IT-ALL God, is the way to live a calm, peaceful, and assured life.

It Doesn't Have to Be My Way!

Day 195 of Photo Inspirations – It Doesn't Have to Be My Way!
Remember Frank Sinatra singing “I did it my way”? The song was about a man fondly looking back on a life lived on his own terms.  But, is that the way WE want to live?

I attended a meeting on Thursday where the speaker handed out empty toilet paper rolls to each of us. She asked: “Have you ever had a dispute with your husband about the RIGHT way to hang a toilet paper roll?  And, if you weren’t in agreement, did you correct it each time that he’d put it in different from the way you thought it should be?  Did it frustrate you because it just wasn’t right or it just wasn't YOUR WAY?  She said God had been speaking to her about having to have it HER WAY, so, on purpose, she has been leaving it the way her husband put it on.  She realized “It doesn’t have to be MY WAY all the time. She instructed us to write on our rolls…. “It doesn’t have to be MY WAY!”

What a powerful object lesson! Point well taken.  It's such an erroneous belief that OUR WAY is the best way of doing things and then insisting others agree with us.  There are those who seem to have taken a life course called, “How To Be Absolutely Sure of Everything”!  And, honestly, in the light of eternity and what matters most, does it really matter?  Wanting and insisting on getting our way is a set up for unhappiness, and a lot of disagreements with others.  We rationalize that THEY just need to change.

It’s part of being human to want to have our way. We all have a touch of the need to be right. We all have areas where we believe that we know better than others. As we learn to let go of the need to have it OUR WAY, the more energy we’ll have to spend on things that REALLY ARE important.

It’s time to ask ourselves, “Do I want to be right or do I want to be happy?  Do I want to get my way, or do I want to feel closeness with others?”  Who wants to be a know-it-all, when there’s only one KNOW-IT-ALL?   He is Father God.  Instead of singing Frank’s “I DID IT MY WAY”, why not be singing…. “I did it God’s way!” And when we do it God's way.....in humility and love.....it WILL BE His way....and the BEST WAY!

"Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in HIS WAYS." Psalm 128:1
 "...be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the HUMBLE.”  1 Peter 5:5

I Need Directions To...............

Day 149 of Photo Inspirations -- I Need Directions To.........
A few days ago, as my friends and I had our morning walk, we were talking about prayer and if we have an awareness of "God With Us" wherever we go, and whatever we are doing, then we don't have to be in a certain posture or location to pray.  We'll just be communicating with Him as we would with a friend with us in the car, or, in our case, our walking friends where we chat together along the way. We quoted the scripture in Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  IN ALL YOUR WAYS,  acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."  How awesome is that?

Having a little conversation with Him Who knows everything about everything -- provides DIRECTIONS -- when and to where we want to go.  That's HUGE when we consider those who refuse to ask for directions -- men AND women.  They'll go around the same block or same area of town over and over again, before they're willing to ask directions.  But, in this case.....if we just have a little one-on-one with Him Who is the Supreme KNOW-IT-ALL -- He WILL direct our paths and we'll get to our destination in record time.  That's what I call expert advice!

After our walk, I headed over to my cousin's home where the estate sale people are getting it ready for their sale this weekend.  I looked around to see if I could find a keepsake that represented my sweet cousin and her husband.  As I ventured through the house, lo and behold -- I saw this picture on the wall.  Of course, I wanted that picture -- not only did I feel "directed" to it, but that "Word" is now indelibly imprinted in my mind and heart.  Twice in one day, God was speaking to me.   And, now it has a place in my home that I see it everyday as a constant reminder of God's presence with me.

Perhaps you're looking for direction on decisons that you are having to make today.  Maybe, just maybe, this "Word" is your "Word" too.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In ALL YOUR WAYS , (while driving in your car, washing dishes, mowing the lawn, standing in line at a store, putting on your make-up, etc.),  acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."