Things aren't always as they seem...

Mornings are a little cooler as I first hit the floor as of late...and this morning seemed no different...but before long my snuggly blue housecoat that I thought I needed--really wasn't necessary.  What seemed like a cold morning--really wasn't after all...and so it went with my day.

I started out reading from God Calling (Two Listeners) as I usually do.   And the part that seemed to really resonate with me was

"They were simple doers of My Word, not hearers only. Just in their daily tasks and ways they kept My Word.

You, too, can bring Joy to My Heart by faithful service. Faithful service in the little things. Be faithful.

Do your simple tasks for Me."

This one seemed to me to say...the simple tasks...nothing big just simple things.   Simple things like my dishes Lord?  Yes, there sat my dishes in the sink...and I really have never came across Scripture that says do your dishes...but this day, Something seems to be telling me that is one of my simple tasks.   And I think of the story of the "talents"...and I think maybe if I can't do these simple tasks...how would I handle more complex tasks...Don't ask me why I think on these things in the way I do...but it seems part of this "walk" is the word I use and I move on to My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers.   And I read the first part...

"Getting into God’s Stride"

And I write..."I am excited to read but can I walk in such a way...but I realize God walks with me.  When I am tired we rest--when I am energized He more than keeps up with me..."  And I note the Scripture included.

"Enoch walked with God . . . —Genesis 5:24"

So again I stop and ponder this and write, "And I talk of how God walks with me--But as Enoch--can I walk with God?  I look at the ages of those who were Old Testament...Adam 930 years--Enoch 365 years.  And I think of how many will I walk on this earth.  But I realize that after this our time will be in Heaven forever.  As Amazing Grace says, "When we've been there 10,000 years..."

I go back to reading the devotional and Oswald Chambers words seem to be written just for this day for me.

 

"The test of a man's religious life and character is not what he does in the exceptional moments of life, but what he does in the ordinary times, when there is nothing tremendous or exciting on. The worth of a man is revealed in his attitude to ordinary things when he is not before the footlights (cf. John 1:36).  

[³⁶ And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” ]

"It is a painful business to get through into the stride of God, it means getting your second wind spiritually. In learning to walk with God there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride; but when we have got into it, the only characteristic that manifests itself is the life of God. The individual man is lost sight of in his personal union with God, and the stride and the power of God alone are manifested."

And it seems pointed out to me that I must walk with God in His stride to truly obey and not make Him have to walk in my stride...and I get a visual of Firecracker.   She has two walks.   The one...usually she finds if others might be trying to hurry her, I call her "daddy walk."   This is a laid back stroll that says I will get there when I get there...at the same time she has the "mommy walk" in which she goes much faster and swings her arm rapidly as she goes...and expects everyone to swing their arms as well and many times when walking this walk she says, "huwey!"  But if one grabs her hand and holds it, she is able to walk faster and more focused than she would otherwise.   Of course, I think I can also compare in my own independence...I think often that I need to walk by myself.

Lately the Firecracker has been pretty independent and does not really want the help of anyone (most of the time).  I think of Grandad Sheridan asking her to hold his hand so he doesn't fall and she has "matter-of-factly" pointed him to the railing.   It seems there is another story in which Aunt Autumn was involved and instead of anyone holding Izzy's hand...she thought if Aunt Autumn and Grandad have that much trouble surely they should just hold on to each other!  It is funny when I am the one watching...but probably not as endearing watching this crazy woman try to do it all on her own...(but I am learning!)

"It is difficult to get into stride with God, because when we start walking with Him we find He has outstripped us before we have taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined into His ways. It was said of Jesus - "He shall not fail nor be discouraged," because He never worked from His own individual standpoint but always from the standpoint of His Father, and we have to learn to do the same. Spiritual truth is learned by atmosphere, not by intellectual reasoning. God's Spirit alters the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and things begin to be possible which never were possible before. Getting into the stride of God means nothing less than union with Himself. It takes a long time two get there, but keep at it. Don't give in because the pain is bad just now, get on with it, and before long you will find you have a new vision and a new purpose."

