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Seat Belt Warning

plugged in, Jesus, confidenceThe seat belt warning light in our car has started to come on at intermittent times while we are driving. At first it was difficult to know which seat belt was causing the problem, as it always seemed to happen when there were two of us in the car. As the problem became more frequent, we determined that it was the driver’s side that was the issue. There are days when the dinging sound that accompanies the light doesn’t seem to stop and then we have many days without a problem at all. Unfortunately the non problematic days are always the ones that are scheduled for the dealership to fix the problem!

For some reason, the mechanism does not recognize that the seat belt is plugged in. All it takes is light pressure on the buckle and everything is fine until the next time. It’s almost as if it is unsure that the proper protection is in place and a light touch is all that is needed to reassure it that all is well!

This sounds like my life. Left to my own devices, I set off warning lights and signals when I am uncertain of things. By making sure I am plugged into Jesus, I have the confidence needed to carry on. His touch always comforts and reassures.

I’m leaving you my peace. I’m giving you my peace. I don’t give you the kind of peace that the world gives. So don’t be troubled or cowardly. John 14:27 GWT

Dandelions

spring, flowers, JesusSpring takes a long time to arrive in Southern Alberta. When it finally arrives, it makes up for lost time. In the span of a week, the trees were full of leaves and brightly coloured blossoms. The lawn was lush and green and we could practically watch it grow. The other sure sign of spring is the profusion of dandelions.
The bright yellow flowers are a favourite for young children to pick. They look so pretty that it’s hard to remember that they are weeds. When the flower dies, the plant produces seeds. Dandelions can produce up to 20,000 seeds which are blown by the wind, landing somewhere they can germinate and grow. Left unchecked, a few dandelions can quickly spread. I may follow all measures to rid my lawn of dandelions, but if my neighbours do not do the same, I will be faced with many more of these weeds in the future.

The same is true in my life. I know the things I need to do to keep my life running smoothly. Slowly I have let little weeds enter, feeling that they are small enough to not cause problems. Once I allow them to take hold, they put down roots, spread their seeds and multiply. Soon my life is overrun and I’m left wondering what happened.

Jesus plants only good, fruitful seeds in my life. My responsibility is to nurture these seeds and not to allow the weeds to choke them out. By walking closely with Jesus, I can eliminate the weeds and live the fruitful life that he has planned for me.

“Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” Matthew 13:23 NKJV

House Alarm

God, safety, inspiratioinWe decided to have a monitored alarm system installed in our home. There had been no security issues for us, we were being proactive. After choosing a code that would be easy for us to remember, our family were informed, in case they came in when we weren’t home. At first my husband was much better at remembering to set it than I was, but soon it became part of my routine.

One morning when my husband was out of town, I was awakened earlier than I had planned, by the sound of the alarm going off. Everything looked fine to me so I punched in the code to turn it off. As I was doing this, the phone was ringing. It was the alarm monitoring company, checking to be sure everything was OK. They told me which door had triggered the alarm and stayed on the phone with me while I checked it out. A faulty sensor on the door had triggered the alarm and a technician was dispatched to do the repair.

As I was thinking about this later, I related the incident back to my life. Many times I have set off a personal alarm. I have panicked, not knowing what to do next. If my sensors were working properly, I would have realized that God had everything under control. He is always monitoring my life and is available to keep me safe. All I need to do is to call out to him.

The Lord will answer you in times of trouble The name of the God of Jacob will protect you Psalm 20:1 GWT

Open Doors

Jesus, opportunity, inspirationMy husband and I were on vacation and found ourselves in a busy city on a holiday weekend. The city was teeming with people and it was difficult to maneuver around the crowds on the sidewalks. Several times we came to sets of door to go through. It was interesting to watch as people lined up to go through the one set of open doors when there were two more sets available. All they had to do was open the door and walk through. We chose to open the doors and by doing so bypassed many line ups.

As I thought about this, I realized how this is a reflection of life for me. I can line up and blindly follow others or I can consciously look for the door that the Lord has provided for me to walk through. He has given me many opportunities to move ahead into the life prepared for me. These are not forced on me, but are options that are mine for the choosing. I can blindly go through life, following the crowd, or I can choose to follow Jesus. He has promised to be the door to the life prepared for me.

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. John 10:9 NKJV

Lazy River

Jesus, rest, inspirationWe had done a lot of walking on our vacation but still felt we needed more exercise. One morning we got up a little earlier and headed out to walk in the lazy river. Our plan was to walk against the current. When we arrived, we found that, during this time set aside for exercise, everyone was going with the flow.

The water was four feet deep and the current was strong. This made it difficult, but not impossible, to go against it. We did two laps against the current, then two laps with the current and repeated this several times. This resulted in a good workout for us. I saw a younger couple observing us before deciding to try this, too. Surprised by the difficulty, they quickly changed their minds and went back to the easier route.

So it is with life. I have often been faced with the option of going with the flow, taking the easier, more popular route. Many times I have taken this route as I wanted to be part of the crowd and not the one going the other way. Unfortunately I have done this when I knew that the more difficult route was the one more beneficial.

What I have learned is that when I let Jesus guide me, he chooses my route. Though it may look like the current is too strong for me, I must remember that I am not navigating this on my own. There is nothing I will face that Jesus can’t get me through. Later, I’m sure he will grant me times of rest and refreshment when I can coast down the lazy river of life for a time.

