A Joyful Mission

The Difficulty With Waiting

I think that one of the most challenging things that we have to do is wait. We’re not very patient folks, most times. My personal hardship with having to wait on something is when I can see how and why that something needs to be done a certain way, and I’m having to wait for others to figure it out. I have to watch them continue to repeat a pattern and not seem to learn that they have to change in order to fix it.

I also struggle with waiting when I know that God has something for me but I have to wait on His time instead of my own. My usual choice is to rush ahead, then stand there and tap my foot as I wait for Him to catch up.

However, it doesn’t work that way, does it?

We have to trust God’s timing. We have to trust the steps or hoops that we must go through to get to where He wants us to be. There’s a reason for everything. I can’t say that I’ve always been happy with some of the places that God has put me. Its value has only come after I can reflect and see the lessons He was trying to teach me in the first place. The point is, is that I did learn the lesson and, of course, I am STILL learning.

We have to open ourselves up, which is a risk, I know. However, when we open up to God then we can start to see the benefits of waiting. According to www.lifehack.org, there are 10 benefits to waiting. They are 1) Priorities become clear; 2) Develop perseverance; 3) (develop) Productive habits; 4)Understanding yourself; 5) Rest and regroup; 6) Patience; 7)Resourcefulness; 8) Tolerance and empathy; 9) Capacity and 10) Gratitude. I highly recommend that you go to the link and read how each benefit is explained in further detail and then think about how it can help you in the long run. I think that you will become pleasantly surprised at what you discover about yourself!

So, what did I learn from this? If anything, I can say that I am certainly humbled! This waiting thing can be for the pits, but…… then I get it. I start to understand the purpose. It was never to punish me but to teach me. I also learned that God has immeasurable patience with me (and all of us, for that matter). I’m growing and becoming better although still far from perfect. I’m also finding that I like myself more and the person that God wants me to become. Yeah, so even though it is extremely difficult to wait to learn His purpose for me, I’m learning that I can be okay with that (for the most part 🙂 !!) (Related post: Always Room for Growth)

What can you gain from this? It’s amazing the growth that you can go through when you learn the benefits of waiting. There is a purpose behind it. You don’t have to understand it completely but trust that the answers will come in time and at a time when God knows that you are ready to see it.

Speaking Truths

I have found that honesty is one of the most challenging problems that humans have. Do you ever get the feeling that some people seem to feel that if they don’t say it out loud, then it isn’t really true? We may also realize that these are the same people who may believe that if they don’t admit it, then it can’t possibly be true! We have a whole lot of people in this world today who seem to be having that very problem! Of course, some of these people are the ones who seem to be holding the largest bullhorns! Some of these same people are the ones who may hold positions of power in our government, our media, and even some of our entertainers (whose only purpose is to entertain us, not give us lectures on right and wrong!).

The problem that I see is that they tend to think too highly of themselves. Perhaps they think that because they have some power, their opinion should matter over what we know and can decide about our own lives and what we choose for our own families.

So, how do we combat that mindset?

We speak the truth to ourselves and each other. We acknowledge that honesty is ALWAYS the best policy. We understand that while these are people in power, they will hear our voices when we continue to speak up and speak out about the changes that we want to see in our world. We vote with our conscious and with a clear mind toward the outcome that we want to happen. (Related posts: Correcting Our Course and The Value of Truth). Change can only happen when we take the initiative!

So, what did I learn from this? It’s never easy to admit fault; however, I have found that it is very freeing to do so. Yes, I can be and also have been humbled by my admission of being wrong, but I have also discovered that I learn so much more about myself as well during the process. I’m not perfect. None of us are. That’s what makes us human. I also think that it just makes us more likable in the long run.

What can you gain from this? You can gain freedom! When you’re honest with yourself then you begin to shed everything that weighs you down. Nobody is perfect. We need to start seeing those “really important people” as someone who has no value in our life unless they are there to help improve our lot in life. We need to see them for who and what they truly are and then act accordingly. Don’t put them on a pedal stool. They’re not that important!

