“Dying to Live” and Keeping it pure in the process…..
*Opportunities
*Unmet expectations
*Challenges
*Handling misbehavior and disappointments
*Settling accounts within our own hearts in order to live free
Our natural inclination in this life will always be toward self- preservation, comfort, indulgence, selfishness, control, self reliance and survival. We are bent toward self -serving behavior that wraps itself around me, myself and I.
We want a “grip” on life….Some kind of “handle” on our situations and varied circumstances….Even plans we make have a way of evaporating into thin air. Control is illusive to me….relying on myself is equally draining and confusing.
I am thankful to have the One in whom I can rely and depend on…One who is perfectly in control with the perfect intentions for Good. It is most comforting to realize that his ways & thoughts are higher than mine. I have in most cases given up on trying to “understand”. I resolve to only understand that I will never be able to know the fullness of God and his plans. He is way too beyond.
Jesus came to earth to die so that we could live. Our living involves a sacrifice. Our sanctification is dependent on whether we are willing to make our own choices to daily “give ourselves” up into the safe and all knowing hands of our Father and a willingness to do it His way and not mine, theirs or ours.
Easy enough said….never quite that easy in the doing and in the daily grind of challenges with people who perhaps have another “way”, style or manner of doing things, saying things and acting on things. The challenge of life is how do we meet these continual opportunities of unmet expectations or poor treatment and how will we choose to “behave” back. Will we “react” or will we choose to respond in manner worthy of his calling of us.
It is very easy to react and let the “chips” fall where they may or to simply let others be responsible for our reaction….never quite owning our own “sin”.
When we take a moment to consider how it is we need to respond, it gives us the opportunity to settle our hearts to the place of peace. It is always easier and less costly to look outward rather than inward to our own hearts.If we have unrest, angst and confusion, we do well to rectify it in our hearts and in our minds before the Lord. Unfortunately I have been given to working it out more “openly” (or was that aggressively???) than that especially when it involves relationships that are close to me.
I react and then fix it up later. I am trying to learn my response as a free person who does not have to get entangled in other people’s stuff. I am called to live free unhindered and unencumbered. Challenges will still exist in life, but need I be pulled into things that simply weight my life. Need I be pulled in needlessly into someone else’s world of complications and stress? Could I possibly be able to find peace before my response and be unhindered in my emotions?
It is the questions I have had to ask myself as I deal in my own personal realities and relationships.
Life is often full of moments that try to “entangle” us. We create our own webs woven by our issues and we all inadvertently pull others into it or we in turn get pulled into the webs of others. My question always comes down to how do I keep myself unencumbered and unstained….pure of heart….free in response.
If the goal is freedom, we do well to examine all things from the heart of Freedom with His truth, His way and His love. We pursue peace in relationship(s)….always.
Will my response lend to peace or take from it?
Will I rise above my own reactions or give into them to satisfy “my way” or respond with the Higher Way (which is Christ in me my ONLY hope of glory & freedom)?
Today Arielle, Moselle and Mikaela went to the roasting room to help Michael with coffee business. Lukas had his first day of college which he and Mikaela signed up for a couple days after our return from Maui. We were elated that they got their classes and even some of their friends in those classes. Tomorrow Mik begins her full day. We all had a pretty exciting week full of activities, people and general catching up.
After the day of roasting with their Poppy, Arielle came home and informed me, “Mommy, I was hitting the mark perfectly in my weighing…like .755 –.750 (exact weight necessary) almost every time UNTIL Poppy came by…..”
“Then what?”, I asked.“Well….you know how it is when the BOSS comes around…You tend to mess up and not get it right when they’re watching?”
She had me thinking…..it’s like we try to too hard sometimes…nervousness, fear of failure….there is so much ease in faith and it causes us to be free.
In our freedom, we are able to relax in the secure place of being loved and accepted regardless. It is the trait that I appreciate about Arielle….the ease in which she does things without much stress or effort. I think she started to miss her mark when she felt like she had to “show” her Poppy how good she was at weighing. Just when we think we got it going on……our Boss shows up to put us back in our place….remain humble…dependent…..trusting….
Then Moselle told me, “I was literally INTO my job today and it was all over me too!” Michael had told me that Moselle had coffee grounds EVERYWHERE including on her and in her clothing. She really gets into it….wherever, whatever….she is there and loving it all. She can be a frustrating source to those that are just trying to “get it done”.
Thankfully most of us learn from her….in this area anyway.
It is for our freedom that Christ died….let us live free and unhindered with a pure heart of love, joy and freedom. Again I am reminded, “LIVE IN THE MOMENT” and enjoy it. Laura
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