THE PATH (Part 1)

Psalm 32:8 The Lord says "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you."

Has you life ever been on a path illustrated by this picture? Have you willingly set out on a path and things were going great but up ahead you see the path is about to make a turn around the bend! Try as you might you can't see what lies around that corner without actually turning that corner! As I see it you could do 1 of 3 things. 1. You can stall out and take a seat right here on the path and think about how far you have come and contemplate the next move. 2. You can retreat and completely give up all the progress you made because fear is keeping you back. 3. You can faithfully take one step at a time with God and boldly make the corner.

A lot of times in my life I have done #1 which is Complacency. I want to over-analyze the situation and even think that I'll just wait it out and surely someone else will be coming up that path anytime now and I'll just see what happens to them. Ironically, no one has ever shown up on that path because it is only mine to walk (with God)! I like to look back at these times and prove to myself how far I have come and give myself a pat on the back but really I haven't finished the race and all I'm doing is slowing down my progress to a complete halt.

I have also spent equal time with #2. Retreating. I have no problem following God's path for my life until it looks uncertain, requires more faith than I really have, or just downright looks like its going to be difficult! So I have no problems trying to back step and go back to where little was required of me. Then I get to a point where I have really fallen all the way back to where I started from and then again begin the same journey. Each time getting to that place where I am uncertain of making that blind corner!

Unfortunately, I have spent less time in #3. Faithfulness. Where I trust God and know that this is the path he is directing me and taking each step with Him. Proverbs 20:24 The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? Although less time is spent here, I do know enough to say that stepping out in faithfulness does hurt at some point. If it didn't then we wouldn't need God right? But I also have been faithful enough to know that walking through difficulties with God brings you to an incredible place that you would have never gotten too if you were just relying on yourself, or where too complacent or scared to just be faithful and know that God is directing your paths. Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. So if you know you are on God's path and you are insecure about going forward. Take courage! Mark 6:50 Jesus said "Don't be afraid. Take courage! I am here!"

PS. . .I took this pic on a walk recently and it was if Christ was speaking all of this to me when I looked at the picture for the first time! Maybe it will speak to some of you!

Patience Marker

Patience is one of those things I really don't have a good grasp on. My impatience often leads me down a down hill road headed straight for Temper Tantrum Tunnel and that's a place where I have complete tunnel vision focused on what is agitating me and on nothing else. It is there that my anger gets the best of me. I've been working hard on not taking that road and it seems in my normal day to day life I still take the wrong road more than I should. I often feel more defeated the more I try!

But lately there have been some circumstances out of my normal day to day activities. Circumstances and situations that normally would get the best of me. But they didn't! I was able to stay composed, patient, and calm! It completely surprised me! In my prayer time God showed me that it was the very things that were so difficult for me to handle where I felt I was losing the battle where my patience actually grew! It was in the times that I tried, and tried, and tried to not lose my temper where all I was doing was prolonging the inevitable tantrum, that my patience made the most strides! It was not in my two recent victories where I gained patience! It was in those moments when I strained to tame my tongue, when my blood pressure was rising, when I refrained from having to be right, when I tried so hard to not give in but in the end lost. . . that's where patience was gained. Moving that patience marker back a little further each time has let me gain some easier victories (Thanks be to God) but ones I never won in the past!

There were times when I felt my impatience and anger for a particular person was justified because I was right and she clearly was in the wrong. Circumstances with her that very few people could be calm through but I pressed on when others walked away. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 says "Be patient with everyone". It doesn't say "be patient with everyone except those that really get under your skin". I knew what God was asking me to do but I did not know at the time that it would have such a profound impact on how I handle so many other issues in my life.

Moving the patience marker back is tough! Gaining patience is like moving a huge boulder up a hill. It's hard to do and can't be done alone. If you try on your own, you will give up because it can't be done. But with The One's(God)help, the push is still extremely difficult, you want to quit but God won't let you, you feel defeated but you aren't, and through all that is so hard for you to do, you gain ground ever so slowly.

Today after much pushing, my patience marker is set back just ever so slightly. Looking at where that marker needs to be and where it is doesn't look all that encouraging! But just having moved that marker a foot back from where it was and seeing some changes made in this area is very encouraging!

If you struggle with your patience and you really want to change this just be prepared for many opportunties that will try your patience and will challenge you to push your patience marker back. And don't forget, you can't do it without God! It's a tough fight but one that you can gain ground on! And don't forget when you do win battles give God the victories!