Perspective....

Sometimes we need a little perspective - don't you think?  Like we need to see things from a different angle, through someone else's eyes, etc.  For instance, there was one of those crazy pictures on Facebook that had something in it that totally freaked everyone out but you had to kind of take a good long look to see it.  Once you saw the thing though, your view of the picture was NEVER the same!  It reminded me of how the Lord works.

Sometimes He gives us glimpses of situations or people just how He sees them.  Sometimes though, He has to shove our faces up close to the thing to get our attention - at least He does with me.  He only does it because He has something planned for me, something that will make me more like His Son.  THAT is the truth.

Lately, my perspective has been a little foggy.  The Lord has some areas in me that need some remodeling and the Great Designer has been busy moving things around, shaking them up, changing my perspective.  He's done it with the gentle pressure of a Master Craftsman, but the work is being done for sure!  The awesome thing about all this work is that my view....my attitude...my perspective will NEVER be the same! 

One perspective the Lord has blessed me with recently is how fleeting the time with my kids is becoming.  My oldest starts High school next year.  HIGH SCHOOL!!! Ugh!!  This hasn't been an exceptionally fun season - as I'm sure any parent of a teenager would agree - but the Lord reminded me to slow down, to lighten up a bit and to remember these babies that He has entrusted me with are not my own!  They were bought with a price!  They belong to Him!  So I'm doing my best to change THAT perspective as well - look at that thing from a different angle - and asking the Lord to remind me that they will NEVER be this way again!! (ok a little sniff on that one!)

Why do I linger?....

I am falling in love anew with the Word this year with our "Year of the Bible" at church.  Whenever I'm with someone from church we immediately start saying "Man, did you read...." it's great!  Last night my precious friends from One Voice came over to practice and as soon as we finish singing we immediately start talking about the Word of God.  "Aren't you glad we're out of Job?....but don't you love the truths of God's faithfulness...what about Sarah and Abraham?....I never got that Sarai laughed when God told Abe she was gonna have a baby!..."  these were some of the conversations!  All I could think about was Jer 31:3 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people."  He is definitely writing His law on our hearts....LOVE it!!

So today I'm thinking about Lot.  Something that jumped out at me - it's kinda been jumping out with several people thru the Word - the fact that we settle, we linger.  Lot was in Sodom, God was coming to destroy it, Abraham had prayed for Lot's deliverance from the destruction, and the destruction was coming!  Lot had already seen the miracle of the three men blinding the men of the city who were trying to "know them" and their prediction of God's wrath on the city and His protection of Lot and his family was coming to fruition and what did Lot do?....."As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.”  But he lingered."  (Gen 19:15-16)  The city is under attack for it's sin and yet Lot lingered.  Don't you think he would want to run as fast as possible?  Get his family out of there?  And yet, he lingers, he waits around. 

I can relate.  How often do I feel the Lord calling me to something, something better, something bigger and yet I linger?  How often do I hear him say, 'Get away from this place, this PERSON, now and don't look back!' and still I linger, I delay.  Sometimes it's out of fear, or uncertainty, but sometimes it's because I LIKE where I am...who I'm with...what I'm doing.  Sometimes it's FUN, or I'm getting some attention from it.  But ultimately, if I don't go, destruction follows.

God is faithful...He is gentle...He is loving....and all too often, He needs to shake things up!  He's got some destroying to do in my life.  He's got some things in me that need to GO and I do not need to ever look at them again!  THAT's what I love about Him.  I heard this quote this year and it's the truth in my life right now...."God is the constant page-turner"....I'm anxious to see what page He turns in me!!

Consider it joy when you face trials.....REALLY?.....

So this past week we've been in Job.  Yeah, I know, right.  Not exactly the most uplifting and encouraging way to start the year.  I mean, it starts off well, but then again, if the Lord INVITES the enemy to take a look at one of His servants.....that certainly can't end well.  As I talked with my Sunday school class this past week one of the things that they loved (and I did too) was the thought that the Lord would think enough of me to say to the enemy...."Have you considered my servant Valarie?"....To think that the Creator of the Universe would think so highly of me as to know that whatever the enemy tried to sling my way, I would continue to honor Him through it all.  Wow.....

The thing that really got me as I sat listening to these, not even 18 year old, girls say this was, Lord how different would my life have been had I understood this concept at their age?  How many choices would've been made differently?  How many situations I got myself into would've turned out differently?  I could spend ALOT of time beating myself up (because I'm certainly good at that) over the should have's...the could have's....but right in the middle of it all I felt the Lord gently say..."You're right where I want you girl, the past is just that - the past - I wrote it that way for a reason.  You just keep doing what you're doing.  I'll take care of all that - in fact, I already have."

He's ever so gentle with me, ever so patient.  I certainly don't deserve that.  I certainly have brought Him pain, disappointment, even shame.  BUT GOD....my two favorite words ever....in His love and compassion and patience with me still welcomes me home, still takes me in His arms, still holds me up when I stumble and picks me up when I fall.  That's His specialty.  I love that about Him!  So, when I feel the enemy shaking things around me, tugging at what I love and hold dear, trying to steal my joy, I will remember, he's only done so because my Abba Daddy has said "Have you considered Valarie?  There's are some things in her I need to work on.  You can't have her.  You can't destroy her, but why don't you shake things up a bit.  I've got some work to do to make her more like my Son."  and I can rest, I can trust, I can face whatever he brings because my God - He's a big G God and HE has got this thing!!!

Whew....time flies when you're having fun.....

At least that's the story I'm going with! 

I can't believe another year has flown by.  I remember when I was little my parents talking about how time seemed to just fly by and I would think, "Are you kidding me?  This is the LONGEST school year ever!"  Lol....little did I know how right they were.  I watch my now 14 year old walk into the room and he's as tall as me (taller he would argue) and it seems like just last week I was rocking him in my arms.  CRAZY! 

Well, I've been on a bit of a wild ride since I last posted.  Nothing too major, but just life, but through it all the Lord has continued to sustain, to provide, to bless and to take me places I didn't expect to be.  Sometimes to places I didn't WANT to be but just like always, it's to place HE knows best!  Fortunately after (ahem) years of walking with the Lord I've finally gotten it thru this thick head of mine that His ways are NOT my ways....and it's a good thing they're not!!! 

We've started on a journey at church of reading chronologically thru the Bible in a year, as a body, so I hope to get back to blogging a bit more regularly....no promises for the 2 of you reading this...;-) but we shall see.  My prayer for this year is that the Lord will continue to stretch me, to KICK me out of comfort zone and to take me on the WILDEST ride of my life.....I've got my seat belt locked and Lord, I'M READY!!! 

Here we go...........