Running with a Broken Leg

In the last few weeks my daughter's attention has been on some kittens that have come across our path.  They were sickly and vulnerable so we thought the best place for them was in our garage.  Upon caring for them we found that one of the three babies was either born with its leg bent and deformed, or was broken during the first few hrs of her life.  Truthfully, it was gruesome for me to look at, I wondered if it was hurting the poor thing or if the cat would soon die from being puny and disadvantaged.  We just waited and let nature take its course.

To our surprise after a week or so, we observed the lame kitten was the one moving more than her two siblings.  She was walking all over the place with her foot bent backwards and getting exactly to the places she wanted to go.  Her brother and sister, on the other hand, were not doing half as well, they were still fumbling and falling and giving up before they could get anywhere.  They had it easier so they didn't experience the fight to gain their momentum and cover their ground, instead just laid where they struggled.

Of course, as God often uses things like that to bring up spiritual truths, I immediately thought of the verse that says "..we glory in tribulation, knowing that it produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint..."  Rom 5: 3-5.  I saw what seemed to me to be an obstacle to get in the way of the kitten's growth and vitality and I have been proved that this "hindrance" was only something to make her work harder and coming out better than her siblings.

Where are you broken?  Often we think to ourselves, "If only I didn't have these issues always rising up in my life I would be able to grow and mature and become a better person, but these issues keep getting in the way."  Look at the issues a little differently.  Let them be a reason to try a little harder or lean on God a little more.  Just don't flop down where you struggle only to lay there.....unsatisfied.  You may just gain the momentum you need to pass up everyone else who always "has it easier".  And how much more satisfied will you be knowing you cleared your obstacle and became better for it.
 "Thanks be to God who ALWAYS leads us in triumph IN CHRIST, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place." 2 Cor 2:14

Mountain Moved

I was begining to sink into depression.  That's not really a place I like to go, not where I feel comfortable like some, but since my spirit was out of shape that's where I was headed.  I sat in my little corner of life worried about the issues that surrounded me without the courage to move on because I knew these obstacles were bigger than me, more powerful than me, and I didn't have any more energy to fight.

Then, as I sometimes do when I feel overwhelmed, I visited one of my favorite mountaintop friends to retreat from the worries for a couple of days.  I often like to go to sit on that mountain and remind myself how big God is and how easy my problems are for Him. 

On this particular morning I woke up and looked out the window and I saw 3 hot air balloons, nothing unusual to see on a clear Saturday morning; I've seen hundreds of them at a time above me, and I stare in amazement at the heights they can reach while peacefully floating through the air.  But what was different on this day as these balloons were floating across the sky was that instead of looking up I was looking DOWN on them.  What an awesome change of direction.  And it hit me like a big gust of wind deep inside..."I'm changing your perspective." 

What the Lord was telling me was all the things in my life that are bigger than me, things I'm familiar with a certain way that keep me from living the life He purchased for me....well, they will all seem like absolute weaklings in comparison to HIM.  And when I hide myself in Him I can move through any obstacle.  And since then in His faithfulness He has proved it over and over.  I have stepped through walls of fear and dug my way out of a pit of worry.  With Him all things really are possible to him who believe.  So, to me the mountains moved...and that's what Jesus said would happen. (Matthew 17:20)

It's Supposed to be a Garden

I can't believe its been so long since my last blog, I sure have had plenty to say, just no motive to share I guess.  I looked around today at my yard and saw a parallel to the condition of my attitude, if you want to call it that.  Neglect. That about sums it all up.  I have been neglecting my yard for several reasons: its been hot, I've been tired, I've been gone much of the summer (or maybe it just sounds good), and there really aren't that many plants to take care of so I don't see the point in attending to any of them.  As a result weeds have grown in and taken over, some of the herbs I love have burned up due to lack of watering, and the pots of dirt that haven't been used for flowers have consequently been used by the cats and give off that horrible odor that keeps me from enjoying my patio.

