"Relying on God has to start all over everyday, as if nothing has yet been done." C.S.Lewis
"Continuous effort---not strength or intelligence--is the key to unlocking our potential." Winston Churchill
Everyday we must wake as if it is a new day. A day awaiting new blessings and new opportunities. Too many times we just have the attitude that as morning breaks open nothing new will happen. We will live that same old day all over again. You know, we will if we simply don't make the choice to change. God gave us free will. We can live and do as we like. But each choice we make will effect the next.
"God will one day hold us each accountable for all the things He created for us to enjoy, but we refused to do so." Rabbanic Saying
"What are your choices? Whom are your choices for? Not just for yourself. Chose now whom you will serve, and that choice is going to affect the next generation, and the next generation, and the next. Choice never affects just one person alone. It goes on and on and the effect goes out into geography and history. You are part of history and your choices become part of history." Edith Schaeffer
Lately I have been praying for God's will in my life. I have been praying for Him to show me what to do and which direction He wants me to go. I am still waiting. I am trying my best to be still and hear from Him. Many times He is calling. He is whispering, but we have placed so many things before Him we simply can't hear Him. Oh, He's shouting. He is putting up every road block in front of us, trying to get our attention. We just ignore Him. We push Him aside if His will doesn't measure up to what our will is.
I feel God stretching me. It is uncomfortable to say the least. But we weren't meant to live in comfort. As Christians, change is part of the package. Without change we stay stagnate. No change means to gain. No moving forward. We should be changing more and more to mirror Christ on a daily basis. We can't live in yesterday. Yesterday is gone. There is nothing we can do about yesterday, but move on. Let it go and let God take care of yesterday while we focus on today and all He has for us. We seem to waste so much time wondering what happened to yesterday. I think Satan wants us to stay as far in the past as we can. Christ wants us to live in His grace and find His mercy in everything.
Jim Elliot said, "Wherever you are, be all there." The Lord wants us all here today, right here in this moment. If we are staying in yesterday then we cannot be all here for Him now, can we? We can't be in two places at once. We are either living in yesterday, worrying about tomorrow or living in right here, right now. Where are you? I think many times I am in yesterday. I too find myself wondering about tomorrow. So if I am not living in the now, I am missing great opportunities for today.
"Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
There is a great quote, "When Satan reminds us of our past, we should remind him of his future."
We may not get the chance to live tomorrow. We sure don't get the chance to go back. Why do we try to hard to get to two places that only steal our time? God wants to use us today for His glory. One day when we meet Him face to face, wouldn't it be awesome to have used up every gift He has bestowed to us?
Gosh, I look at the huge things He is calling me to with fear. Put me in front of a large crowd of people and I am terrified. I think I best get over my fear of speaking in front of others. I feel God calling me to step out. Next month I will be a guest on a friend's radio program. Scared? You betcha, that's why I am already praying for God's leading. In September I will attend the grand American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. Without a doubt I am terrified. But if I just stayed in my fear look at all I miss? I know God has something big planned. He continues to open doors and yes, even the smallest of windows.
"Never lose an opportunity for seeing anything that is beautiful; For beauty is God's handwriting--a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, And thank God for it as a cup of His blessing." Ralph Waldo Emerson
I want to leave you with one more quote. Yes, this girl is a lover of quotes. There is such wisdom to be found in words of others. If we only take a minute to ponder what one person has said, we might just find the words to carry us into the grand light of seeing all God really has for us. Friends, lets not miss out on all God has for us. Lets put yesterday behind us, along with our fears and embrace today with a faith to carry us over every mountain with a sight that sees how God can bring big blessings in small things.
"Cherish things while you still have them,
before they're gone,
and you realize how precious they really are.
Life can only be understood backwards,
but it must be lived forwards.
Everything in life is temporary.
So if things are going good,
enjoy it because it won't last forever.
And if things are going bad,
don't worry because it won't last forever either.
Destiny is not a matter of chance,
it is a matter of choice;
it is not a thing to be waited for,
it is a thing to be achieved.
A journey of a thousand miles
begins with a single step.
Never cross a bridge
without knowing how to swim the tides.
If you could not add years to your life
Add life to your years." author unknown
Do you feel the Lord calling you to something greater? Is He stretching you today? The only thing standing in the way of all God has for you and doing so, is you. We ignore His calling because we think we are unworthy. We put things in front of Him because our free will leads to living selfish lives. We see an obstacle and God sees an opportunity. When we see our cup half empty, He sees a cup waiting for a refill. Don't let the sounds and sights of this world take you away from the fullness that can only come from God. Don't allow Satan to make you feel less than you were created to be. We are children of God. Whatever God is calling you to today, He will do more than meet you half way. He will stand in the gap and make everything possible. He will equip us with all we need to soar above our smallest insecurities.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
