Better late than…

A sleepless night and a day booked all the way through and, here we are. But it is a good reminder to me that not everything must happen like clockwork and that life happens.

And, thankfully, God accepts our offerings — our prayers and our devotion at any point in life.

Sometimes we are waylaid and bound up. Maybe we are distracted or lost. Maybe we are otherwise occupied — we might even be doing very important things.

There are times we have made some plans for God — we expect Him to show up in a certain way. Surely He is absolutely there, wherever it is, but we have an expectation on the “how” He is supposed to be present. He isn’t ever late. He isn’t never waylaid or bound up. He’s not distracted or lost or otherwise occupied —

But, sometimes He does not show up in the way we wan’t Him to.

Lord, let me trust in the how, when, and where that you choose for my situations. It may never looked how I imagined but it can be even more beautiful if I let You work things out in Your time and Your way. Let me completely trust You with my days. Amen.

All of a sudden…

my age is sneaking up on me.

I am discovering more aches and pains and limitations. Of course, we all have some level of limitation — that’s the way of it. But when you are not able to do what you once could, that can be discouraging.

The amazing thing is that God uses each of us despite our limitations. And sometimes, His work can be done because of our limitations!

Imagine that!

You might also be looking at some limitations that are revealing themselves. Some might be able to be fixed — like my cataract. Some issues may not be able to be fixed but they can be held at bay with medication. Or maybe a change in diet. Some of these things are things we have to live — and die — with so we might as well learn how to adjust. And ask God to show us His Kingdom perspective.

What are those important things that need to be shared? Most likely you are in your second half of life — or possibly your last quarter. Some of us may be in our last year of life and we have no idea.

How are we living with our limitations? Do those limitations open up new avenues for God to work in and through our lives?

Knock, knock

I never really know what is on the other side of the door. I can try to peek out from a curtain window or I can look through the peephole if there is one.

Might it be flowers? Bad news? An opportunity to assist? Am I needed?

There are so many ways a day can go. If you can start your day by being the one to “ask, seek, and knock” you might find that you are in a better position to adjust to the needs of the day.

Approaching God and recognizing His gifts of forgiveness and grace puts our heart in a good space. Offering our prayers and intercessions is a beautiful way to start the day.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”. Matthew 7:7-8 NIV

God’s future work

We’ve been talking about being thankful for the day. And thankful for things that happened long ago. And, I hope you found at least one thing from you past that you could identify where God was working in and through it all. Since we know God does all kinds of things and weaves them all together in a very personal way,

So, let’s offer up thanksgiving for the work God will be doing. Think 5, 10, 20, 40 years into the future. It could be in our lives but it can also be in the lives of our family and others we hold dear — friends, children, nieces/nephews, cousins, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I call this “Praying Forward” and it is a great opportunity to think in a bit bigger way.

We know God is working now. We know He has been working through the years of our life. And we know He will continue working through our lives. But, we also know that all of what God is doing is much bigger than us and God has always been working — through the generations. And, He will continue to do that.

I pray you look forward and trust God with your future. There surely will be difficult times because this is life on Earth. But may you trust God as He weaves it all together.

Thank you, Lord, for bringing me to this time. I entrust my future to You. And I entrust my people to You. Help my steps today reflect that trust. Help me “Pray Forward” even though I don’t know the details of the future. What I do know is that You are there!

Adjusting

Have you ever had your life turn upside down with little warning?

Honestly, having a warning doesn’t really seem to help anyway. It’s all hard. It could be a death, a debilitating illness, a job loss, a change in schools, a new boss or _________________________ (fill in the blank.)

How we adjust to what is in front of us is important. And we cannot expect to always do it with finesse.

How do you typically respond to a big change that isn’t welcome? In my younger years, I was quite reactionary. I dwelled, I stewed, and I was very verbal about all of my processing. As time has marched forward and I have encountered more difficult situations, I have learned how to pace my response. It doesn’t mean I don’t feel my feelings (anger, frustration, disappointment, sadness, etc.) I do. But I have learned to pause. I don’t have to have an answer or solution immediately unless it is a 911 emergency. I can take the time to regroup. For me, the most essential way to adjust and calm my system down is to take time with God — not only at that time, but ahead of that time. The work before really paves the difficult roads to be a little calmer.

