Dear God,
Forgive me for not putting my faith in you and obeying what you say. I know when you order my way, plans do not go astray. Help me to stop looking at obstacles and circumstances, and trust Your resources that are more powerful and greater than I can imagine. Give me spiritual eyesight to see you working in my life and when I can’t see it, I will know it is me not God’s power.
Amen.
Lordy, Lordy, it is the third day of 2014. Praise you for all the joy and love, pain and sorrow this year will bring. As I experience the hallelujah and-oh-no-not-again moments, develop my character, give me courage, increase my faith, squash my fears, erase my worries and stay with me. Amen.
Dear God,
Thank you for the beauty of the day. Friends to laugh with. Family to love. Thank you for the air I breathe. The eyes to see, the ears to hear, a heart of desire. Thank you for dreams, turning dreams into reality, squashing dreams that are worthless. Thank you for carrying me through the storms when things look ugly, I can not laugh, I can not see pass my angst, my heart is broken, and I dream no more. Thank you Father for creating and loving me. Amen.
Dear God,
I want a closer walk with you, a humble heart, and a teachable spirit. I don’t want to cling to old ways in this new year. I trust the plans you have for me today, tomorrow, and forever. Help me to focus in you. Amen.
My mom and I sat at the table eating lunch. She began talking about one of her friends. Disinterested, I asked why she was telling me. As the words tumbled out of my mouth,
I wished I could take them back. She frowned. She tried to explain. I stopped her.
See, I’m a goal-oriented person, deadlines, results and timelines. How can I help you propel your dreams, and how can you help me? If you’re not in that sphere, I’m disinterested. How much can we produce? What do we plan to achieve? Otherwise gabbing about others is gossip. As the adage goes: “If you aren’t part of the problem or the solution, its gossip.” Proverbs indicates, “whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps things covered. Do not associate with a simple babbler” (11:13, 20:19).
Now, my mother was neither slandering nor revealing secrets, simply prattling; concerned about this person, and sharing her distress, which I knew would later disclose something I cared not to hear. She’s people-oriented, creating social and emotional ties.
God is still working on me.
I explained: “As a goal-oriented person, personal matters are not usually my concern. What is the task at hand? I focus on the goal.”
God is still working on me.
As an instructor, my aim is to lecture, encourage, coach students in rhetoric and composition. I don’t have time for excuses—my printer doesn’t have ink, Internet was down, I broke up with my girlfriend, I’m overwhelmed with other classes. My concern: when can you hand in your assignment? How can you improve your writing? I don’t give busy work every task is a building block. It’s about production and achievement.
God is still working on me.
My heart belongs to a man that’s taking way too long to put a ring on finger. When we talk, I prefer discuss: how much money have you saved towards my ring; if we live as one, where is relocation. I want dates and schedules, what is your plan not speculation or hesitation. God is still working on me.
I realize God is still working on me because I’m learning to create friendly relations and more concern for people. Perhaps, that is why I was chosen for a few titled positions requiring human interaction, opening channels of commutation, loving others through their distress, and working with the oppressed. Only God knows how to mold and shape me. Knowing I’m goal-oriented I have to remember: We should make plans – counting on God to direct us (Proverbs 16:9).
The student: Ms. Hooks, can I speak to you about why I didn’t finish my paper?
I shake my head no.
The student: I’m not looking for sympathy.
I shake my head no, again.
Class ends, he approaches my desk. I look at him.
The student: I broke up with my girlfriend this weekend and couldn’t concentrate.
I shake my head, saying Adele the singer, recorded hit songs when relationships ended badly. Use your break up as your muse; finish the essay.
God is still working on me.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt. During my youthful days, this was one of my mantras. Now that I am mature and wiser, I have learned that one can heal more easily from broken bones, than hurtful words. I am sure I have hurt others with my words, just as I have been hurt by the words of others.
And I have learned, and am learning, to forgive and use words to encourage and to heal. Just as words hurt, they can heal. Which reminds me of my fourth grade adage, “I am rubber and you are glue, whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you.” So, my prayer is that when we speak to people, strangers, family, co-workers, and friends; those we love and those we love not so much the words that bounce and stick are compassionate, helpful, pleasing, joyful and peaceable. Words that are not profane, malicious and evil, cause catastrophe or strife. Always remembering, if you can say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
Almighty Father, Today I wait quietly in your presence while my thoughts become silent in the depths of your being. I will not rush this process, because when I hurry my heart is earthbound not focused on you. You are the creator of the entire universe, yet you have made my home in your heart, where you know me most intimately; where you speak to me in holy whispers. Holy Spirit I ask you to quiet my mind so I can hear God’s still small voice within me. Help me to listen as God speaks love and peace to me continually. My heart is tuned to receive these messages of abundant blessing. I lay my request before you Lord, and wait in expectation. Amen.
I have a mantra, and it’s called “Move On.” I have a friend who despises my chant. Tells me I’m insensitive. Move on just doesn’t click with him. The way I look at it we’ve all been disappointed, hurt, abused and kicked around, but we have to move on. I’m sure my mom would agree with him, she doesn’t like my advice either. But she takes it.
For a few months, I’ve been leading a writing workshop at a women’s shelter. And most sessions are not about the prose and poetry, it’s about the pain and anger. Yet, my aim is to encourage these women to face their fears and, you guessed it, move on. I tell them, you’ve already started to move, look where you are. They chuckle.
I’m not saying it’s easy, it’s not. But we can’t hang on to stuff, let it cloud our perspective, cause us to push people away, kick us down, stop us from moving forward. We can’t get what God has for us if we stay where we are. We can’t hear him, we will not listen, and we will not obey.
Remember those Israelites who started grumbling they wanted to go back to Egypt where they ate fish at no cost. They wanted cucumbers melons, leeks onions, and garlic because they were tired of eating manna, living in the desert (Numbers 11:5). They didn’t want to move on. They stayed in that desert for a might long time, don’t you think.
I, too, can be stubborn and not move on. But I’m learning the more I hold onto a grudge, anger, bitterness I am less likely to grow with God. God sure can’t use us if we’re stuck in one place, unwilling to trust him to make our lives better. I’ve been there. I’m glad God didn’t kick me to the curb.
And I’m not the only one who says move on. Apostle Paul said to the Philippi, Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13b-14). The Message version: I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
Like the runner, we too, must edge forward and move on.
Today’s Prayer
Father God, help us to move on. Don’t let our hurts become festering wounds that cannot heal. Do not let us stay where we are, unable to push forward. Help us to find peace with you despite the storm, the chaos, the crazy. Amen.
Insanity: doing the same thing the same way expecting the same results. Each time I read this quote, or hear it, I have to check myself. And there’s always something going on in my life that’s insane and needs to change.
I’ll share, if you’ll share:
1) I applied for the same position, same department, and was passed over all three times. Really? Insane.
2) Again, I fall for that line: I’ll call you later. I wait two days, sometimes three. Finally, get the call. Talk for as hour. I’ll expect another call the next day. A few text messages, and then weeks will go by. Hmm. Maybe this long distance stuff is not working. Insane.
See. It happens to the best of us. But one thing is for sure, the more I pray, I not only expect God to answer, but I know I must obey, and the insanity decreases. I’m less prone to do the same thing, the same way, repeatedly, and expect the same results. I’m able to step back, and remind myself God is in control, believing God has something better for me. And as he teaches me patience, I’m learning to position myself for a different perspective– not insanity.
Today’s prayer:
Lord, help us to hear You. Help us to pray, to listen, and to watch for we know great things are on the way minus the insanity. Amen.
angchronicles 