God's Timing

The past couple of days,

I've been very aware of God's timing.

God's Timing #1: On Friday, due to the accident and coming home via an alternate route, (see post below) God led me to a dumpster FULL of boxes. Exactly what I needed to help with my "non-move". (My apartment is being remodeled, so I'll have to move out for a few days.) The boxes are heavy duty and various sizes... couldn't ask for better boxes. All very clean and were waiting just for me! If I had come home my usual route, or if I had stopped at the store as I had originally planned, I would have missed the boxes. But God led me home via that route and I was able to FILL my car full of boxes (even cut down so more would fit!!). Now, I'm ready to start packing. 

God's Timing #2: As part of the "non-move" I've been purging stuff. The past few days I've been shredding TONS of papers. Today, my shredder jammed and broke. I went online to see what I could find and Office Depot was having a TRADE-IN Special through TODAY!! I was able to get $25 for my broken old shredder!! Again, God knew if my shredder was going to break, today I'd be able to get $25 for it! Plus the shredder I bought was on sale!! A double savings! The new shredder is working great.

It's fun to notice when God does things. Sometimes...okay more than often....I'm frustrated with God's timing. Why do I have to wait so long? Why can't He work faster? Yet, I know that God's timing is best. I don't always understand His timing, yet since God does love me, He works on His time frame....for my good. Sometimes, His timing is to teach me, and sometimes He uses it to teach those around me. No matter the reason, God does know what He is doing and will accomplish His work in His time frame. 

When I allow God to work in my life in His time frame, my life is less frustrating and more enjoyable. If I want to create a positive day, I have to remember that God uses delays, detours, and distractions to accomplish His will. If I go about my day using God's schedule, it is a great day!

God's Protection

Yesterday, I was reminded again of God's protection. I saw my chiropractor and enjoyed a massage. After my massage, I remembered a question I had for my chiropractor, Dr. Moore. I waited as he finished with his last patient, and then we discussed my question.

On the way home, I heard on the radio about an accident at an intersection which I use very often. Just then an ambulance went passed... on the way to the accident scene. I took an alternate route home.

This morning I read in the paper, that a man was killed and four were hospitalized due to the accident. That's when it hit me. If I had left immediately after my massage, I would have been VERY near the intersection at the time of the accident. Once again, God delayed me to protect me from being hurt.

Creating a positive day involves being led by God and not fretting about a delay or a change of plans. Often God is working behind the scenes and is protecting us from dangers which we can't see, or have any knowledge.

You can read another example of God's protection on my post dated 8/28/2009; How God Used Sponges!.

Purging

I'm in the middle of a huge project. My apartment will be remodeled the beginning of May. That means I have to move out for a few days. Since I have to pack everything for the move, I'm trying to get rid of half of everything I own. Why half? Several reasons. 1. I simply have too much stuff. 2. It will be cheaper and easier to move with less. 3. It's time to get rid of stuff I haven't used for years! 4. I to start fresh in a "new" apartment... without all the old stuff. 

Of course, there are somethings which I will keep, no matter the age. But it sure feels good to purge. It's amazing how much stuff I've accumulated in 16 years! Yes, I've been in this apartment for 16 years. Perhaps that explains why I have so much......stuff. 

All this physical purging makes me think of my spiritual life. Do I need to purge my spiritual life too? Do I have preconceived ideas of God or how He works? Do I have "stuff" which doesn't fit into God's plan? Do I fill my life with 'religious' stuff, rather than God's truth? 

Just as I had to be motivated to purge my apartment, sometimes, God creates situations to make us purge our spiritual lives. I look back to when I first injured my back...I was doing okay spiritually....but God knew I needed to "clean house". I had some ideas of how God would work, or could work—and my views put limits on God. Of course, if you had said I "limited God", I would have thought you were crazy. God can not be limited....yet, I was doing just that. God has taught me to re-evaluate my beliefs and search for the truth about God.

Sometimes, we think of purging as a punishment. But it's not. It's simply getting rid of the 'old' to allow room for the 'new'. I don't feel deprived because I getting rid of stuff, rather it is very freeing and refreshing. 

