Never commit your happiness to the future

“Never in peace or war, commit your happiness to the future. Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly, and works from moment to moment as to the Lord. It is our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for. The present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received.”

— C.S. Lewis

Being super honest pays $188.50

We bought two video cards for Greg’s computer, each $188.50 with tax. Each had a $30 rebate, and the cashier said to make sure each rebate is filled out with a different name and address because it’s one per household. I thanked her for telling me that.

Normally, I wouldn’t give it another thought about getting two rebates; afterall, one house or not, we bought two and therefore are entitled to two rebates. However, something kept nawing at me to only send in one. After some mental torture (lol), I cut the UPC code off the one box only and sent in only one.

A few days later, it turned out that we only needed one card afterall. Had I cut the UPC off the other box and sent it in, I never would have been able to return the video card, and would have been out $188.50.

We all get nudges to do or not do things and so often we ignore them. Only good can come from being honest. I know my nudge to do right, whether I agreed with it or not, came from divine guidance.

If God doesn’t exist, then neither do we

Think about it. As humans, our body parts function, pretty much stemming from instruction from the brain. But who tells the brain what we desire? We say, “I found that funny, so therefore I want to laugh.” The brain sends signals to our face to form expressions so others may see we find it funny. It sends signals to the voice box to emit a sound and chemicals to our body that brings us the happiness associated with finding it funny.

But there is a head foreman operating the brain, no? That foreman is our spirit self. It is this spirit self that desires to do good or evil, fall in love, initiate everything we do. The body follows suit based on our spirit self giving the orders.

Can you see your spirit self or just the body that houses it?

The answer is no, we can’t, so does that mean we don’t exist? Of course not. So why, just because we can’t see God, but see the result of his wonders and feel the love of the good Lord, do we doubt that He exists?

Blanket yourself in knowledge

God allows you to know Him with as much or as little knowledge as He deems appropriate for each individual.

His knowledge starts as pieces of fiber that, as you get comfortable with it, turns them into threads. The threads are not yet connected, but as time goes on, their ends lightly brush each other as they float by and cross. As knowledge takes on a pattern of understanding, the threads, as if having a mind of its own, line up, crisscross, and ready itself to take hold and gain strength.

God opens Himself up a bit more to us. The knowledge becomes something we can see and understand. The threads intertwine and become strong; unbreakable. We see its potential to make a blanket, and, with more knowledge will come more threads. 

The blanket right now is but a fraction of what it will become. It might be small now, but it is still big enough to share. One day, I hope that Gods graces me with enough love and knowledge of Him that the blanket covers the world.

Control and trust

Main Entry: ¹con·trol
Pronunciation: \kən-ˈtrōl\
Function: verb
To exercise authoritative or dominating influence over; direct. 

I couldn’t sleep last night because my mind was wide awake. I felt like my brain was a clothes dryer with clothes tumbling and spinning, and hearing the metal button of my jeans hitting and scraping the wall. When every ounce of water left the clothes, the dryer stopped, and a clean, fresh understanding of the words control and trust emerged.

Before shutting off the light last night, I was reading Genesis. Sarah and Abraham wanted to have a child, but Sarah assumed at her age, God would not grant her one. She took matters into her own hands and forced the timing by giving her maid servant to Abraham. The servant had the child, but it didn’t work out.

Greg and I made a reservation at a lodge for this weekend. When I called yesterday to confirm, we were told they had no reservation. There was a computer crash a month after we made it and it must have gotten lost. My reaction was annoyance and, frankly, I was angry. But after tossing like a pile of clothes last night, it became clear that I needed to trust God and his plans. Were we not to be on the road tomorrow? Did the people who got our room need to be on the road instead? Would we come across someone we are supposed to meet at the rescheduled weekend?

So, back to control. Control and trust go hand in hand. God has control, or influence over how he wants his plans to go. We can either trust God and “go with his flow,” or take matters into our own hands and force an outcome. 

Maybe all the water in my clothes was fogging up my head but I’m finally getting the meaning of trusting God in all things and giving over to his influence in my life. Whatever turns we make on the road, we should trust and take these detours without complaint.

When you understand the meaning of something, a deeper meaning can always take its place.

Faith is like rain

When we first meet God, faith comes in small droplets of rain.
Drop – “Ooh.”
Drop – “Ooh.”

The rain comes a little harder, and you realize you don’t need an umbrella, but a glass to catch the rain.
“Ah… enough rain to quench my thirst. Oh no! My glass is overflowing.”

