Enjoying and remembering.....

If you have not had time to get out and enjoy all this beautiful weather God has been blessing us with, then stop reading this and get out there! My goodness has God been good with the weather or what! I can't recall so many beautiful days in a row during the months of August and September. I give HIM praise!



I have to laugh as Bill struggles to kill those little white "things" that seem to continue to visit our roses. He had me check online to see what to do to get rid of them. A simple thing like hosing them with water should do the trick. Getting them off the roses and down on the ground where "nature" can take it's course is the best way......so says the internet. Evidently that didn't suit Bill! He's back to using sevin dust on them!


Aren't we the same way in our Christian walk? God tells us what to do to deal with whatever is in our lives and what do we do? What WE think is best. I was cleaning out some files recently and stumbled over something I read that Joni Eareckson Tada wrote back in 2003. I was reminded of how, as His children, we want the seaside experiences where we can sit and listen to Him preach. We enjoy the miracles of the fish and bread experiences, but what we don't like are the hard, difficult, pain staking challenges that are just plum not comfortable. Instead of enjoying the hard, difficult, pain staking challenges just like we would a fish and bread experience, we fuss and stew and lots of times just venture out on our own knowing our way is gona work!



I cannot encourage any of us enough to not do that! During the hard, difficult, pain staking challenges that we don't like and we certainly don't want to be a part of, are the BEST times to grow in Jesus! We want all the jelly on the bread stuff, we just don't want what it takes to keep the jelly on the bread, do we? On one hand we will sit and tell God we want to KNOW HIM better. On the other hand we sit and BEG Him to release us from whatever it is that has made us so uncomfortable. Come on now! WE ALL KNOW we have done this! I guess we best constantly keep in mind that we need to be careful what we ask for. God really does listen to us! Every word! All the time!



If God has TRUSTED YOU with a major crisis, if He has TRUSTED YOU with something that is not comfortable in your life...........I encourage you to rest in the situation. I'm sure if you were standing near me, you'd want to throw a book at me or at least give me a good swat! Don't blame ya one bit. Been there, felt like that. The last thing I've ever wanted to hear from someone during one of the many uncomfortable times God has trusted me with is to rest in the challenge and be honored that God has trusted me with it.



Just to be honest..............what I'm telling you is the truth! When I sit and think of all the challenges God, (you know Him, THE GOD OF THIS UNIVERSE, the ALMIGHT GOD, THE ALPHA AND OMEGA GOD, the ONE AND ONLY GOD) has trusted me with...........I STAND AMAZED! I wouldn't trust me with a basic decision that needs made let alone trust me with all that God has trusted me with!! Yet, God sees my entire picture! He wants me to be all I can be...........for HIS GOOD AND HIS GLORY!



There has not been one of these challenges in my life that God has trusted me with that I have not come away from with MORE GOD than I ever dreamed possible! I would go into a situation like any other kid would do. I'd kick, scream, and have a fit! Did that make God take the situation away? Did it help me while the challenge that was there? God allowed the situation to work according to HIS time, not mine. My fits of rebellion only caused my "lesson to be learned" come harder.



Do I do it all right now? No! I find myself still wanting to kick and scream BUT.....I remember that little word, rest! May I PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZE encourage you to think of the word REST this way: R---- Really E----Enjoy S----Solitude T---- TIME.



Webster tells me that rest means a "state of ease." God has a purpose for the challenges in our lives. He trusts us with the challenges HE KNOWS we need to have the relationship with Him not only we want and need but HE WANTS AND NEEDS. It's those valley experiences with all the solitude that we will find so much MORE God than we ever dreamed we could find.



As humans, we want the easy way. As humans, we'll accept less. As humans we just want it all over with and life back to whatever normal is. Not God's way! Just not gona happen! So, we may as well REALLY ENJOY SOLITUDE TIME (rest) in God from each challenge.

I am reminded of Matthew 11:29, "Come unto me...and I will give you (REALLY ENJOYABLE SOLITUDE TIME) rest..."



It is so hard! I am so human! I make things so much harder on myself. I don't know about you but when there's a challenge before me, I have to DO something! Resting, being still, waiting............I do not like any of those words! Those are words I'd like to take out of the dictionary. I am NOT GOOD at any of the above. YET.............it's the resting, the being still, the waiting times in my life that I have found MORE GOD than I ever dreamed I'd ever be allowed or entrusted with! It is those times that have been the most amazing times of my Christian walk. Easy? No! Amazing? YES!



If God has entrusted you with a challenge you simply want to go away, I encourage you to bury yourself in His arms and rest. Keep your eyes open. Keep your heart open. You really don't want to miss out on the "valley of blessings" God has in store for you during the time of challenge.



Until next time.....................stay in His word.................hugs to all............................Dea