May 21, 2012
Transformational Thought
Recently, I was in the midst of a very hectic two week stretch. The phone rang and my daughter’s boyfriend was telling me she had been in an accident. My heart jumped and I imagined the worst-case scenario because she wasn’t calling me herself. Thankfully, she was talking to the police and all involved were OK. But then came the many hassles of towing, totaling the car, dealing with expenses, having to find and deal for another car, and carpooling while being down one vehicle. I thought I had already planned out the next several crazy weeks. But some of the “essential” agenda items got cancelled or moved to a later date.
How much time and energy do you spend fretting and worrying about things for tomorrow? … next week? … next year? What if you could lay out the blueprint of your life right now? I bet you’d love this option, right? Your life would be set, wouldn’t it? You’d be in charge, calling all the shots, setting your plan, and getting the life you desire.
Why then is the divorce rate around 50% … why is the lemon law necessary… why are their so many returns after Christmas … why do so many students transfer colleges, switch majors, or change jobs? How about “buyer’s regret?” In all these are situations we were able to select exactly what we wanted. The truth is that we have almost no control of the future, even less knowledge of what’s to come, and a limited idea of what we really need in order to grow into a better person, to actually achieve our God-given potential. But we think we do.
You see, it is our natural desire to want to be the authority, the king of our own life. We also live under the flesh-driven delusion that we know everything about ourselves, especially regarding what we need, and when we need it.
You know the drill. When you were 16 you thought you knew everything. Then at 20, you look back and realize you didn’t know much at 16, but now, at 20, you are a genius. Then at 30, you look back at 20 and realize you were in way over your head, but think 30 is when you are really wise. Well, at 49 I know I still don’t know much and am thankful God does. I try to let Him run my life, because when I was in charge, I was great at devising lame excuses to explain why life wasn’t going according to my plan.
Today, try to live one day at a time. Focus on living in “day-tight” compartments. Take what God brings you today and be great with it and grateful for it because it is the perfect gift for you from the perfect gift-giver, regardless of whether you think it is right for you. Don’t let tomorrow’s concerns seep into today. Today is all we can truly need, right now. You don’t need to return it … you can’t!!! Whether or not you accept what God gives you today and let Him plan your tomorrows is your decision, so choose well.
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank You for all Your blessings. I pray that You help me learn to accept the limitations of living one day at a time, trusting You with all my heart. Teach me, Lord, to release all worry and problems into Your care. Doing this brings beautiful simplicity to my life. I pray You will bring Your healing grace to my life and into the lives of those I love who suffer from sickness, fear, and wariness. I pray to You, my God, to help me live a life close to You. Contrary to how the world thinks of You, a life lived close to You is not complicated or cluttered. When I focus on Your presence within me, all things that were once troubling lose their power over me. The world around me is messy and very confusing. But I remember that You have already overcome this world so that I may have peace. I pray this in the name of the One who laid His life perfectly in Your loving hands, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say – AMEN!
The Truth
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7