The rain stops. We dry off and settle in. And then, we realize we are thirsty again.

“God, I thirst for more rain.” And the downpour begins.
“This glass will never do. I better get a bucket!” And it rains, and rains, and rains.
The bucket is full and your feet are soaking wet. Your clothes are soaked and heavy.
You take time to absorb all the water. And then you rest.

“God, my land is dry and my crops won’t grow.”
For days it rains and your vines are growing. The land is green and the well is overflowing.
“I must share my crops with others.”
 Some come. But many do not,  thinking, “This rain is only temporary. These crops won’t last.”

A storm rolls in with a clash and a clatter. God pours rain, creating lakes, to forever irrigate your crops. There is lightening, thunder, and wind. Your crops sway and break; the weak ones perish and the strong ones survive. You take shelter during the storm. You bow your head in fear.

Suddenly, the rain stops, and you walk out of your shelter to find the glory of God all around you. Your fields are green. The trees have grown. The flowers sing. The rain drops on the leaves have settled. The sun is shining. Everything is cleansed.

You know you’ve weathered the storm, and are bonded in fellowship with God. He has given you every drop of rain to strengthen you. God is everywhere in your land, so never will you thirst again.

Feel the rain. Drink the rain. Cherish each drop that keeps us alive.

The man and a coin

(Please read “Looking Through New Eyes” post first, below.)

It’s funny how the timing of things happen. Whenever in doubt about God working in our lives, we only have to open our eyes to see and accept that it’s not coincidence. On Thursday when I was focused on “What would Christ do” and “What if that was Christ?”, something happened.  

Being from New York, I’m always on my guard when a stranger approaches. Living in Colorado, it rarely happens. Afterwork on Thursday, I needed to go to the bank. I pulled into the parking lot and got out of my car. A dark-haired man in his mid-to-upper-20s approached me. I didn’t see where he came from and he was sort of just there. He said, “Excuse me. I’m short .25 cents for the bus. Do you have a quarter?”

All in a few seconds, I thought, “What would Christ do? What if that was Christ? I’d have to open my purse and take out my wallet in front of him. Is this a trick? Am I safe? What should I do? What would Christ do? What if that was Christ?” And within the same few seconds, I knew I would be okay.

I said to the man, “I don’t know if I have a quarter but I can look.” I put my bag on the hood of the jeep, took out my wallet and unzipped the coin section. “It looks like I do” I said. I gave him the quarter, zipped up the wallet and put it back in the bag. While the bag was still on the hood, he thanked me, and then looked at me, looked down at the bag and back at me. My intuition or gut told me he was looking at my bag like a steak! The Holy Spirit told me not to worry, and I believe the man was turned away. He left.

Only God knows what really happened, but I truly feel this was all a part of my life lesson, and that I was protected by God for that moment. It was because of the lesson that I was protected. I don’t think Christians are protected in general because He tells us we will suffer for His name. But I don’t think this had anything to do with outward profession of faith, but a lesson between God and me, and surely I was going to be okay. 

Does this mean I will throw all caution to the wind? No, of course not. But I’m hoping my heart has ears to know when I’m being guided by the Holy Spirit.

Looking through new eyes

Being indwelt by Christ not only made me humble but also gave way to a different kind of view of my little world in Wheat Ridge. I know yesterday’s lesson focus was “You have new Life”, and maybe the carry over of being indwelt blends into new life.

I started looking at people as if they were in custume and Christ was inside. If I saw Christ struggling, I’d run to help Him. If aChrist was slowly crossing in a crosswalk, would I get annoyed? No! I’d get out of my car to help Him cross. I saw people doing various things, thinking, “What if that was Christ?”

On the flip side, I was thinking about Christ being indwelt, and said, “What would Christ do?”

In my next post, we’ll begin to find out.

Humility

My focus today was “You are indwelt by Christ.” When you really think about what this means, it’s very humbling.

So far, day 1 was joy; day 2 was comfort; day 3 humility

I’ve been adopted!

Today’s focus is “You are a child of God.” I wrote a note that said that and put it in my pocket with my chapstick. Everytime I reached for the chapstick, which is often, I felt the note.

I don’t know if the intention of these spiritual foundation classes are meant to bring one closer to God, but it sure has for me. Focusing on that I was truly His child has brought many Father-daughter conversations today and bonding moments. I don’t know quite how to say how I feel other than sealed into His family.

It’s been a great two days with God in the forefront of my thoughts all day.