Throughout Scripture, many had to be taught truths about God. Job had to do a great deal of searching to find the truth about God. He couldn't rely on his "friends" to teach him the truth, because they had preconceived ideas about God.  Job had to look to God to learn the truth. In the New Testament, Paul spends a great deal of time teaching Christians to look at God's truth, rather than the 'religion's rules' the people had known all their lives. 

As I continue to purge my apartment, I want to continue purging my spiritual life as well. I don't want to hold on to old beliefs if they aren't truth. The only way for me to know if what I believe is truth or just "ideas" is to search the Scriptures. I'm excited to see what new and exciting truths I learn about God as I purge. 

It's exciting to purge and start new. That is one thing I love about each day. No matter what day I created the day before.... I have a new slate to create a positive day. And when I create a positive day, it's a great building block for the next day.

Max's Ordeal

Every month or so, I have to trim Max's toenails. He HATES it. It doesn't hurt him, he just doesn't like being held and having his nails cut. When it's time to trim Max's nails, the hardest part for me is catching Max. No matter how I try to disguise what I'm going to do, Max knows something is up. He'll fly from his cage to his sofa and back all just above my reach. I've learned to chase him for a few times, and then "give up". Then Max will fly to me or a perch nearby, thinking he's won the battle... that's when I catch him. 

Anyone hearing his squawks, as I trim his nails, would think he's being tortured—of course, Max thinks he is. It only takes about 2 minutes to cut his toenails...and would take less if Max would stay still. Once I'm done trimming, Max hops up on my shoulder and yells at me for a few seconds....until he realizes he's fine. Then he promptly gives me a few kisses followed by some "pretty bird" and "happy" rants.

I often wonder if I act like Max when God is working in my life. When I sense God's about to do something, do I run and try to remain out of His reach?  (Of course that's impossible.) And When God begins the "trimming" to make me more in His image, do I yell and scream all the while kicking and straining as He works? Just as with Max, I'm sure if I'd allow God to work, and be "soft and pliable" in His hands, the "trimming" wouldn't take as long and would be very painless.
Max trusts me and is evident in how he reacts around me. He'll sleep on me, sit on me and fly to any room I'm in, so that he can be with me. He's sitting on my shoulder as I type this. You'd think because of the trust he has in me, he'd let me trim his nails without a fight.

The same is true with my relationship with God. I trust God. He knows what I need more than I do! And He has shown over and over that He does care for me and He loves me with an unconditional love.

So, when God wants to do some trimming in my life, what is my reaction? I wish I could say that I remain soft and pliable and let God work. However, I know that there are times, I kick and scream wondering why God would choose to work on me at this time or in this way. I'm so very thankful that God continues working in my life. The only way for me to grow in Him is to let God trim, whenever He wants.... as much as He wants...and by any means He deems best.

Each day, I must remain soft and pliable in God's hands. That includes remaining positive. God says very clearly in Philippians 4:8-9, "Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies." (The Message) If my mind and heart are focused on the positive things of God, I'll be much more pliable as He works in my life. 

Do I allow pain to control me?

As I was making my "To Do List" today, I found myself crossing off items—not because they were accomplished, rather, because I was having a "bad" pain day. Do I allow pain to control my life? Does allowing my pain to control me a good thing?

Limiting my activities so that the pain remains at a tolerable level isn't necessarily a bad thing. On the other hand, I can't let pain control me to the point that I don't do anything. If I do nothing, I'm in pain. And anything I do increases my pain. The trick is to find the balance of doing things and keeping the pain in a tolerable level.

I also think sometimes we have to push beyond our normal activities to see if we can tolerate more. Often we become comfortable at one level and don't challenge or push ourselves to our limits. Think of a marathon runner. They know they can run 5, 10, 15 miles. But 26 miles and 385 yards—that's a distance that pushes many professional runners. Yet, many are able to accomplish that task.

Back to my question, "do I allow pain to control me?" I'd have to answer 'yes, I do'. However, I hope that I don't allow pain to be the deciding factor. Otherwise, I would miss many blessings. I have to make sure that pain is only ONE of the factors in if I do something. I don't want to miss adventures because I allowed pain to have the final say.

As I go about each day, I need to monitor my pain, but not focus on it. My focus needs to be on the positive aspects of the day and what God is doing in my life.

The more positive my day,

the more I can do, and

the less pain controls my life!