Ruffle Me Feathers

     My panties are definitely bunched in a wad. I accidentally and carelessly backed my Lacrosse into someone's car parked in my driveway, and my husband’s silence unraveled my emotional security. Despite the minimal damage to both vehicles and no one being injured by the incident,the claim increased our insurance’s monthly premium by 20%.

    I understand the reason my husband lacked words for me. Unfortunately I'm prone to these types of incidents when I'm behind schedule or rushing through a task. I don't intend to damageproperty or even hurt the feelings of others when I'm in a hurry or preoccupied. 

    In fact, I beat myself up when I realize the consequences of my actions. It really irritates meeven more that I can't undo it either. I desperately wish when we took responsibility for our actions and sought restoration that it instantly made a permanent erasure of the entire occurrence.

    Since the elimination of my mishap was impossible, I thought about it all the way to work the following day. I found myself mostly wallowing in the sorrow over my husband's irritation with me. As I prayed through my disappointed feelings with his response, I discovered how easily I let others responses affect my mood. 

    Suddenly the Lord brought to mind Ephesians 2:10 (NASB), a verse I read that morning. “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” As I cried out to the Lord with my frustrations, He popped aspecific application into my thoughts. In that moment I realized the “good work the Lord prepared beforehand” for me to learn was to not let others’ choices steal my joy and peace.

    I must admit. Despite how easily those words flow on to paper, their application to everyday living presented a challenge to me. Even as I meditated on the Lord's desire for my walk, I knew without a doubt that the task in front of me would be a moment-by-moment challenge of obedience. 

    The reality of life is that we all face days when we find ourselves bombarded withopportunities to respond to others who ignore us, speak rudely to us, or blame us for their poor attitudes and actions. Outwardly we may appear to have responded correctly to them, but inside we may be seething. It requires every ounce of self-control to muster up a desperate prayer to the Lord, seal our lips, and avoid blurting out our real thoughts or reactions.

    However, we experience tremendous freedom as we trust the Lord to enable us to remain obedient in our thoughts. We also discover how uncomplicated our lives become for us, when we learn to eat humble pie and fight the battles in our heads in silence. It’s easier to face the Lord with our sinful thoughts than working out issues with others injured by our hurtful words and actions.

    As I reflected on my husband’s response, the Lord showed me that sometimes the “good work prepared” for me is acceptance of the gift of silence. My husband understood the way I personally beat myself up for my carelessness and didn’t wish to add to my pain with hurtful words. In those moments on my drive to work, I chose to receive my husband’s gift with joy and peace.

Seeing His Heart for Others

I noticed through my office window, a customer leaving her home. A thought ran through my mind that I wish I could talk to her about my book. I knew the Lord would need to make it happen, because this customer usually only comes to our drive-up window.  

I went on with my work forgetting all about my random thought. An hour passed when suddenly that same customer walked into our branch. The services she needed required me taking her into my office where I kept a supply of my books.

I instantly told her that when I saw her earlier I felt a desire to show her my book.  She read the back cover, asked to purchase it, and informed me she just got back from the doctor's office with a depression diagnosis.

We both agreed that the Lord winked and provided me with the resources to give a story of hope and healing to her.  I love when the Lord uses me and my past to help others.

Do you follow the leading of the Lord when He lays it on your heart to do something?

A Welcomed Visitor with a Word

"...a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home..." Luke 10:38

Martha invited Jesus into her home. In fact, she welcomed Him into her personal space. Yes, she got distracted by all the preparations, but we must not lose focus on the fact that she wanted Him in her home.  

When she spoke to Jesus over her concern with Mary not helping her, she once again invited Him into her life. She opened herself up for the opportunity for Jesus to speak into her life.  She believed Mary needed correcting when in fact the attitude adjustment was her own. 

Even though it must have been difficult to receive, she heeded the words of truth spoken to her by Jesus.  Later when we see Jesus in her home again, we find her serving Him well.

Do we welcome Jesus into our lives and give Him permission to speak truth into our lives? Or are we too concerned over what we believe others should be doing for us that we miss His loving instructions?

Guidance with a Promise

So you_______
           shall observe to do
                            just as the Lord your God has commanded you;______
you_________
            shall not turn aside to the right or to the left.
You _________
             shall walk in all the way which the Lord your God has commanded you,_______
that you ______
              may live
              and that it may be well with you,
              and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess.

Deuteronomy 5:32-33 | NASB

Fill in the blank first with your own name....seeking His heart, and then watch a Him keep His promises.  It's His will for all of our lives that we....
       1). Obey His commands
       2). Stay on His path
       3). Follow His direction

When we do, He promises:
        1). Life
        2). Success
        3).  Longevity

Will we take Him up on His Word and do what He directs us to do?

Man-made Solutions

So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. Luke 15:15-16 | NASB

His inheritance had been used up. Still too proud to admit his foolishness, the lost son hires himself out to a farmer in the land he lives. He discovers his solution doesn't work when no one will give him anything to eat.

How often do we try to come up with our own answers to the messes we get ourselves in?  Why do we have to take so long to turn to the Father for help? He waits with open arms for us to turn to Him.

Receiving Back Challenge

The story of the Prodigal Son is filled with amazing life lessons regarding trust. One is ... Trust forgives the wrong decisions of others and receives them back.  Trust restores.  (Luke 15:21)

The father freely gave the younger son his portion of his inheritance and watched him leave. When he returned, the father celebrated his return. It's difficult to watch someone leave and make a mess of their lives, but how well do we leave the door open for them to return?

A Challenge from the Word

And He said, “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.  Luke 15:11-12 | NASB

One outwardly demanded, but the father divides and gives each of them their portion. The younger takes off and squanders his portion on loose living, but the truth is, both sons need an attitude adjustment. The older son doesn't reveal his toxic character trait until his brother returns. 

Challenge:  Which son might we be like?  Is there some attitude we need to honestly address with our Heavenly Father?