Where Do You Fit?

Ever worked on a puzzle with 300 pieces or more? Those pieces are everywhere and all out of place. It takes forever just to turn them all right side up. Then it’s a painstaking process to work your way through moving the pieces to where they fit. No matter how much they look alike, each piece has its own perfect place. It can never fill the place of another piece unless you force it. And if you do, the puzzle will never be quite right. You need all the pieces to complete the puzzle. Even one missing piece will prevent you from getting the full picture. 

That is the way we are as part of the body of Christ. We are many members of one body (1 Cor 12:12). We were each created for a specific purpose and plan (1 Cor 12:18). When we choose to put ourselves or drive others into places that are not ours, the puzzle or the body is never quite right. When we are out of place, we create hardship for ourselves and for others. When we plug ourselves into a place that isn’t ours we force others into wrong spots as well. It’s never comfortable being a place that isn’t ours. While it may be a struggle or challenging to get into our specific place, we fit when we find it. 

As we are seeking God’s guidance and following His leading, we find the proper place for us. If might not always be easy and even when we find that spot, we still need the wisdom of God. But it’s so much better to be in the will of God then to be disobedient, have to repent and deal with the consequences (1 Sam 15:22). When we operate in God’s will, we know that we are aligned with Him, instead of us doing it our way and then praying for Him to get us out of it or to fix it. 

Trust in the LORD will all your heart and acknowledge Him. Don’t lean on your own understanding and He will direct your steps (Prov 3:5-6). Just as Jesus did what the Father told Him to do (John 5:19), we are to follow His example. So, the question is where do you fit? Make sure you step into that space boldly because if God made you for that place, He will give you the grace to walk in it (Phil 2:13). 

His Ways Are Not Our Ways!

So you know I’ve been on a journey to move from a place I lived for well over 20 years. On this journey, I had several ideas of the way things should go and I planned for them. I was going to move and find a house in a part of town I wanted to live in that was close to work and close to the airport. I was going to have a quick commute and it was all planned out in my head. 

Well, the best laid plans, right!?! The Bible says, we can make our plans but the LORD determines our steps in Proverbs 16:9. We know it’s true because the Bible says it, but I can testify that my life works out that way regularly. I find myself in places where I did not plan to be as my steps have been ordered by the LORD (Psa 37:23-24). What things did you plan for yourself that didn’t come to be? Or that you made to be and then regretted the choices? I am seeking God’s guidance on the steps I’m to take (Matt 6:33). 

So, as I am following God’s leaning, I trust that He is taking me to the place He has for me. Not the place I would choose for myself. That can be somewhat disconcerting because God’s ways are not our ways (Isa 55:8-9). His ways are high above ours and because He knows better than we ever will, He takes us to places we wouldn’t choose for ourselves. 

That is my case. The community and area where I planned to live and operate was not the area He pointed me to. It is very different, but God doesn’t operate the way man does. He does not make decisions based on my comfort. He leads and guides me based on what is best for me. He and I may not agree on what that is, but I trust Him more than I trust myself (Prov 3:5-6). I’ve messed up before by listening to myself and not to His leading. 

So, because His ways are not our ways, we have decisions to make. We either choose to follow His leading or our own. Sometimes, we want to follow our own and then have God fix it. That doesn’t work. But, God will use those opportunities to make us into who He wants us to be. So, consider what would happen if you totally surrendered to God’s leading. Where would He take you? If you didn’t limit Him, what would He do with your life? God’s ways are high above our ways. Trust Him to take you on a journey that you would not choose for yourself but will be more fulfilling than any you could ever take on your own.

God's Got It

Last week was all about patience and the growth that comes with it. So what happens when you pray and pray and the thing you believe you need doesn’t come to fruition? What do you do? Well, I’m living that right now. I’ve been seriously looking and praying for a house for the last few weeks and I finally had the opportunity to make an offer on what I believed was the house. Just hours after making the offer, I was politely notified that while I had a very strong offer, the owner was going another way.

Needless to say, I was disappointed but not defeated. God’s Word says that He will supply all my needs according to His riches in Glory (Phil 4:19). So, while I haven’t gotten the house He has for me yet, I know it’s just where it should be and so am I. He has what I need and I just have to wait. It’s not easy, but sometimes like David, I have to encourage myself in the Lord (1 Sam 30:6), because He is faithful (Psa 33:4), no matter the circumstances. He doesn’t change (Mal 3:6). He is consistent. He is also merciful (Psa 103:8). Thank goodness!

At the end of the day, I have to remember that He’s got it, whatever my “it” is at the time. He already knows what I need (Psa 139:2-4), but I have to acknowledge my need and recognize that I don’t have all the answers (Phil 4:6-7). I have to remember that things will not always go the way I think they should, because I don’t know the future and I don’t know the blessing He has in store for me. Sometimes the path I take will be painful or uncomfortable because there is a lesson to learn (either for me or someone else) or the timing has not yet come. My ways are not His ways and my thoughts are not His thoughts (Isa 55:8-9).

