One thing my walk with the Lord has taught me is that I have free will – a choice. There are times I’d prefer to have Him gather me up into His arms and carry me safely through the minefields in my life while I bury my face into His chest. But more often than not, He guides me step by step, teaching me new lessons along the way.
My thought process for the past several difficult years has been to “choose joy.” It is not an emotion but a conscious decision to alter my thought patterns toward the positive side. To replace fear with faith and trepidation with trust.
But I am human. I am flawed, and my emotions can trip me up. That is when the door to my heart can open, just a crack, which can allow the Liar to whisper into it.
In Psalm 22, which is often considered a prophetic account of Jesus’ suffering on the cross when he said, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), it starts out by revealing the suffering and pain. Then, the mood shifts…
“But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me” (verse 19).
When I read this recently, it was as if cold water splashed my chest. I realized that when I cannot alter my feelings on my own, I need to ALTAR them. Take them to God. Lay them at His feet. If I give them to Him, the devil cannot interfere. And what’s more, God will use them to His glory to change my perspective, teach me a lesson, or slowly heal the wound. Maybe all three.
Choosing to ALTAR instead of alter, places the A before the E – the Almighty before emotions.
Another psalm, part of what is recited in the Morning Prayer, is from Psalm 51… “Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Give me the joy of Your saving help again and sustain me” (verses 10,12). I am now praying this daily at the start of my morning devotions.
I have slowly come to realize that I cannot obtain uncircumstantial peace alone. I am in need of a Savior…daily, hourly, moment by moment, who will teach me His ways, and mold my heart, mind, and spirit to His.
Jesus told His disciples not only that He was leaving them peace, but His peace. Not the fleeting emotional peace the world offers. His eternal one that rises above situations and emotions (See John 14:27).
I do not yet exist in that constant, unwavering peace, but I am getting better at achieving it, with God’s help. I cannot rely on my own strength or understanding, and definitely not on my emotions.
WHATEVER YOU FACE TODAY, ALTAR IT. It just may begin to alter you.
Every morning, I clean my guinea pig’s cage. Not to get too graphic, but since he has lived in it overnight, it gets very messy. Some days, it is simply because guinea pig cages do not come with tiny flushable toilets. So I have to scoop the poop. At other times, he has made a mess beyond the norm. He has tossed hay, overturned a bowl, dragged his bedding across the cage, or really soiled it.
So, I get out the whisk broom, scrub down the plastic floor of the cage, change his bedding and padding, then make sure he has fresh hay, pellets, and water as well as his chewable vitamin. Now I know he will be ready to start the day afresh.
As I performed this daily morning task, with the gurgles of my coffee brewing in the background, I heard that whisper that I knew wasn’t just my thoughts. “You do this because you love him, want to keep him safe and healthy. How much more do I do the same for you?”
Immediately, the following verse came to mind: Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Because I have claimed Christ as my Lord and Savior, I am saved from death and sin. However, my life can become messy at times. Sometimes I make my own mess, but often it is simply due to living in a broken world. Like my guinea pig, I am just trying to exist in my environment.
Being compared to my furry little guy reminded me that I am not as self-efficient as I think. I need help. I need love. I need provisions. I need a fresh start every morning and a righted attitude before I head back out into the world.
One of my morning prayers comes from Psalm 52- Create in me a clean heart, O Lord, and renew a right spirit within me. Spruce me up, dear Lord. Wipe away my sins of yesterday. Forgive me if I made a mess. Equip me with what I need to survive today. Give me my daily bread….
Two words with the same letters but totally different meanings:
Except and Expect
Except is an add-on to a thought. She could be pretty, except for her wiry hair. I could have gotten the job except for the boss’s prejudice against me. My life would be great except that I never had the opportunities my brothers did.
God would love me, except for the things I have done in the past.
Expect holds a sense of excitement and anticipation. I expect that package to come today. I expect that she will like me. I expect to get a good grade on today’s exam.
I expect God will turn this into something good…
It all depends on your point of view- how you use the letters to flip the meaning around.