Wow!  I have really thrown it all out there, you probably didn't really care to know all that (especially about the cats), but admittedly that's been the condition of my spritual life lately as well.  I have had the same attitude about myself as I have had about my yard: so much neglect, and no concern about what happens to it.  I have allowed weeds like passivity and compromise choke me out.  Rarely have I sat still long enough to allow God to water me with His word, so I've dried up.  There are so many excuses I could use: I don't have the time, I'm too tired, I'll do it later, what good is it really?

And now I look at my life and my attitude and see the weeds taking over, I've been burned by the things of this world, and I'm down right putrid.  I think I've finally come to the point of doing something about it.  I need to surrender and let the Gardener come in and clean up my mess, soak me in the Living water, and cut out the things that harm my growth. 

A garden provides beauty or nourishment for others to benefit from.  I want to believe I have much to offer those around me in this hurting and barren land.  I want to be "like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not whither, and whatever he does shall prosper."  (Ps 1:3) 

How about it? 

I'll Take IT!

"God affectionately permits difficulties that He may develop unceasingly that which He is willing to do for us, and to this end we should not shrink, but if He gives us sorrow and hindrances and losses and afflictions, we should take them out of His hands as evidences of His love and care for us in developing more and more faith which He is seeking to strengthen in us." ~ George Mueller.

Let me tell you what I saw when I read this.  I had a picture of the hands of God, and in them was a gift neatly and beautifully wrapped, just for me.  I understood the gift was the faith I had been asking for, and He was ready to give it freely, just because I had asked.   But at a closer look I realized what covered the faith that was potentially mine was a trial, a hardship that I would endure.  I had a choice.  I could leave the trial alone, ignore it or try to fix it myself and miss out on recieving the gift God had for me or I could take it from His hands get through the wrapping and experience His unending faithfulness and goodness to me.  That's where I recieve the faith to get through the next trial that comes and therefore recieving more faith. 

Its not about trying to muster up enough faith to "pass the test", I believe its about finding His Word to be true and steady.  Do we believe it or not?  Its that simple.  So don't feel that hardship is necessarily a punishment for not having enough faith, the hardship can be where we find it, the very reason you need it.  He loves us enough to get us through if we let Him. 

No Pain No Gain......Seriously?

We've all heard the phrase "no pain, no gain" and most of us picture a body builder of some kind going through their workout ritual, sweating and grimmacing, putting themselves through what I would consider torture so they can have a head-turning physique. 

Why does pain have to be involved?  As I've always heard it, pain is an indicator that an area of our body needs attention.  Without pain we might not feel that we've broken a bone and need to get it set right or that we're burning ourselves to a crisp when we're out in the sun too long.  Pain tells us that something needs to be done....and sometimes very quickly.

I started thinking about other kinds of pain: emotional pain, suffering through trials, loss, inconvenience, putting up with human stupidity (whether our own or someone else's), financial difficulty, change of any kind.  I'm sure you have your own list going through your head right now.  If we dare to think about it, those are all indications that there is an area of our lives God wants to touch and exercise and improve. 

Just like a body builder takes their workout to the next level by putting themselves through a little more pain each time they workout because they know it's a benefit, we can be assured that the pain that we experience is not in vain.  Something is happening.  So pay attention, what can you learn or gain from your pain?  It can be a good teacher if you let it.

What am I doing?

After all that work getting this page set up, and now it is somewhat quiet in my house, my mind goes BLANK.  Does that happen to you?  When you're somewhere you can't write it down you have great inspiration and can solve your hardest problem, but when crunch time comes.....nothin.

Why did I start a blog?  After doing some soul searching over whatever length of time its been, I've discovered that I have something to say.  Now whether people want to hear what I have to say is debatable, but nevertheless, thats the way God made me and I feel better when I do it.  A creative outlet, if you will. 

I'm not quite sure what you'll get day after day, if it's that often, but my hope is that you'll find something useful in it.  I get so much joy when I can encourage someone, when I can touch something in the heart, or stir up some needed laughter.  I am, however, going to post thoughts that come out of my daily walks because that's the time when I get to be alone and think.  Those are the moments I like to talk with God and search out the deep things, hence the title "Footnotes". 

So let's walk this baby out and see where it takes us!