Tag: inspiration

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

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

New Journal

perspective, GodI had just started writing in a new journal. This one had been chosen for the inspiring words on the cover. Inside the journal were designs or words bordering some pages. When I reached one of the pages I was having difficulty figuring out what something said. It was all in capital letters and looked like IM A GINE. That made no sense to me, what did im a gine mean? Perhaps it was I’M and not IM. After several minutes of trying to figure it out, I turned back to the cover, hoping for enlightenment. What I saw there caused me to burst into laughter. It wasn’t three words, but a single word – IMAGINE. With the stylized writing I had put spaces where there were none. Now that I knew what it was supposed to say, it was easy to see it. I did find it rather ironic that I didn’t have the imagination to see the word imagine! It was all a matter of perspective.

This caused me to wonder how many times I have misinterpreted something because my perspective was wrong. In over thinking I tend to make things far more complicated than they actually are.

The lesson here is that I can work and struggle and not get the desired results. When I focus too hard, I lose my perspective. What is needed is for me to relax and realize that I don’t have to do everything on my own. When I call out to God, he will either equip me or send someone to walk along side of me to help. His perspective is always the right one.

[The Lord says,] “I will instruct you. I will teach you the way that you should go. I will advise you as my eyes watch over you.” Psalm 25:4,5 GWT

Directions

God, inspiration,The store I work in changed locations recently. We get phone calls regularly asking where our new store is and how to get there.

Last weekend we had a booth at a Home Show and I asked everyone who stopped by if they’d been to our new location. Not everyone was familiar with the street name or the landmarks I gave. When that happened I would give them detailed directions. The first thing I needed to establish was their starting point. From there I could guide them to our store.

This is a good example of life. In order to reach my destination I need to know where I am starting from and where I want to be. Only then can I plan the route to get there. I also need to ensure that I know east from west when I am making a turn.

Even with accurate directions it is still possible to get lost if I misinterpret them. Detours and roadblocks may cause my route to be altered. A once familiar landmark may no longer be there to guide me. There is always the possibility that the directions will have to be re-evaluated in order to reach my destination. Am I able to make the necessary corrections?

The good news is that God knows where he wants to take me and how to get me there. What looks like a detour to me, may be part of the overall plan. The shortcut I wanted to take may not be in my best interests. When I spend time with God I will understand his leading and know that the best route is the one he has planned for me.

A person may plan his own journey, but the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9 GWT

Hitting the Wall

prayer, freedom, God
image from canstockphoto.com
One morning recently, we had many more people than usual in the aqua fit class I attend. This meant that space was at a premium and care had to be taken not to bump the people around me. During one exercise, someone got too close to the edge of the pool and told me that she had just hit the wall. Saying that I’ve done that too, we changed our positions slightly so it wouldn’t happen again.

Hitting the wall has been more than a physical experience in my life. There have been times when, despite my best efforts, I can’t seem to move forward. Other times I have become tired or overwhelmed and don’t have the strength to move at all. In these circumstances I feel that I have hit the wall. Looking at the lesson learned in the pool, I wonder if my problem was that I just kept doing the same thing over and over hoping for different results. Maybe all that was needed was for me to change my position, to do something differently.

On my own I can easily reach the end of my limits. I get to the point where I can’t see any other options. Prayer and spending time with God puts things back into perspective. He enables me to see things in a new light and gives me the freedom to move forward again. When he guides me there is no wall to stand in my way.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV

The Path

focus, inspiration, JesusIt was a lovely spring day. The sun was shining and the warmer temperature had melted the snow. We set out for a walk, keeping in mind that the paths may still be wet and muddy.

As we walked and talked I stopped paying attention to the path and sometimes walked right through large puddles. I also discovered that when I focused on things off to the side of the path, I would find myself moving in the direction I was looking. When this happened it made it difficult to actually stay on the path.

My husband and I talked about this and realized that it was a mirror of our lives. It is very easy to get so caught up in things around us that we lose track of the path we should be following. This can take us through some uncomfortable situations until we find our way back.

Jesus has laid out a path that he wants me to follow. When I focus on where he wants me to be, I am not as easily distracted by things around me. I see the obstacles and hazards before they become a problem. My path may not seem as wide as the ones others around me are taking, but I know there will be many opportunities around each bend. This is the path that leads to fulfillment and life everlasting.

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:14 NIV

Easter Egg Hunt

search, adventure, JesusWe held our annual Easter Egg Hunt for the family yesterday. The grandkids were excited and couldn’t wait to get started. Once they had all arrived, granddad gave them some instructions and then counted to three so they could all head off at the same time. We heard many squeals of delight as they discovered the hidden treats. There were always adults nearby to give assistance to whatever child needed it. Everyone had a good time and memories were made.

The grandkids know that we always have treats for them in our pantry. It would have been so much easier to gather goodies from there than to search through the house for the unknown. There is something exciting about the hunt, though.

This reminded me of my life. Many times I have set out searching for something even though I didn’t know what it was I was searching for. When I saw others finding what they wanted, I grew frustrated. Where was the treasure I needed to be fulfilled? If I couldn’t find it on my own, was there someone nearby to point me in the right direction?

What I discovered was that it was there within my reach all along. I had been so focused on my search that I’d missed the treasure right before me. Jesus provided the answer to all of my needs. All had to do was to put my life in His hands and trust Him for the outcome. He has led me on bigger adventures than I could have planned for myself. His faithfulness is so great that I am excited to see what treasures each day will bring.

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22,23

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