Best laid plans of mice.

Here is some of the stuff that touched me today in  my barrage of emails. Funny that the same verse came up in 2 of them.  My thoughts at the end of this reading. Yeah it’s kinda long today but what else do you have to do.

 

A cool story

Five years ago I sat beside my youngest sister and listened as she boldly rejected my views of God.  She's always been a free spirit, much too non-conventional for traditional religion. 

"Good thing I'm not into religion," I gently replied.

She twisted her face as if half expecting a lightning bolt to strike us both.  "But you ARE religious."

I laid my head against the back of the lounge chair, closed my eyes to the sun now washing over me and simply replied, "Nope."

Deciding to let my statement just sit for a while, I decided not to clarify unless she asked.  And ask she did.

That's when I explained that I follow God not a list of rules.  I am passionate about getting into the Bible - God's teachings - and letting the Bible get into me.  I no longer evaluate life based on my feelings.  Instead, I let my feelings and experiences be evaluated in light of God's Word. 

I have watched God chase me around with rich evidence of His presence and invitations to trade apathy for active faith.  But I had to make the choice to see God.  Hear God.  Know God. And follow hard after God.

Then I took my sister's hand and told her I'd be praying for God to mess with her in ways too bold for her to deny.

Lysa TerKeurst

 

Jeremiah 29:11
"I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The above verse is the one that was sent to me today, twice.

Last night my hubby was crankier than usual. He not a Christian. He was downright heartless about the Chilean Mine rescue that had my attention. Maybe it was because I asked him not to drink at the bar that night, maybe it was his spinal arthritis, Chronic Sinus Disease, stress from his new job, money problems…who knows. I know it was painful to watch him work so hard to be so hateful.

This morning he wasn’t much better. Probably didn’t sleep well with all his health issues. But I did not want to be around him. I left 30 minutes early for work rather than deal with it. As I drove into town I thought what should I have done as a Christian. I get exhausted living around the negativity day in and day out. Then I thought maybe I could have simply asked about and sympathized with his pain. That would have been better than deserting him. It wouldn’t have made me feel any better but how is he ever going to see God if he doesn’t see it in me.

I am not a model Christian. I am not like most people. I am eclectic. But I love God. Unfortunately God has not worked it in me yet that my love for Him is visible to other people. It hurts me sometimes that people can’t see the Christian in me. I wear Christian jewelry, I read the Bible and study it all day, I have verses on my computer at work, I listen to Christian contemporary music day and night. I don’t cuss (much), I don’t drink or do drugs or anything that makes look like a bad person, yet…

So I was thinking why can’t I be a better Christian faster. I am a smart and quick learner….yet I cannot lose the roughness that has been a part of my personality for my whole life. Actually I have always disliked “happy” people. I always considered them phony and condescending. I prefer to keep it real. Some Christians go out a preach till they are blue or the one they are preaching to is blue. I prefer to follow what Christ said in all the gospels about sharing the word and if they don’t want to listen, shrug and move on.

I am rambling I know but I am burdened because the people I spend the most time with and the ones I love most are not yet saved and I feel like it’s my responsibility and I am failing.

So back to the verse. I guess I need to chill, and listen. I should have prayed and let God tell me what to do this morning before I left the house. It’s His plans not mine. I’m just a vessel and He will use me in His time, in His way. I need to go with the flow and now worry about it.  I need to look at what I have and be grateful I am saved. When  someone is clearly of this world and mean or unhappy I need to pray for them not let them get me down and not runaway.  They are in front of me because of God’s plan. Don’t mess with the plan. Pray and God will give you the blue prints.

I love the Lord so much when He lets me in on His plans. I feel so privileged to be a part of it.  He will do great things, I just gotta let Him!