"A new vision and a new purpose"--All I must do is trust and walk with God.  I do not have to worry of the unknown of what is "out there"...I really feel sometimes that God is leading me on an amazing journey.  And I smile as I go to my daily verse in Proverbs 2:13 and it into context better 2:12 says, "To deliver you from the way of evil" and then 13 goes on to say in talking of "delivering you from evil, it also says in 2:13, "From those who leave the path of uprightness.  To walk in the way of darkness."

And writing all of his down makes it seem so easy!  But in letting this set even a couple days and going back and reading I realize that things are not always as they seem and though I want to walk with God I must have Someone hold my hand...and I look at the scripture I was given this very morning...I was in 1 John 2.   And it talks of Jesus and 1 John 2:6 seems to stand out so much...

"He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked."

And to me it seems that I cannot walk this walk on my own...but Jesus is there holding out His hand whenever I need Guidance, Direction, or just a Friend...So things are not always as they seem...we can't always do it on our own even though we like to think we are strong independent individuals...

I look up songs on walking and a video comes up that I am fascinated by...that it seems that one persons reaching out seemed to touch this individual...a reminder... A closer walk with Thee...not sure the name of the individual.  But I also include a version that makes me think of my Mom...my Aunt Betty..my Grandma Bessie and so many more...A Closer Walk With Thee...Traditional.  While I am not sure this is Patsy Cline...it has her style... And for some reason these two are playing together at the same time...and kind of cool...

I seem to go on this theme but as usual it makes a "turn" and seeing this word I stop and smile thinking of last weekend going to Fort Collins for Aunt Autumn's surprise birthday party...but in waiting we went shopping...in we, I am speaking of Izzy, her mama, me and Great Grandma Pfeiff!    Well we get in the store and it is like a maze of clothing and to one little one down at that low level it is like a playground...but she keeps telling Great Grandma when to turn...and next thing I know these two are chasing each other around the clothes rack...and all of a sudden Great Grandma is a little girl again...I kept their giggles in my heart...and I wonder as all stories seem to have a lesson...perhaps the one here is just having that childlike JOY in the simple ordinary things!

So I got sidetracked and now I go back to what I had written earlier...I hope you don't have whiplash...just TURN and try and have some Joy from it!

I start to read Joyce Meyers site and she writes "Hearing from God is vital to enjoying His eternal plan for our lives.  Listening to God is our decision; no one else can make it for us.  God won't force us to choose His will; but He will do everything He can to encourage us to say yes to His ways."

And then there is more in Joyce Meyers but the words that she wrote that really seemed to stick out,

"Never hesitate to take what you think are small things to God, after all, everything is small to God."   I love that...

I smile because these actually do seem to tie together...

As I leave my kitchen table I head to make the bed when it seems like there is something I should jot down as I am there reflecting on this journey that God has shared with me...and I write...

"Sometimes tragedies seem to change our whole perspectives on life and other times they just magnify and increase our desire to find a Power that is higher than our own...that shows us that this is not it--there is more than this."  

And the song I Can Only Imagine seems to be one to add...I can only Imagine by Mercy Me

I am now pondering do I stop here and change this title...because there was more to my day...and so I think of breaking up these thoughts...but I think NO I will put in a little more of that day...because it is only a little portion I will share...but I have had some amazing WALKS lately.    As with birds...I am also drawn to rocks and I will not put all of that in here...but I do share one particular rock!    And so I wrote...

So I head back and that is when it happens.  MY GIFT!   I see this little round black rock and I cannot help but love it.   And so I pick it up and think this rock is for me…when I turn it over…it is white on the underside looking almost like a fossil or something…I am so fascinated by it.  And I think this is my “things aren’t always what they seem rock.”   God can take something ordinary and make it unique and EXTRAORDINARY!   (even me)

And so even the font seems to change direction on me...but I think about this rock and how it is a reminder to me that things, tasks, people, circumstances, and even this WALK is not always what it seems...but in fact even these little tasks can be EXTRAordinary...and so I need to get busy and get to these simple tasks...cause who knows what might be next...

I include pictures of my rocks as taken with my phone camera so they do not capture how cool this rock is.  It was setting on the ground just a plain black rock...but the underside is white and completely different.  So while the picture isn't that clear--I hope it helps remind...THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM!

lyp