El Shaddai: Name of God

Growing up, I did not always listen to Contemporary Christian music. However, there was a song that really struck a chord with me that was written by Michael Card and John Thompson, and sung by Amy Grant in 1982, which was aptly called “El Shaddai”. El Shaddai in Hebrew means, “The All-Sufficient One.”

According to Oxford Languages, the word sufficient means, “enough, adequate.” I know that other dictionaries give more information on the definition but to me, the first definition tells us that God is more than able to fulfill all of our needs.

So often we look for people or things to make ourselves feel happy or fulfilled. Unfortunately, we can’t use people because they can be challenging. Each person that we meet has their own baggage and won’t complete us in a positive way like God will. Trust me, though, when I say that indeed there are good people out there, but none can match God and what He can do for us.

If we are looking at things to make us happy, we need to realize that while we can have all the money and fame, and luxury in the world, it can be gone tomorrow. God is who gives us what we need even here. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having money but it’s just a thing that needs to be valued by how you can help others with it, not just for what you can gain from it.

When I was younger, about 30 years ago or so, I noticed that while everything in my life was going well at that time, I realized that I wasn’t very happy. There was no logical reason for why I was feeling that way until I realized that of all the things that were going on with my life, I had relegated God to the “back burner” of my life. I had become so focused on life in general that I had stopped showing God my appreciation for what I had been given. Once I changed my thinking, everything became right with my world again.

Maybe that’s something that you are doing as well and aren’t really conscious about it. So…… change it! Give credit where credit is due not only for what you have now but for what God has given you in the past and even what He can give you in the future. You might just be pleasantly surprised at the results. (Related post: Our God Waits)

So, what did I learn from this? I have days where I’m not so appreciative of what I have. However, it always helps me to remember that we have a God who never changes. He never stops loving me even when I’m not being very loving back. It humbles me. This ever-abiding love that God has for me just continues to fill up all the hollow parts of me and makes me become a better person. It’s nothing that I deserve but He gives it to me nonetheless. How can I not try to do my very best with that sort of love?

What can you gain from this? Take a moment to think about your life at this moment. Ask yourself if you are happy, then ask yourself why or why not. Listen carefully, think completely, and answer honestly. It might be that you too had put God on the “back burner” of your life. When you are honest with yourself then you will become a much happier version of yourself that you can then give to others. (Related post: Finding the Strength Within Our Struggles)

A New Chapter in the Book of Life

I’m not sure if I had heard or read this statement about having a new chapter in the book that we call our life, but I really liked the sound of it. It brings to mind that this statement is all about change.

So, think about it this way…..

According to the website, antimaximalist.com, “Closing a chapter in life is a metaphorical phrase that means to move on from a specific time period.” I think of it sometimes more as having a change in your life that may cause us some stress or makes us look at our life in a different way. That’s also how I view life. Life is about changes and adapting to those changes. Some of those changes can be great, like a marriage or the birth of a child. However, some of those changes can knock us for a loop and get us out of our routine. Those are the changes that can bring about stress and tension. We don’t know what to do about them because those changes may have caused us to do something different or got us out of the routine that we were in.

Here is an example of what I’m talking about: I recently had a coworker who has an elderly parent who fell and broke her hip. Her mother does not live close by (in Alabama, actually) and the other sisters had decided that it was her turn to bring her mom here (to Louisiana) so that she could deal with everything involving her mom’s care. Understandably, this was a change to her routine or a new chapter of her life that she was going to be helping her mom to deal with. It also caused her understandable stress since that because her mom doesn’t live in this state so she would need to set up here with new doctors, etc. I could tell that she was feeling stressed so I recommended that she get a notebook/journal and create a list of what she would need to do. She told me that over that weekend, what started out as a list then turned into just a flood of all the things that she was feeling about the whole situation and how it came about. She told me that it was amazing how just writing her feelings down, cleared up a lot of what was tangling up inside of her. It helped her to begin to focus on that next chapter in her life.