What if we take this further… let’s say “C” represents your circumstances and “P” represents prayer. If we concentrate on our circumstances, then we assume we can control them…and most likely we can’t, so that causes stress.
But if we instead put prayer first, believing God is in control and will work it out if we yield to Him, then we can expect things to have meaning, purpose, and the outcome they were meant to have. And even if the result seems negative, we can trust that good can come out of it somehow.
So, when faced with a situation this week, what will you put first? The “C” or the “P”?
The word ever means ongoing, doesn’t it? But what word you put in front of it can make a difference. That word sheds light upon the ongoing question.
Whatever can imply disbelief or nonacceptance. “Whatever you say…” “Whatever happens…”
However can suggest either a change in thought – “However, I see it differently.” – or an inability to see a change. “However are you going to do that?”
Whenever often has an exasperated sigh hidden in it. I may be done, but who knows when? “Whenever you decide to take out the trash…” “Whenever you go to the store…” “Whenever will things change around here?”
But whoever indicates a belief that someone can do something. “Whoever wants this job can have it.” “Whoever makes an A will be exempt from next week’s test.”
Jesus used this word. He told the religious officials about to stone a woman to death for a grievous sin, “Whoever is without sin, pick up the first stone.” (But He chose not to, instead He forgave the woman and commanded her to go and sin no more.) He told his followers and curious onlookers, “Whoever believes in me shall inherit eternal life.” Not everyone would that day, but one day…
If I say whatever, whenever, or however, then doubt creeps in. But even if I do not know what, when, or how, if I know who, then my question changes from “maybe” to “someone can.” As a Christian, I believe in my soul of souls in the Who. He is all-powerful, almighty, all-knowing, and all-loving. He is the one who died for the sin of the world and rose again, so those who believe can have life everlasting in His eternal kingdom, where there is no hurt, anger, or pain.
And there is one other “ever” I know. No matter what, or how, or even when, I know His love for me is forever. It is for you as well.
Without question, Jesus is the whoever you are looking for in your life, and will be forever more.
“God gave us two for a reason.” That has been my mantra the past few weeks. The left eye I had surgery on last fall developed a whopping cataract, a side effect that can happen, and of which I had been told very well might… in a year or so. However, it came to be in just a few months.
Because I was still “post-op” in that eye, I had to undergo laser surgery to have a corneal transplant. The doctor explained that my distant vision would no longer require me to wear glasses –for the first time since 2nd grade, some sixty-odd years ago– that part I heard clearly. But that it would be fixed in place so my close-up vision would not be clear anymore, evaded my ears. I’d never had to use readers, so why would I need them now? (I still don’t get that part by the way.)
Initially, I was ecstatic. I could see leaves, details, and colors! Shock, and the deja vu of not seeing out of the eye at all last fall, sent me into a tailspin when I tried to read my phone with just that eye. All fuzzy and out of focus. What was happening? The doctor on call coaxed me off the cliff.
After a long discussion, I decided I didn’t want the same plight to happen to my dominant right eye, the good eye, the eye I can still read with 20/20 clarity. So I canceled the second eye surgery for the tiny cataract that was developing, of which they initially insisted I would need, so my eyes would be “even.”
I decided to go mono-vision, meaning one eye would see 20/30 into the distance without corrective eyewear, and I’d train the other eye to compensate by focusing on things I needed to see close-up. So far, it is working, and I am enjoying not having glasses pressed onto the ridge of my nose.
WHERE HAVE I FOUND GOD IN ALL THIS? I think as Christians, perhaps we need mono-vision. We need to adjust the eyes we are used to viewing the world with and begin to make our dominant vision see what God wants us to see, so we can become what He wants us to be. He sees beyond the moment and beyond the exterior into the heart. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7)
We can, and should, retrain our vision. Paul said at the time he saw things dimly, as if in a smudged mirror, but soon he’d see things face to face, the way God sees. (1 Corinthians 13:12)
It will take time, patience, and diligence to shift how we view things. But fuzzing out the negative and bad so we can focus on the good may be the counter-cultural action we all need to practice. Let one eye clearly concentrate on what will happen in the distance when Christ returns, while the other peers into the heart of those we encounter. We might just see ourselves reflected in those God puts in our path–people who are not perfect but need a forgiving Savior.