But he told me: “My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So I will brag even more about my weaknesses in order that Christ’s power will live in me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 GWT

Trash Room

Jesus, promises, forgivenessWhile on vacation, the sign on a door near the elevator caught my attention. There were only two words on it – Trash Room. I’m sure that most people wouldn’t give this a second thought. My thoughts, however, seem to go in different directions from most!

I immediately thought of all the trash that I collect in my mind. There are things that I hold onto that would be much better thrown out with the trash. Negative thoughts, self doubts and hurt feelings don’t serve a useful purpose in my life. Regrets from the past are not helping me to move forward. Perhaps a trash room where I could dispose of them would be a good idea.

Upon thinking about this, I realized that I don’t need a whole room dedicated to trash removal. What I have is so much better. I can take my sorrows, regrets and sins and lay them at the feet of Jesus. When I do, he promises to remove them as far as the east is from the west. Not only are they taken away, they are also forgiven and then forgotten so I need never deal with them again.

as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12 NIV

Speed Bumps

God, inspirationSpeed bumps are necessary to ensure traffic safety. Going over the bump causes me to slow down my vehicle. I am used to speed bumps that are fairly low and just a minor inconvenience. Years ago, when my sister-in-law was still a teenager, she told me that she could drive over them fast enough that she didn’t feel the bumps!

In some areas the speed bumps are not only high, but also wide. These definitely impact my speed as I need to slow to a crawl to get over them. The nice thing is that there are signs alerting us as we approach them. That way we can prepare and not be caught off guard.

I look at the warning signs and wonder what it would be like to have a sign warning me when I am coming up to a speed bump in my life. Some of the speed bumps I’ve encountered have been just minor irritations, hardly slowing me down. Others are the large, bone jarring kind that causes me to almost stop in my tracks. They may even seem too large to get past. If I had the warning sign in life, I may do more than slow down. Not wanting the uncomfortable interruption on my otherwise smooth path, I may turn around instead of moving forward. If I know what the future holds, there is no need for faith and trust in the Lord. I don’t need to second guess myself, I only need to trust that the Lord is guiding me and he knows what is best.

But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” Psalm 31:14 NIV

Child’s Play

Jesus, inspiration, dreamsWe sat on a bench in the sunshine enjoying the sights and sounds of children in the playground. When we first arrived there with our grandchildren I heard shouts of, “Take my picture;” “Look at me;” or “Push me on the swing.” The longer we were there, the less the adults were noticed.

What impressed me was the imagination of children at play. They were unselfconsciously creating the worlds that existed in their minds. New children arriving were welcomed into the fantasy. During this time anything was possible. We watched as one became a superhero. Another waved an invisible magic want to make it rain cookies for those around her!

At one point in life I must have had the same creative imagination. I wonder when and why it disappeared. Perhaps it was when I became too concerned with what others thought. In striving to be like everyone else, I gave up the freedom to dream about who I could become.

The good news is that Jesus has bigger dreams for my life than I could ever dream for myself. He is not limited by my lack of imagination. He also has the power and ability to bring those dreams to reality. My part in this is to pray for his leading and then trust and let him direct me. Instead of limiting his power in my life by asking, “Who am I to …?” I need to give him full reign by saying, “In his power, who am I not to?”

For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, put gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

Not the Same

God, Jesus, inspirationSomeone new joined our exercise class one morning. From the moment the class started she complained to anyone who would listen. The temperature was too cool, the exercises seemed disorganized, and on and on. She normally attended the later class that met in the warmer pool but due to a change in work schedule had to come to our class that day. This was not the same as the class she was used to and she was not happy. Halfway through the class she gave up and left.

Thinking about this later, I realized that the major difficulty for her was to adapt to something that was unfamiliar. As the saying goes, she was comparing apples to oranges.

It made me wonder what my attitude is like in a similar circumstance. Do I go into a new situation expecting things to be the same as the one I’m familiar with? How do I deal with change? Am I willing to try new things? The answers made me uncomfortable. On occasion I have been known to react like the lady in the class. Change can be very frightening.

The fact is that I can’t move ahead and embrace new things if I have the mindset that everything should remain the same. When I take my fears and concerns to the Lord, he gives me peace and guidance. He has many new opportunities for me but I can’t embrace them until I let go of what I am currently holding onto.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13,14 NIV

Do Not Disturb

God, inspiration, disturb, availableMy husband and I had arrived to have dinner with family. Our young granddaughters were told to come to the table, but instead, one headed upstairs to her bedroom. The other grandma called her to come back down and the response we heard was, “Don’t ‘sturb me. I’m doing something important.” Although it sounded very cheeky, she was actually being serious, as she had gone to put something away. They have been taught to tidy up before meals and she was doing just that.

Talking about it later, my husband and I felt that she had probably heard a variation of those words before. Mom works from a home office and chances are the girls have been told not to disturb her when she’s in the office as she is doing important work.

Upon closer examination, I wondered if I do this in my life. Do I get so focused on the little things that I fail to see the bigger picture? Have I missed out on opportunities because I didn’t want to be taken away from what I was doing? When I have felt God calling me to spend time with him, have I make it clear that I’m too busy to be disturbed and later would work better for me?

God is never too busy to be disturbed by me. He is always available, always willing to be there for me. My life works much better when I take down my Do Not Disturb sign and make sure I am available for Him.

Do you have contempt for God, who is very kind to you, puts up with you, and deals patiently with you? Do you realize that it is God’s kindness that is trying to lead you to him and change the way you think and act? Romans 2:4 GWT

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