Realize that you need to feel all of those emotions. You need to allow them to come out, but do it in a positive manner. See a therapist or, gosh, just write them down. They are your feelings and you are entitled to them! Just promise that you won’t bury them and pretend they don’t exist. Those feelings will only fester if you don’t let them out in a positive way. Healing only comes with dealing with your emotions. Then, you too can begin that next chapter, as well.

So, what did I learn from this? It’s the reason why I write this blog. Everything that I’m feeling gets written down here. Part of it is reaching out to others and showing them that I understand and can emphasize with what they are going through, but the other reason is to show that God has played a HUGE part in me becoming the joyful person that I am today. Yes, it was difficult at the time to go to a new chapter each time. It’s only now that I can look back and see that I needed to learn something in order to get to this point. (Related post: Just going with the flow….)

What can you gain from this? There is a purpose in this journey that you are on. It’s hard to see it now. You may have to re-examine the paths that you took or even were compelled to take. God was at work there. He knows what we want before we even know what we want. He then gives us what we need so that we can be productive and happy people. Life is still about choices. It always has been and always will be. However, when you ask God for help, He will deliver you to a much better place than you were before. It’s not always easy to go through but it will always put you in a better place than you were before.

Reasonings

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The first time that I was ever published was in the year 2000. It was in a book titled America at the Millenium: The Best Poems and Poets of the 20th Century. It was titled “Reasonings”. Here it is:

Without God…Comes doubt; With doubt….Comes uncertainty; With uncertainty….Comes fear; With fear….Comes anger; With anger….Comes war; With war….Comes destruction.

But, With God….Comes faith; With faith….Comes acceptance; With acceptance….Comes love; With love….Comes peace; With peace…Comes worship; With worship…Comes eternal life.

So many of us still grapple with those same thoughts and feelings today. It hasn’t changed! When we look at our lives through the lens of us being with God and also being without God, we can see where it can lead. Yes, it can be difficult to believe in something that you can’t see or can’t prove with scientific data. Faith is believing even without seeing. Faith is knowing without having data points in a scientific study. Faith is trusting that there is something out there that is bigger than the whole universe combined. Faith is seeing the wonder of that something and realizing that we have a God who loves us and wants to be with us. When you only look at Him scientifically then you will miss out on the wonder that is this world.

We have choices in this world. We can either live a life that is perpetually in conflict or we can live a life of joy. This poem reminds me of one of the two mottos that I try to live my life by. One motto is to “Let Go and Let God” which reminds us that if we want God to work in our life then we have to give Him the reigns. The other motto is based on Proverbs 31: 25 which states: “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come.” I want to be that person that finds joy in life. I want to be that person who sees God in EVERYTHING around me. I want to know that when I die, I will know where I’m going and that I was able to help others along the way. I think that that is a pretty good reason to get up and go each day! (Related post: Knowing and Believing)

So, what did I learn from this? Joy can be contagious. I know that I can’t change everyone, but my hope is that I can, at least, give them a small glimpse of God through who I’m choosing to be on a daily basis. Am I always successful? Nope! Sometimes I need my own daily dose of joy and encouragement as well. It’s part of being human. God didn’t make us so that we always have all the answers to the questions that there are in life. He made us to be a companion to Him and also to each other.

What can you gain from this? Instead, ask yourself this question. Would you rather have war or would you rather have peace? Yes, sometimes you still need to fight for your rights because there are always those who wish to steal your power of how you choose to worship. There are those who want to tell you how and what to believe and how and what to think. Those are the times that you must stand up and fight. However, the war that I’m also talking about is the one that comes from doubt and uncertainty and fear and anger. I know which one I choose. Wouldn’t you rather choose a life with God as well?

Jehovah: Name of God

The second of the sixteen names that God has is Jehovah. Jehovah means “The Unchangeable, Intimate God”.

First, let’s look at the word unchangeable which according to Oxford Languages means, “not liable to variation or able to be altered”. In the bible, to be unchangeable means something that remains the same. So what we know about God is that He stays consistent all the time.