God is so much bigger and better than anything I can come up with for myself (and I’ve experienced that before). So, I just have to remember that God’s got it. When I do, that provides encouragement and hope. Because He can’t fail (Josh 21:45) and the things that concern me concern Him (Psa 138:8). As long as I remember that, I remember that I’m not alone.

If I’m obedient and I seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness first, then all the things I need will be added (Matt 6:33). As I seek and trust Him, He will make clear to me what steps I should take (Prov 3:5-6), even when they aren’t the steps I would take because He’s got it. Since He owns everything (Psa 24:1), He can give me anything. So, remember if you belong to Him, God’s got “it” and He’s got you. Trust and believe!

Patience is a Virtue!

So the last few weeks have been trying for me. I’m used to feeling as if I’m in control (I know we’ve talked about this before), even though logically I realize I have very little control of the things around me. I’m used to making quick decisions and powering through to a desired outcome, recognizing that everything is in God’s hands. Given that, the last few weeks have really reminded me how little control I actually have. 

For several months, I’ve been working with a real estate agent to find a home in Kansas City (KCMO) and while I’ve found some prospects, I don’t feel like I’ve found it. I don’t want to be too picky and overlook the good thing God has for me, but I also don’t want to settle. I got to KCMO a week and two days ago and I’m already tired of looking at houses, but I need one and I know that God will provide my every need (Phil 4:19). That said, I also want “my stuff.” Sorry to whine, but I do. I want the things I’m most comfortable with around me. But, I can’t get them until I have a place to put them. 

So, I’m having to take a step back and be patient on this journey. It is not something I’m known for in most situations. I’m used to making things happen. And now despite all my efforts, I can only wait for the right house to come on the market and to actually see it when it does. Not fun for me, because waiting doesn’t mean sitting around waiting for something to drop in our lap. It means doing the work in the meantime.  And I see how it is necessary for my own growth. James 1:4 tells us to let patience have her perfect work, that we may be perfect (mature) and complete, needing nothing. That is profound. If we let patience work in us, we will grow to be mature and complete needing nothing outside the Lord (because we always need Him). 

Delayed gratification is a work of patience. Have you ever gotten something right away that you wanted but knew you needed to wait for? I have and have thought later how much better off I would have been had I waited as I knew I should. There are other things I waited for and my joy and appreciation was so much greater when it finally came. 

Patience is a virtue, a behavior showing high moral standards. Patience is a display of self-control and that is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22). So, as you are on this journey through life consider self-control and patience that they would help grow you into a more mature and complete Child of God, needing nothing other than Him. Pray for me as I will pray that you, too, develop patience and wait for the amazing blessings God has for us.

What's Your Next Adventure?

I think I mentioned recently that I was promoted and would be moving. That was a difficult thing for me since I had lived in the Atlanta area for 20 years. Prior to the job listing, I had no plans to move from Metro Atlanta. In fact, I was planning to retire in my house and spend months in my movie room catching up on all the media and books I’d collected and not found the time to enjoy. It was to be an epic time for me. 

However, God had other plans. Not that I’d ever compare myself to Abraham, I kinda felt like I think he might have when God told him to leave his home and go to a place He would show Abraham (Gen 12:1). I, too, was headed to a place I didn’t know. Yes, I’d visited twice since I was promoted, but other than all the talk of BBQ and the Kansas City Chiefs, I didn’t know much about the city I was moving to. I still don’t. But, I know that this is the place I’m purposed to be and I know that God will not leave or forsake me. 

My trip was an interesting one. I was scheduled to take the road trip from Atlanta to Kansas City (KCMO) with a good friend, but at the last minute she couldn’t make the trip to Atlanta. Then no one else was available to ride shotgun. So I made the three day road trip – Jesus and me. He kept me safe along the way and I didn’t get lost. It was a good trip. 

Then I got to KCMO and drove myself around for the first time. Traffic is way different and the area of town where I’m staying is almost too quiet, but in its difference is beauty. All the places I’ve been have their own character and personality and KCMO is no different. I’m looking forward to getting to know the city and to this new adventure from finding a house to building new relationships and finding a local church to attend. Overall, I’m just excited to see where God is taking me and what He has in store (Jer 29:11). 

So, since I’m being brave and taking on this new adventure, my question for you is, what is your next adventure? What has God given you that is scary or feels too big for you to take on? Don’t be scared (Josh 1:9). Know that if He brought you to something, He’s faithful to complete it (Phil 1:6). Yes, you have to do the work, but God will bless the work of your hands (Deut 28:12). So, what’s your adventure? Where is God taking you? Go!

Letting Go

The last several months have been exciting and trying and emotional and stressful and…..a real opportunity to let go of so many things…….many of them material, but also to let go of weight. I mentioned earlier that I recently got promoted to a new position and over the past several months, a couple of friends have helped me let go of so many material things. They were things I didn’t need but wanted at the time and then it was too difficult for me to give them away on my own. 