God gave us two eyes to see for a reason…. perhaps He is also giving us two spiritual eyes, for a reason.
I put a wooden welcome plaque on my front door. It hangs by a jute string. But occasionally the wind whisks through the corridor of my apartment complex and twists it around. Sometimes I come home to find it hanging backward. The words are not discernable. The message is unclear. Not all the time. It depends on whether the wind has been calm or not.
Proverbs 8:8 states: All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
Can I honestly say that? Well, honestly… No. Can any of us?
Each morning, as part of my prayer time, I pray part of Psalm 51- create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Start over with a clean slate, sins confessed, forgiveness received. Let the Light of Christ’s love, mercy, and grace shine through me like a sparkling clean glass. Then out the door I go, into the world once again. And that is when the winds begin to pound my soul.
Though I want to always be a welcome sign to others I must admit that my attitude and the words on my lips do not always convey that. During the day situations and stress twist my thoughts around to the negative. My witness becomes unclear.
Living in this world is hard for those who wish to walk with Christ, especially not succumbing to the winds of gossip, bad-mouthing, or grumbling. It is so prevalent and invasive these days. It whips around us in all directions, and some days it seems so forceful our umbrella of protection against the ways of the world flips inside out.
The only cure is to keep trying. Keep confessing, keep praying. Slowly the Christ in us will grow and the armor of the Spirit will shield us from the winds of negativity, selfishness, deceit, and grumbling that seems so strong at times… almost hurricane strength! But our God is stronger.
Jesus calmed the winds of the Sea of Galilee when He and his disciples were in the boat. (Matthew 8:23-27) He can still do the same for us. All we need to do is call out to Him. Then we can continue on the journey He has set for us… being a welcome sign that draws people to open the doors of their hearts to His ways.
An author friend of mine, Penelope Marzec, sent me this devotional about where she found God in her life one day:
As the daughter of a journalist, I grew up with current events as part of every dinner table discussion. I am still addicted to the news. With today’s constant bombardment of awful reports, it seems impossible not to worry.
As a Christian, I’m not supposed to be anxious, but with the steady stream of dreadful headlines, despair weighs on my heart. One morning, I didn’t have time to read the latest headlines since I needed to hurry and get hubby to his physical therapy appointment, which was scheduled earlier than usual. But once hubby was going through his workout, I sat in the waiting room and pulled up a news site on my phone. I soon began to scan through the latest disasters worldwide.
Then a text message popped up from my daughter. She had borrowed my old Jeep, a 1998 Cherokee, since her car needed expensive repairs. I had just gotten the brake lines on the old Jeep repaired and it had a full tank of gas, plus it’s built like a tank. My daughter said one of her coworkers called that old Jeep a national treasure. That made me smile. But I went right back to glancing at the headlines on my phone. Then another physical therapy patient came in and sat beside me. “Any good news?” “Not in the headlines.” I shrugged. “How about your own good news?” he gazed at me waiting for my answer. I had to think for a moment before I told him about my daughter and the old Jeep. He responded by telling me about his first car. I shared my memory of my 1971 Nova. Somehow, we were soon chatting about his grandfather who fought Pancho Villa at the Mexican border, which surprised me because my grandfather had also served at the Mexican border and kept an eye out for Pancho Villa back in the day. “Maybe they knew each other,” he said.
Maybe our grandfathers did know each other. Even if they didn’t, they both survived tough times and lived long lives. Even so, that shared knowledge made me feel connected to him.
But then he was called by his therapist as my hubby wandered over, finished with his session. Thinking over my conversation with this pleasant stranger, I drove home with a lighter heart as peace settled on me. Had it been a coincidence that he had come to sit beside me? Or had I just been given a life lesson Afterward, I thought of Proverbs 12:25, “Worry weighs down the heart, but a kind word gives it joy.”