With God, we know that He does not change. He’s never wishy-washy like us humans are. He’s consistent and also, guess what? He’s been that way from the beginning of time!! We never have to guess where we stand with Him. All we have to do is read the bible, have faith in Him, and follow the path that He has for us to live. We have to trust that He will get us where He knows we can and should be if we want to lead happy and fulfilling lives!

Now, let’s look at the word intimate, which according to Oxford Languages means, “1) closely acquainted; familiar, close and 2) private and personal”. So let’s think about this further. God knows everything about us. He knew us before we were even formed in our mother’s womb! Wow!! That means He knows EVERYTHING about us. We can’t hide from God. He is intimately there to support us in our journey even when we don’t know what we want.

God is what we need for that moment and every other moment, as well. Sometimes He’s firm and gives us that nudge that gets us going in a certain direction. Sometimes, He’s gentle and carries us when we need to be soothed. However, we must know that He always, always, always loves us. I think of it as how it is to be a parent. I love my children but I don’t always like their behavior. I always made that distinction with them. That is how God is for us. He loves us constantly but I’m pretty sure that He doesn’t always like us when it comes to our behavior.

The good news? We have time to fix ourselves. We have time to change. The other good news? He can also see when we just try to do better or when we make that effort. He doesn’t expect perfection. So, make the very best choice today and do your best. Trust me, He’ll know it.

So, what did I learn from this? All I can do is try. That’s all that God wants from me. He wants me to do my best. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail. However, I have learned some lessons from my failures and that is part of my growing to be a better version of myself. (Related post: Accepting failure is actually the key to success). I don’t need to impress anybody. I just need to show God who I am and who I want to become. Learning to “Let Go and Let God” is never easy in the beginning but it does get easier as I’ve realized that God’s path for me is the best path for me. Giving my will to Him has certainly opened my eyes to a lot of things that I never saw or understood before. So, that just makes this journey so much more interesting for me!

What can you gain from this? Know that you have a God who loves you for you. The world will try to put labels on you or pull you down. Don’t let them. It’s not about them anyway. This journey that you are on? It’s between you and God! Once you feel more confident in that love, then share it, just like Ms. Paula and I do. (Related post: Not always right but, instead, righteous!) Find others whom you can speak to and share with them your joy of having God in your life. Surround yourself with positives and shed the negatives that want to try and beat you down. There will still be times that you get down. Everyone does. So, what can you do about it? Give it to God in prayer. Trust me, He’s Jehovah and He knows you well!

Not always right but, instead, righteous!

I was talking to a newer friend recently. We had spoken to each other on several occasions before with our jobs and that day just seemed to really click due to our shared love of God. Ms. Paula had told me of her recent season of mourning that she had gone through with losing her dad. In that conversation, we also connected on how we each had our “therapy” in very similar ways of reaching out to others (her through a YouTube account and myself with this blog). I loved that she mentioned that as a Christian she realized that she wasn’t always right but she was righteous about her faith and how God has gotten her through those seasons. (Related post: Seasons of Change and The Seasons of Change).

So this leads me to ask, what is the biblical definition of righteous? According to http://www.merriam-webster.com, it is “acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin.” As Christians, it’s not so much about being right about our convictions so much as it’s about the examples that we are given in the bible from Jesus. We are told to act as Jesus did. To really look into this, we must study Philippians 2: 1-11. According to the Catholic Study Bible, those verses can be summed up in this way, “The admonition to likemindedness and unity (2-5) is based on the believers’ threefold experience with Christ, God’s love and the (Holy) Spirit. The appeal to humility (3) and to obedience (12) is rooted in Christology, specifically in a statement about Christ Jesus (6-11) and his humbling of self and obedience to the point of death (8).”

All this led me to the King James Bible-Verse + Audio App which I happened to read that same day on my phone. The verse was Philippians 2: 5-6, but what really impacted me was a statement that was made in the Inspiration portion of the writing that day which stated, “But in fact, He (Jesus) came more “quietly” into this world. He made Himself of no reputation and became as it were a servant (verse 7). He left us an example of humility that we ought to emulate.”