It was such a shame because much of it was never used. Thank the Lord they are now blessing others. My point is that I was holding on to things that weren’t mine. They were probably never meant for me, but for them to pass through me to others. Yes, now they have them, but how might they have been blessed with those items earlier. Yes, we are to operate in God’s timing (Lam 3:25-26), but do we on occasion slow down our process of maturation by holding on to things from our past that prevent us from being free and moving into our next space? I believe so. I believe we are our greatest obstacle. I believe we get in our own way more than the devil can ever harm us. 

I recently learned that my desire to make my family and friends proud and never be ashamed of me was placing me in bondage. I wasn’t free to operate for fear that I would somehow disappoint those closest to me and that my performance was why they loved me. Some would say that’s ridiculous and I would have said the same thing….about someone else and until I realized, it was a huge motivating factor in my life. Now, I understand it was a blind spot for me. Now that it’s in the open, I’ve more conscious of when I’m performing for acknowledgement. I’m letting go of the weight of that. I don’t have to carry it. I’m to work as unto the Lord and the rest will take care of itself (Col 3:23-24). 

I can let go of all the stuff and all the weight. He gives us grace for what He has for us to do (2 Cor 12:9). The question is how much will we give Him (1 Pet 5:7-9)? If we hold onto it too, He’ll back off because we might get it twisted and confused that we had something to do with the ultimate outcome. Our letting go of the material and mental things that hold us back, allows us to see more clearly. It allows God space to move in our lives, where we’ve kept it filled before. 

I don’t know about you, but I want all that God has for me. I don’t want to be the reason that I miss out of His purpose and His plan. It can definitely be scary walking into the unknown but God is already there, so what is there to fear. Even when I don’t know, He does (Isa 46:10). 

I encourage you to take stock of your life and let go of those things (whether material, mental, or spiritual) that are holding you back and step out into your future with God. Given all the stories in the bible when God’s followers stepped out in faith (where He directed them) and were blessed beyond measure, I feel honored that He’d choose me for this particular journey. I thank Him that I’ll now be a bit lighter on this next leg of the journey. On your next leg, I hope you will be, too. Be blessed.

How to Forgive

A few years ago, I wrote a blog entry entitled “Who do you need to forgive?” I just re-read it and it was a good lesson in identifying the person(s) you need to forgive and why. If you need a little help with that, it may just bless you, so check it out.  

What I didn’t delve into was how to forgive. Forgiveness is easy to talk about but more difficult to do. That is compounded when you don’t really have a plan to follow. I’m no expert on the topic, but I have been in situations where it was hard to forgive an offense and I have sought help from the Holy Spirit in those cases to forgive and move forward. Between that and my study of the subject, I’ve found a few tips that may help you as they are helping me. 

Before we get too far, let’s recap what forgiveness is. Generally speaking according to psychologists, forgiveness is a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve it.  Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you forget or condone the offence, but it does mean letting go of the anger that can be exceedingly corrosive in your life.  

So, if forgiveness is a choice, we can choose to do things that we may not really feel like doing. I’ve learned in so many areas of my life, my feelings don’t drive change. I have to make a conscious decision to act and then my feelings will follow suit. For instance, I never feel like exercising. I know I need to do it, but I don’t especially like it.  So in most cases, I do it despite my feelings not because of them. I make a conscious choice to get out of bed and work out. When I do, I always feel better when I’m done. My feelings follow my actions. That too is often how forgiveness works. We begin to act in forgiveness and then our feelings line up. 

So the first tip is to pray for those who’ve hurt you. I know you may not want to do it, or you may want to pray bad things happen to them or pray God’s wrath on them. No!  Pray that God will help you forgive them and that He will forgive and bless them (Mark 11:25). Jesus is our example. Even on the cross after He had been beaten and ridiculed and pushed and everything imaginable, He still asked God to forgive His enemies because they didn’t recognize what they were doing (Luke 23:34). He still showed love and compassion for those who hurt Him. 

The next tip is to remember how you have been forgiven. None of us deserve to be forgiven even when we apologize. It’s freely given from God when we ask, because God the Father, is love (1 John 4:16). His abundant loves pours out on us and we were directed by Jesus to love our neighbor as ourselves. We want to be forgiven, so we too must forgive. Just as God chooses to forgive us, we can choose not to hold an offense against another person who has wronged us whether they are sorry or not (Matt 5:43-44). 

Finally, we should consider how life has shaped the other person. I struggle with this one sometimes especially in a world where racism and sexism and abuse and hatred appear to be on the rise. But, when you think about how many people are “living their truth” having rejected the love of God the Father and God the Son, it makes me sad for them and more compassionate. People can say anything, but their actions tell the truth about who they are. If they don’t show love, then according to the bible they don’t know God (1 John 4:8). That’s His word, not mine. So, it makes me sad for them even in their cruelty or their hate, because they don’t have the peace or joy that knowing God the Father through our relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit brings. Frankly, I don’t understand how people function without them. But this leads me back to the first tip, praying for those who’ve hurt me. 

Remember, forgiveness is about you letting go of the burden and the weight of holding the offense against someone. It sets you free. So, do you want to be a victim or a victor? The choice is yours.