When you listen....
One of the most important things I've learned about being a Christian is that it's not about religion, but about a personal relationship with the Risen Lord. And part of that relationship that we can have with God because of Jesus is one where we're listening for God's voice.
I do that. Sometimes I hear it through His word, and last week I could kind of understand some things that God would have me do. I've been waiting for something and I may be waiting for a little while longer. It's not an answer I wanted to prayer, but that answer was more than one that involves just waiting.
God reminded me through some things that I need to be living my life. I know these verses from Jeremiah 29, but this premise was explained to me in a couple of different ways. These are from Jeremiah 29:4-7 4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Sound advice and for me I think it's a reminder that just because I may have an answer to a wait I didn't want to hear, I don't just get to sit in the recliner and accomplish that wait.
I have a job to tend to. Things around here need to get done. The house is getting attention. I replaced the oven which I would have had to do anyway should I decide that God's leading me to someplace else. The great deal I got on the things I needed last week is another story, but I was well blessed. Anyway, I finally got rid of Miss June's Toyota. I hated to spend $56 dollars to rent a car tow dolly to tow the car the few miles from my house to where it needed to be taken, but the cost of driving the car without insurance or plates had the potential to be much, much more.
Wisdom said to spend the money.
Things outside got done because I had to paint to match the new roof. Things got cut down. Lots of things got cut down. More things need to be cut down, but I think that will wait until after the leaves fall. Bucky still needs walked. And someone has to cut the grass, clean up after said Bucky, care for the cats, and keep up on cleaning, dusting, etc..
Oh, and by the way, if you want to know how clean your house really is, pull out the stove and fridge.
My house is much cleaner now because I had to move the fridge to move the stove. My friend James reminded me that I need to do that occasionally. He's right. Especially since I had kids here for a year.
Anyway, it's living. I have things to do. And part of that is something else that the Good Lord reminded me: Use your time, talents, and treasures to be a blessing to others.
Serving others is a part of every Christian's walk. And our Pastor today talked a bit about that today in the message, reminding us that we can't be everything to everybody, but we can do what we can do and sometimes that means one thing one day, and something completely different the next day.
I know that. I used to do things for people that, led by the Holy Spirit, I don't do anymore. A hard lesson, even for doing what we think would be good, is that sometimes helping isn't helping and it can be tough to find where that line is. I rely on the Spirit to decide where that line should be drawn. Sometimes it really surprises me where He draws it.
But then again, it's not my line to draw; it's His.
So I'm living in the city in which I'm exiled. I have things to do. God has little appointments for me while I'm waiting, so I'm trying to live my life within the lines I've been given. I'm free to do not everything that maybe I'd like to because that would interfere with what I'm waiting for, but I still have some living to do. And that's not always doing chores.
So I lived a little yesterday and today. I tried out the new oven. I made some treats to share with my church family. I took Buck for a walk. The yard is cleaned up and ready to mow. I made myself a nice dinner. I talked to my mom. I'm gonna do laundry here in a minute.
So that's my story. When you listen, God really does speak.
I do that. Sometimes I hear it through His word, and last week I could kind of understand some things that God would have me do. I've been waiting for something and I may be waiting for a little while longer. It's not an answer I wanted to prayer, but that answer was more than one that involves just waiting.
God reminded me through some things that I need to be living my life. I know these verses from Jeremiah 29, but this premise was explained to me in a couple of different ways. These are from Jeremiah 29:4-7 4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Sound advice and for me I think it's a reminder that just because I may have an answer to a wait I didn't want to hear, I don't just get to sit in the recliner and accomplish that wait.
I have a job to tend to. Things around here need to get done. The house is getting attention. I replaced the oven which I would have had to do anyway should I decide that God's leading me to someplace else. The great deal I got on the things I needed last week is another story, but I was well blessed. Anyway, I finally got rid of Miss June's Toyota. I hated to spend $56 dollars to rent a car tow dolly to tow the car the few miles from my house to where it needed to be taken, but the cost of driving the car without insurance or plates had the potential to be much, much more.
Wisdom said to spend the money.
Things outside got done because I had to paint to match the new roof. Things got cut down. Lots of things got cut down. More things need to be cut down, but I think that will wait until after the leaves fall. Bucky still needs walked. And someone has to cut the grass, clean up after said Bucky, care for the cats, and keep up on cleaning, dusting, etc..
Oh, and by the way, if you want to know how clean your house really is, pull out the stove and fridge.
My house is much cleaner now because I had to move the fridge to move the stove. My friend James reminded me that I need to do that occasionally. He's right. Especially since I had kids here for a year.
Anyway, it's living. I have things to do. And part of that is something else that the Good Lord reminded me: Use your time, talents, and treasures to be a blessing to others.
Serving others is a part of every Christian's walk. And our Pastor today talked a bit about that today in the message, reminding us that we can't be everything to everybody, but we can do what we can do and sometimes that means one thing one day, and something completely different the next day.
I know that. I used to do things for people that, led by the Holy Spirit, I don't do anymore. A hard lesson, even for doing what we think would be good, is that sometimes helping isn't helping and it can be tough to find where that line is. I rely on the Spirit to decide where that line should be drawn. Sometimes it really surprises me where He draws it.
But then again, it's not my line to draw; it's His.
So I'm living in the city in which I'm exiled. I have things to do. God has little appointments for me while I'm waiting, so I'm trying to live my life within the lines I've been given. I'm free to do not everything that maybe I'd like to because that would interfere with what I'm waiting for, but I still have some living to do. And that's not always doing chores.
So I lived a little yesterday and today. I tried out the new oven. I made some treats to share with my church family. I took Buck for a walk. The yard is cleaned up and ready to mow. I made myself a nice dinner. I talked to my mom. I'm gonna do laundry here in a minute.
So that's my story. When you listen, God really does speak.
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