We are all God’s children, members of the same family. The world will always be in turmoil, but that man was a light to me that day. It didn’t take much, only a few happy memories and shared experiences to turn my mood around.
I’ve decided to be more like that man. To engage others in conversation while waiting in doctor’s offices, grocery lines, or wherever instead of staring at my phone. Perhaps I can help lighten their day. So, I encourage you to do the same. Hand over some joy to someone else today.
Penelope Marzec Bio: Penelope Marzec grew up along the shore of Raritan Bay in New Jersey. Now a retired teacher, she writes inspirational romances. Two of her inspirational works have won the EPPIE award and one finaled in that contest. One paranormal, Irons In The Fire, was a nominee for Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award. Her historical novel, Patriot’s Courage, won first place in the Central Region Oklahoma Writers, National Excellence in Story Telling for an Inspirational. She paints seascapes in oils when she isn’t writing. You can find her online at http://www.penelopemarzec.com, read her blog at http://penelopemarzec.blogspot.com, or become a fan at https://www.facebook.com/penelopemarzecbooks
Check out her new, Christmas novella, now available on Amazon!
Celeste Greenfield’s life is a mess. As the whistleblower who uncovered her boss’s embezzlement, Celeste now has no job and a difficult future. Then her mother dies, and Celeste is shocked to discover a strange bequest in her mother’s will: The man renting the basement is given two years to find another venue for his online antique business. Entangled in the fear of testifying, dealing with the man in the basement and his son who was born with Down Syndrome, coupled with old memories of her younger sister’s death, Celeste must navigate where God wants her…or if she can maintain her faith. Sawyer is devastated by Mrs. Greenfield’s death. She gave him a lifeline when his wife died and he was left as a clueless single father of a son with Down Syndrome. With his mentor’s grandmotherly help and resources, Sawyer has managed to build a life and is finally comfortable with his ability to provide for his son. When Celeste returns home, Sawyer’s world is turned upside down. Attracted to the woman who has charmed his son, he feels compelled to keep her at a distance. Most women shy away from single fathers, especially when they have a child with an extra chromosome. Still, Sawyer prays that she will become a part if their lives. Snowstorms, threats from Celeste’s boss, the wake and funeral of her mother, and an impromptu Nativity play shows Celeste and Sawyer that even if life throws a curve ball, the restorative power of God’s love can make Christmas spectacular.
A Christian author of romantic suspense and mystery, Gail Pallotta, gave me this devotional about where she unexpectedly found God in her day. I think it is a good reminder of how we can be a positive influence on others…
A few Sundays ago, I heard a minister say we need Christian disciples today more than ever. He added that he even thanked people for doing their jobs right. I related to that…
I recently shopped for a certain kind of shirt for my daughter. After getting welcomed into stores time and time again, I was left in each place to thumb through the sea of clothes on my own. But I couldn’t find what I needed. I grew weary of searching and almost gave up on finding my daughter’s birthday gift but something told me to try one more place.
Moments after I entered the boutique, a sales lady walked over and asked, “Are you looking for something in particular?”
After I explained I needed a certain kind and color of top for my daughter, she showed me shirts in my daughter’s size. As the two of us checked out the merchandise, we chatted. In no time it seemed as though I looked for something special with a friend. My mood lifted. She asked where I was from. Then she told me about her recent move away from home. She was so happy to be back where she grew up. She picked up a long-sleeved T-shirt buried under other clothing, and I let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, that’s perfect.”
But when she showed the tag to me my heart sank. It was too expensive. She didn’t press me. Instead, she smiled. “There are lots of these types of blouses around. It won’t be difficult to find one somewhere else for cheaper. Have you tried….?” And she told me of several other stores I had not heard about. She cared more about me, a person she’d just met, than she did making another sale.
I walked out feeling positive I’d find what I searched for and eventually I did. But I will not forget what happened in that store. That last thing I expected when I entered the store weary and discouraged was — I’d see God in a sales lady’s kindness.
