Was It a Bad Day?

I’m thanking you, God, from a full heart, I’m writing the book on your wonders. I’m whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy; I’m singing your song, High God. ~ Psalm 9:1-2 MSG

Maybe your day went something like this: Your 20-minute drive to the doctor took 100 minutes because traffic was at a dead-stop on the interstate. And after leaving the office, you had to go to the bathroom really badly, so you stopped into a fast-food restaurant across the street (because you were too shy/embarrassed to ask to use the bathroom at your doctor’s office). But when you were ready to leave, you discovered the lock on your stall door was jammed. You perused your options: call for help, try to scale the stall wall, or drag yourself out underneath the door and pray you fit. You chose option #3, praying the whole time that no one would come in—not because you’d be embarrassed to be caught, but because the door would likely smash into your head upon their entry. You safely escape that episode, drive to your friend’s to pick-up your kids to take them home for nap time. Your day looks brighter now…until your almost 4-year-old gushes pee onto the floor in front of the toy bin. But she did it just for you because she didn’t want to have an accident on your new couch…

Drs. Cloud and Townsend define a boundary as a way of defining ownership of feelings, attitudes, and behaviors, because when we understand who owns what, we know who must take responsibility for it. I am responsible for my feelings, attitudes, and behaviors. Others can’t make me feel frustrated or happy. I am responsible to choose how I will respond to circumstances. That means, you can choose to laugh off the entire day—maybe even write about it as a way to encourage others—or sit down and cry, focusing only on the negative events. Which will you choose?

©Heather Potts 2016

Security

Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God, turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,” ignore what the world worships ~ Psalm 40:4 MSG

People do the craziest things in their cars: shave, brush their teeth, even change clothes. Everyone does it, we climb inside a routine that makes us feel secure and invisible to others, when in reality, we are very exposed.

From July 2015 until last month, Brad was looking for work, the kind with set hours and set pay. Last October, Brad thought he’d found it. But that wasn’t God’s end-game and He closed the door. Though hurt and frustrated, Brad kept applying for the job we were certain we wanted: the safe kind, with set pay. After several more interviews and just as many closed doors, we were frustrated and confused. We begged God to lead us. In that time, He never failed to care for us, but it wasn’t how we thought it was supposed to look.

God did open one door. Two of Brad’s friends encouraged him to start his own business, which he did, and began doing small projects. At the beginning of this year, one of Brad’s friends submitted a bid for a project, an undertaking which was far beyond what he could manage on his own. He told Brad that if won the bid he would need to hire Brad to coordinate it for him. Was this really the direction God was sending us? Through a series of more closed doors with this being the only open door, God confirmed this was the direction He was leading us.

I recently told a friend that we never would have gone this route had the events of last year never occurred. It doesn’t offer any security; it doesn’t come with guaranteed work or guaranteed pay… But nothing is truly secure unless directed by and held in the hands of God. If you’re walking a path and the way seems unsure, submit yourself fully into God’s hands, for His is the only way that is truly secure.

©Heather Potts 2016

What It Needs

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. ~ James 1:5 NLT

When I started running, I quickly learned what my body needed. Some things were obvious, like stretching and hydrating, but not all things. I quickly learned that eating before running would make me sick. Maybe you’ve always been the athletic type and the things I learned through trial and error are obvious to you. Whether it’s in exercising or other areas, we won’t always have all the answers; we all need wisdom at some point.

1 Thessalonians 5 has some great wisdom:

Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part…Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs…Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out. Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens…Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil, (vv. 13-22, MSG).

How do we exercise the wisdom given? How can you be cheerful when your kids have poopy-painted their bedroom walls, toys, and bed? How do you thank God no matter what? This is where instruction and relationship meet. Just as watching how my body responded to my actions guided me through adjusting my habits, if we pay close attention to God’s leading, He will teach us how to follow His instructions. This isn’t a pass/fail test; it’s a relationship. His desire is for our success. If there’s something you need but can’t figure it out, ask God. He promises to give you the wisdom you need. So what do you need?

©Heather Potts 2016