Timeless Tuesday - Courage to Try New Things

I just got back from crossing the ocean to and from Hawaii. I didn't feel it took much courage to do that.

But I've done new things that did take courage. Like the time two years ago that I hung up my fear of heights and went zip-lining with my husband in Maui. Scary? You'd better believe it. Glad I did it? Absolutely. The scenery was spectacular and I love that I can say now that I did it. It's a wonderful memory.

I also went parasailing on our honeymoon 25 years ago. What? That's not me! But I did it and I'm so glad I lost sight of the shore to experience that.

But there have been things less dramatic that have taken so much more courage than I could have imagined. Like releasing the small hand of my child on that first day of school. Or letting my teen go on a mission trip so she could lose sight of her own shore. Or not intervening when I knew my child was on the wrong path, but knowing they needed to learn the hard lessons that road would teach them.

Sometimes we have to remember that even though we can't see the safety of the shore any more, God can. And He controls the waves that crash on it. Not only does He see the big picture, He also sees every seashell, crab, and grain of sand. Which means He sees me, my circumstance, and my children. With that knowledge, we can take courage and do those new things with confidence.

Go ahead. Cross that ocean.

What courageous new thing have you tried? Tell me about it in the comments.

Linda

Thoughtful Thursday - Being Carried

I remember as a child the security I felt when I was carried by my parents, especially my dad. We might be walking through a crush of people and he'd swing me up where I was protected in his care. I felt invincible in his arms. He was strong, tall (compared to me), and confident in where we were going. I was safe up there, not lost in a crowd of legs or walking through mud or trudging up giant hills on my own. I relied on him, his strength, his direction. I knew he'd get us to our destination, so I didn't have to worry. He wouldn't stop until we arrived. I could rest in his arms.

I can trust my heavenly Father the same way. When I don't have enough strength, when my compass is off, when I'm flat-out weary, He carries me. In hindsight, I sometimes have no idea how I managed to make it through difficult times, except that God carried me. There is no other logical explanation. He's a loving Father who delights in me and when he swings me into his arms, I can lay my head on His shoulder and rest while He gets me where we're going.

Do you trust God enough to let Him carry you through rough times? What's stopping you?

Linda

Me Monday - Prayerfully Paying Bills

It's Me Monday, and I wanted to tell you about how I pay bills. I mean, it's not earth-shaking or anything, but it may include one element some folks leave out.

Whenever I sit down at my computer to do my online bill paying, I pull up my bank account and check the balance. Either it looks good or it doesn't. It might cover all that we owe or not. Regardless, I pray.

My husband is self employed in the computer consultant business. He works super hard and is better than anyone I know at drumming up business without ever spending a cent on advertising. But sometimes customers don't pay for his services in a timely fashion. We have to wait for payments. Sometimes they come in before bills come due and sometimes they don't When the account is low, barely meeting our financial responsibilities, I pray for God's provision. I speak to God about our trust in Him and that I know He cares for us. I ask for increased faith that will allow my husband and I not to worry about money, because that's not where our true treasure is. I tell God that I know he sees our needs and we trust Him to provide at the perfect time.

You know what? He has never once failed us. Just about the time we think we're going to have to pay a bill late or borrow some money, God comes through in spades. We receive an unexpected check. We get that late payment from a customer. Or we get a notice in the mail that our account was incorrectly billed and we don't owe as much as we were originally billed. God really does care about the details of our (and your!) finances.

When our account has more than enough to pay the bills, I thank Him. I reflect on the times we didn't have enough and God's faithfulness to us even then. I thank Him for always providing and loving us, showing us what a good, loving Father He is. I ask Him what He would like us to do with the extra money He lavished on us. It's a great time of thanksgiving and worship.

You can truly worship even when you pay bills. That includes paying your taxes or any other task you might find less than appealing. Any time you focus on God and communicate with Him through prayer, you're worshipping.

I just finished a bill-paying worship service this morning. This month it was a time of thankfulness for all He's given us. I don't know what next month holds, but I know God's provision will be enough.

Linda

Get Uncomfortable

Bad Can Lead to Best

I'm learning this, but it takes time and experience to see the best things that emerge from the bad things that happen. So don't despair if you're in the midst of one of the "bad things." It's all good in the hands of God. He's a specialist in making good come from bad. Hand it over to Him and watch Him work. There's no one else who can be trusted with your life.

Linda

Timing is Everything

Timing is everything. And when the timing doesn't happen when we think it should, it can be so frustrating and worrisome. That's where faith comes in. Trusting that God hasn't forgotten about you and your situation. He's not like us. He doesn't need prep time, so He can act at the last minute and still have the best result. So don't stress out wondering if God has His divine alarm clock set. He does. And it will go off at precisely the right time for your best outcome. Remember, you're His beloved child and He is always working for your good.

Linda

Waiting Before God

The verse below sounds so easy. But it's one of the hardest things for me. Quietly waiting. (I'm a much better noisy waiter--whining, complaining, worrying.) Trusting that God is working even when I can't see it. Hoping in Him for an outcome, knowing that He always works for my good. Not easy stuff. But so worth it. And it's always the right thing to do. 

How Much Daddy Loves Me

My granddaughter just had her fifth birthday. I'd been texting my daughter that morning since they live out-of-state. Here's what she had to say about the birthday girl.

"She was the first kid up this morning and has greeted everyone by asking if they have a present for her. Thankfully, she isn't disappointed, just excited! She may be disappointed though when she realizes I have been very serious every time she has told me she is so excited about her daddy getting her a pony for her birthday, and I have told her otherwise. She always gives me a look like, uh, you don't even know how much he loves me."

At first I laughed. The absurdity of it all! Then as I thought about it, I saw the glorious sweetness, that a child should feel so loved that she doesn't question even seemingly impossible requests. 

Isn't that the perfect picture of what our relationship with God should be? What would it be like to be that trusting child believing fully that my doting Daddy is going to come through for me? I guess that's why Jesus said in Matthew 18:3, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Let’s live like children today. Believing beyond all doubt, confident in His mighty love.

Linda