Three NIV Bible verses about kindness came to mind: Matthew 22: 39, “…Love your neighbor as yourself.” Colossians 3: 12, “Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Galatians 5: 22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
Dear Lord, our creator and giver of all things good, please let your light shine through us in kindness as a witness of your love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Gail has a new novel that is FREE in an e-book format on Amazon today through November 1rst. Hidden Danger. I just finished reading it- I think you will enjoy it! In audible and paperback, too. https://amzn.to/4ep3YMw Website – gailpallotta.com – to check out all her novels.
A routine eye check revealed something I had not envisioned…literally. I had felt something was wrong…eye strain maybe? A new prescription needed? Little did I know I could barely see out of my non-dominant, left eye. All was cloudy, skewed, and fuzzy. I had a hole in the macular at the back of my retina.
So I had surgery. The eye specialist inserted a gas bubble into my eye and I had to keep my head down for days while it positioned correctly to allow the hole at the back of my retina to knit back together. After the surgery was deemed a success, I had to endure the gas bubble clouding my vision for several weeks while it slowly diminished. The eye surgeon had said he couldn’t exactly predict when the bubble would evaporate. It depended on each individual. But it would happen. I had to be patient and follow his instructions.
At first, it was hard to see around this cloudy black thing. I had to really concentrate. But slowly it began to become less of a distraction and more of just an annoyance. Black floaters began to lift off, and I had the urge to swat them like gnats. By the second week, it reduced to a navy blue opaque dot with a blue veil in the center and it lowered in my vision field to somewhere around my lower eyelid, then my cheek, then mouth, then chin. It became the size of a quarter, then nickel, then dime, and then a bead. At last, this morning when I awoke, it was gone.
Where did I see God in all this, other than Him leading me to an excellent eye surgeon?
This bubble represented a sin in my life that I had not yet dealt with because I wasn’t quite sure I had to. Or maybe it was easier to just ignore it. My dominant faith covered it up and compensated…for a while. But deep down I knew something was not quite right. Once revealed by the Great Physician that I had a hole that distorted my perception of Kingdom living, I was in total dismay, and a tad frightened.
God inserted a “bubble” around that sin. At first, it was all I could see. It became so magnified in my life that it clouded everything else. But little by little, God’s mercy worked in my life. I had to be patient and follow His instructions. My attitude and actions began to slowly change. The hole healed, and the sin’s influence and tendency began to diminish. My thought pattern slowly altered and one day I realized it was no longer part of how I saw the world.
For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:19-21).
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. Psalm 130:5-6 (ESV)
Simon and Garfunkel sang about darkness being their friend. It is true that in the middle of the night, there can be a special stillness that can bring peace. But for many, darkness is far from friendly, especially if their emotions hover in a dark place.
The psalmist relates to those who feel uneasy sitting in the darkness. He compares their waiting on God to act on their behalf to a watchman on a lookout tower peering into the blackness. He holds short, quick breaths to stay alert, hoping he doesn’t detect an enemy stealthily sneaking toward the gated community he is in charge of protecting. Come on morning… come on light. Illuminate the landscape so I can see all is well.
And so the watchman waits… so do the many crouched on their beds as tears drip down their cheeks. Or children who cringe at every creaky sound in the house, or the caregiver who is not sure he or she can watch their loved one suffer one more night. The parent waiting for their child to come home, fearing the worst.
Perhaps you are there right now. In the dark. Wait…
Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength… Isaiah said that. Believe it. Cling to it.
Lips whisper a prayer, “Shine, Jesus, shine on me–the way the dawn brightens the sky. Let me feel the warmth of Your love on my face and shoulders as Your loving strength penetrates every inch of my body. You will let the sun rise every morning, so I know You will lighten my darkness…”
No wonder many start their day praising the Lord. After all, the dawn does finally come, and with it, the promise that God is there and He cares. He was right there in the darkness all along.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8----
I believe God reveals Himself in many ways-
through Scripture, the wisdom of a friend, a soul-stirring
hymn, an ant dragging ten times his weight,
a squirrel romping in the autumn mist, a parent in a
giggly embrace with their child, a sunset after a storm,
or in a whispered comfort as you cry into your pillow.
He promised if we seek, we will find.
Where Did You Find God Today? 