Yesterday was a very busy day for me in regards to this new
adventure I am on. There were files to put together and get organized, research
to sort through, forms to fill out and paperwork up to my eyeballs to get
right, signed and ready to take to the courthouse so that we could move
forward. In the midst of all of this my mind and my heart were racing a hundred
miles an hour. My mind jumped from one project to another, a thought about
procedures and policies jumped to one of marketing and advertising. I was running on
my treadmill, listening to the Word of God playing over and over in my ear, but
my mind was not focused on Him, it was focused on everything else. I tried to concentrate.
I even tried to squeak out a prayer. But
the faster I ran, the faster my mind raced and the less focused on Him I
became. Eventually my day got away from me and I fell into my bed exhausted,
barely a thought of my God the whole day.
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This morning
I woke to my mind asking me a million questions, and thoughts were racing at
lightning speed in the middle of them. If I ran on my treadmill as fast as my
thoughts were running I would lose my 30 extra pounds in less than a day! But
there they were, racing and running back and forth over and over again. I got
my coffee and sat down before my computer. Today was pay day and bills and
budgets needed to get done, needed to get paid and needed to get out of the way.
One of the reasons why the thoughts of paying bills and balancing the budget
were on my mind was because a few months ago we did our taxes and of course we
owed the government money. We did not have this money saved up, and since we don’t
have a money tree growing in our backyard, we began to pray about God’s help
and provision. My husband told me how much we owed, and we set in motion a plan
to put enough money aside so that come April 15th, Mr. IRS would be satisfied. Today was the first day that plan was to take effect. I am a firm believer that we have not because we ask not, and that God alone is the giver of our daily bread- physically and spiritually. Sometimes His answers are no, but once again, I have not because I ask not, so I always ask. Let’s face it; anything we have whether earthly or heavenly is all due to His goodness and His grace. We didn’t do anything to deserve a single ounce of His goodness, yet He gives it to us in abundance. I know where my food comes from, and it does not come from my local grocer, it comes from my Father God. (Amen?!)
Little
by little the Lord has been faithful to His promise to us from two years ago,
when we decided to tithe and be faithful in the little things. Little by little
the Lord made a way for us, and little by little we began to swim instead of
just tread water. After twenty some years of treading water, believe me when I
tell you, it feels so good to be able to swim! However, we still were in need
of His provision and wisdom for the tax man.
Usually
this time of year my husband will get a bonus from his company, but a few
months ago he told me that it wasn't going to happen. This bonus has gotten us
through many a tax seasons, but this year it just wasn't going to happen, or so
we thought. Much to my humbled surprise, sitting in our bank
account next to the normal pay check was the bonus they said we would not get. Not
only was the bonus there, but it was what we needed to pay the taxes
off. God is good. So good that this humbled servant cried, I cried tears of
joy, praise and thanksgiving. I cried tears of unworthiness, because I knew
that nothing I have done or will ever do can earn the great and mighty care my
Father God has for me. I was overwhelmed. But then, like a knife in
my heart, it hit me that I had been so focused on the to do’s for this new
adventure that I forgot to make time for the One who created the adventure in
the first place. I had put my God to the side yesterday, and He reminded me
this morning that He has never left mine.
For
those of you who are starting a new adventure, or who have been trekking along
with me these past few blogs, let me encourage you to not let your time with
the Lord slip by the wayside. I think it is easy for us who are committed to
making this new adventure a success to lose focus on the One who created the
adventure for us. We become so focused on the to do’s, the when’s, the
deadlines and the goals that we have set to the side the One who goes before us;
the One who has set our feet upon this destination.
In all
the busyness of trying to build up this business, I lost focus yesterday. I
lost focus on my God and His love for me. But He reminded me this morning, that
no matter how many times I fail Him, no matter how far I fall He is always
there, leading me, guiding me, and providing for every need. I may have put Him
to the side, but He has never left mine. It is important for us to remember
that to be successful in any endeavor means that we are successful in Him
first. We must make time for Him, we must recognize His hands in and over
everything we do. He alone is our success. If we fail, He still guides. If we
fall, He still picks us up. If we stumble, He dusts us off and puts our feet
upon His path one more time. We are only successful because we are in Him.
In our
passionate pursuit to reach the end of this new adventure, we must not forget
the One who created it for us, who purposed us for it. We must not lose sight
of His cloud by day and His pillar by night. “Only take care, and keep your
soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest
they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your
children, and your children’s children-“(Deuteronomy 4:9 ESV). Don’t forget what God has done in and through
you up to this point. The steps you are taking are His steps, your just putting
your feet where His have already been.
| Photo Taken from: kingfishersoutreach.org |
One
thing that can help us not to forget is to write this journey down. Journal it, blog it, start a diary, or just
make notes of what God is doing in your daily life, that way when you begin to
lose your focus or you forget where your success lies, you can go back and read
His work of love in you and through you. Not only for your benefit, but for the
benefit of all those who might ask what is the reason for the joy and the hope that
is in you. (1 Peter 3:15) Let this new adventure, not just be your adventure,
but share it with others. Let His glory be the glory that is seen through every
step you take. You are on this journey because He put your feet on the starting
line and He paved the track in front of you. He is the lights at night, and the
provision for the day. He is the only reason why you are here in the first
place. Don’t forget Him in the midst of all the craziness, the work, and the to-do
of your day.
“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed
to the things that we have heard, lest we drift away.” (Hebrews 2:1 NKJV) Take
heed to your daily walk, because the to-do’s, the paper work, the serving and
down and dirty parts of this adventure can overwhelm you and draw you away. If
we don’t take the time to be with Him, we will be like a boat that has lost its
anchor and can find ourselves drifting away. He has set you on this path for
His glory and His purpose. Don’t get so focused on the steps that you forget
the One who created them. Look up, keep your eyes on Jesus and let this be the next
greatest adventure of your life. In Jesus name, amen and amen.
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