So what does this have to do with what Ms. Paula and I are doing? Everything! (Related post: The imperfectly perfect person is who God calls.). It helps us realize and acknowledge that we have a God in Heaven who loves us, and who sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to minister to us and show us God’s love. In addition, we have the Holy Spirit who lives in us and helps us to live a righteous and faithful life. Talk about a safety net!! Wow!!!!!

So what did I learn from this? I don’t have to be perfect to be loved. I just have to know that I am loved. In that way, I’m free to share that love. Is everyone going to accept it? Nope! I just have to remember that life is all about choices. I can’t change someone else. I can’t make them make better choices, either. All I can do is pray that they are changed eventually. So, I can then leave them in God’s very capable hands.

What can you gain from this? Being a Christian doesn’t mean that you are always perfect. Being Christian means that you belong to Christ. You are a part of God on Earth. He calls us all to emulate Him to the best of our ability and what better example to follow than Jesus? God loves us for who we are but we always need to strive to be just a little bit better.

Seasons of Change

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reminds us that there is a time for everything. These are the different seasons of our life; each season is a chance for change. Ecclesiastes states it perfectly by saying, “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

Change is a natural part of our lives. Sometimes we embrace that change and sometimes we are resistant to it. However, we need to realize that it is a part of who we are and even who we want to become. Each change that we go through has the ability to modify or shift something within us. Those changes can either tear us down if we allow them, or we can use them as stepping stones to get us to the next phase of our life.

It can certainly be considered a matter of perspective, though. Sure, everyone needs a mourning period. That’s a natural part of changing your mindset. It’s almost like the stages of grief. In healthline.com, it states that “According to Kubler-Ross, the five stages of grief are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.” I know that I had felt all of those emotions when I was going through my own season of change with my career. Realize though that grief has different meanings for different people and no two people grieve the same. The way that you cope with what you are going through will be different from others but realize that it’s okay. My whole point is that there is a time for everything. Nothing stays the same, even though it would be nice if it did sometimes! We all get those bumps in the road. Just remember that you are never, ever alone in your journey. (Related post: Traversing the hills and valleys of life with grace)

So, what did I learn from this? I am so much stronger from the trials that I have gone through. I talked to so many people about what I was going through and I felt the power of their prayers over me. I also realize that God was with me the whole time and He carried me when I was at my weakest. I knew that once I got through that, then I could get through anything.

What can you gain from this? Please don’t feel as though you need to go through your pain by yourself. Reach out for help. I had gone to a therapist. It allowed me to talk about what I was feeling and why. I also realized that the answers were inside of me all along. You need to be true to yourself. You need to be honest with yourself. It’s not easy. I get it. Answer this question, would you rather be weighed down with grief or released from its grip? Only you can answer that question. However, I know which one I would choose every time now and I will tell you that it ended up being a very freeing decision.

Elohim: Name of God

I was scrolling through my phone and honestly believe that God speaks to me in the things I see. In one of the posts on Pinterest, there were listed the 16 names of God, each with the name and definition. I figured that God wanted me to share with all of you about this as well.

The first name of God that was listed was Elohim. Elohim means The Sovereign, Mighty Creator. We know in the bible that God is the Creator of the universe and the world, but we also must remember that He has power over that creation which is a part of His Sovereignty. The word Mighty means strength, power, hero, warrior.

Wow, I think that we forget that a lot of times as we go through our daily life! We forget to worship and honor Him. We forget to praise and glorify His name. We forget that He didn’t just put us on this Earth to go through our life carelessly as though life has no meaning other than our day-to-day existence. Our purpose is so much more than that. To explain that further, we need to look at Genesis 1:27, which states “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them.”