This isn’t to say there aren’t difficult days or the “Why God?” questions. Of course, there are. But I know God can handle all of those. And He knows that I want to see His work in difficult situations. I want to see the hope that He can show and the glimpses of good and beauty that can arise from dark days.

Loss is difficult — when we lose our place, our people, or our health it takes time to adjust. But there is no better place for me to go than to God to have my perspective adjusted. He always sees and knows the bigger picture. And as I try to sort out the incomprehensible things in my brain, He doesn’t expect me to understand it all. He simply asks that I lay these disappointments at His feet and that I follow Him for my next steps.

As I wake up each day, I ask God to be with me as I move through the day. Yes, I have a general plan, but I know that is just a plan. God is the one who really knows how the day will unfold and I trust Him to walk beside me every step of the way as I adjust to the situations that come my way.

We make our own plans, but the Lord decides where we will go. Proverbs 16:9 CEV

Mindful

I vacillate between being overly mindful and complete oblivious.

A little balance is in order here. I am not sure why I am in a state of feast of famine with my mindfulness. I surely can’t be mindful in every moment of every day. But there are rhythms and helpful habits I can build into my day that can help me be more mindful.

Time in God’s Word.

A weekly piece of Scripture to focus on.

Scriptural truths in my visual or auditory space.

Regular opportunities for prayer.

Setting aside regular time with God helps me be more mindful. Slowing down and allowing God access to those deeper parts of me requires my time and His patience.

What things should I set aside to make space for God’s work in my heart?

Present

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

My request list is rather long these days. I cannot fix any of the situations around me. I can only offer them up to God. But the people I love are in heavy times and it hurts my heart.

And then I remember — I can lay all of these things at Jesus’ feet. And trust that God will give me His perfect peace. This life isn’t always easy. And sometimes if I focus too far into the future, I find myself in a little bit of a panic.

How will this all play out?

Today I present my requests and pray that God will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

On high alert…

If you have lived with someone who has intense medical needs you know what it means to be on high alert. You have to sleep lightly, ready to come to their aid…

Or you need an organ transplant and you are on the list, waiting and, theoretically, ready…

Or you live near a creek or rover that routinely floods during the Spring rains and your house or animals are too close to the banks…

Or you live near the various wildfires, never knowing when the wind will shift and it will be your turn to evacuate…

Or there are layoffs in your company and the entire process is taking a year or more and you are waiting, not knowing, when or if that day will come…

Living on high alert is exhausting. We aren’t meant to be able to do it long term. When God tells us to rest, He means it. As our Creator, He knows how He made us.

Where, when, how, and how often do you rest?

Midnight promptings

When we sleep, we are more relaxed and our minds release the struggles of the day. Rest is so important for our bodies and our minds and our spirits.

Sometimes, the busyness of the day has fallen away, but the mind hasn’t unwound enough before sleep. There are times when rest is interrupted by a midnight prompting.

For me, a midnight prompting is a situation I need to pray for. I may not know any specific need for this person or situation. But I know God knows what they need, so I ask God to cover their needs and be with them during this time. I might follow up with them during the week to check in on them, but I don’t always. I probably should follow up more than I do, but life gets crazy and I get distracted.

Have you ever received a “midnight prompting” to pray for someone? Did you pray? Did you follow up?

Create…

Create the things you wish existed.

I saw that quote last summer and it caught my attention.

God creates us each with certain abilities and interests, and, as we grow up in life and in faith, we also develop ideas. These ideas about what we like and don’t like can help ignite our interests and, finally, our passions. Our life experiences, and how we respond to them, also help determine where we are headed.

What are you passionate about?

Sometimes passions can become obsessions, so take note of that. I definitely have gone overboard on a thing or two in my life. But, have you thanked God for your innate abilities and your interests? Have you ever asked Him why you have been designed the way you have been designed? Have you asked Him to show you how to best use this unique collection of your gifts, inclinations, and experiences in a way that honors Him? Your perspective, interest, and experience are unique!

You are here for a reason. It doesn’t have to be something the world considers big. But your presence matters. You matter. If you aren’t clear on your next move, ask God to give you the next step. The next right thing, as I have heard. Or even, simply, the next thing.

And then go do it!