According to http://www.gcu.edu (Dear Theophilus blog), it states: “God brought the world into existence and as the capstone of this good work, he created people in his image so that they could share in his overflowing love, grace and goodness through their relationships with the Trinity”. To me that says that we weren’t created in a vacuum for no purpose. We have a purpose. He knew us before we were even born! He knew what we will and can do in the world when we give ourselves over to Him. God is good but because He gave us free will, He will not tell us what to do. Instead, He trusts that we will know what we need to do in order to find happiness. We must begin to see that God is all that is good in the world and that goodness is what will and can defeat evil. (Related post: Standing in the Way of Evil)

So, what did I learn from this? I sure am humbled by the things and the knowledge that God continues to give me. I have to constantly remind myself that I am a vessel that God has used to carry His word and love to the world. That doesn’t make me better than anyone else. No indeed! It humbles me, instead, because He chose me to help Him! I’m honored and feel so completely unworthy, but I continue to persevere because I know that I’m doing His work here on Earth. Know that God calls all of us to do the same.

What can you gain from this? Anyone who has read my blog knows that I will say that you need to “Let Go and Let God”. I get it! Letting go is the hardest part. However, you need to let go of all of your fears and insecurities and let God in to do what He knows that you need. He only has your best interest in mind, so, trust me when I say that you will be so much happier because of it! Remember that our God is Elohim. He is sovereign. He is mighty and He is the creator of all. You are not just a tiny speck in this great big world. You have meaning and a purpose too. (Related post: The imperfectly perfect person is who God calls.) You just need to ask God to help you find it.

Father, Forgive Me.

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Anyone who has said The Lord’s Prayer will be familiar with the part where we state, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” This very simple statement is about forgiving others just like we ask God to do for us. I struggle with this sometimes. I become so angry when I see others who maliciously malign or mistreat others, just because that person thinks and believes differently than they do. I want them to be able to see how hypocritical they are! Of course, hypocrites don’t see themselves the way that we do. However hard it is to see these acts done to someone who simply tells the truth, I know that I must forgive them. I also know that I need to pray for them. I also realize that God sees everything. There is nothing that we can hide from Him. He also states in the bible that “vengeance is mine”. I just wish that His timetable on justice was the same as my timetable!

This leads me to another thought. How can He forgive us if we are holding onto all the issues we are having trouble forgiving in others?

The problem is that we can’t “walk” the path of a Christian if we don’t “talk” the same path of a Christian. I have found that some Christians are what I like to call “surface Christians” or “Sunday Christians”. Oh, these people go to church, sing the songs and shout loud “Amens!!” but that’s only because they are in front of others. Once they’ve gotten out of the church building and sometimes even before they’ve gotten out of the parking lot, it’s not a pretty story! They are cussing and yelling and doing all sorts of things that don’t show their Christian side at all.

Now, I have another thought. I read this on Pinterest and I will paraphrase it, but it goes something like this, “If you could do anything, and no one would know what you did, would you still do it anyway?”. That statement really got me thinking and my answer is no, I couldn’t do it. Why? I would know and God would know what I did. What’s done in secret is never truly secret. If you can’t talk about things that happen in your life with others, then it’s not something that you should be doing. Period! Please also realize that If someone does something to you that is inappropriate, remember that you are a victim of that other person’s actions. Please talk to someone about it and realize that you are not at fault, at all! (Related post: God’s Promise).

So, what did I learn from this? It’s hard to look in the mirror and see the mistakes that I’ve made. It’s also hard to look at what others have done to me and forgive them. If I choose not to forgive them, then that anger that I feel becomes a burden that weighs me down and keeps me from knowing the full splendor of God’s love. I also realize that that person’s sin is still there, it’s just for God to handle now. I’ve stepped away from it and released the anchor that kept me from getting away from it. He has freed me from it!

What can you gain from this? It’s amazing the freedom that comes with letting go of the pain that you have for that person. Remember, God’s got this. He never lets you down or lets you go down a path by yourself. Sometimes, we need to see that it wasn’t God who shut the door but yourself who did it. All you need to do now? Just give all your struggles to Him. He wants to help you, no matter the circumstance that you find yourself in. (Related post: God’s Got This).

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