TAKE BACK THOSE LEMONS!

Hey friends, how are you today? How was your weekend? How have you adjusted during this quarantine? Or have you made any changes, at all? The sun is out today, but it’s a mere 36° in the ‘shade’ (maybe a bit cooler there [in the shade, that is]).  But the clouds are minimal today, the skies are blue today. Today the leaves on the trees are signaling the signs of life, as spring forces it’s way through, in spite of the chill.  

The birds flitter from tree to tree in search of a good spot to lay their young, as their internal clock reminds them that now is the time.  Creation marches to the dictates of its Creator, in spite of its outward circumstances.  They trust that their Creator knows its springtime, even if it does not feel like it.  They believe that in spite of what they ‘see’, their Creator will see them through this time.  Therefore, creation follows and obeys their Master. It’s really not that hard for them, they’ve been there before, this is not their first rodeo.

It’s my birthday on Sunday; I know right? It’s also Mothers’ Day.  I’ve told you before, I love birthdays.  All birthdays, my husband’s (although he would prefer us doing nothing; not gonna happen) the girls’ (well they are their mamma’s kids). We always make a big deal for birthdays. I believe birthdays should always be celebrated.  Can you see now? My coffee as I wait in my bed. Usually I would go to Cheesecake Factory, but ‘quarantine’ won’t let me be great.  

That new pair of shoes and that special handbag, I bought, to celebrate (let’s not tell Benny, although uhhh…. Yes, he will read this. Hey honey, I bought a new bag and shoes…) mocks me.  When we began this ‘stay at home’ event back in MARCH, it was inconceivable to me that eight weeks later, we would still be there. From winter to spring, who knew? I most certainly did not.  But life’s curve balls very rarely give any warning, right? Depending on our outlook, these lemons can taste very bitter at times.  

Truthfully though, as another birthday, quickly approaches, I do like the rest of creation and praise my Father, in spite of the hardly idle circumstances.  My God has been and continues to be good to me. Nancy DeMoss and her husband Robert Wolgemuth wrote this book, ‘You can trust God to write your story’.  I absolutely love this book.

It tells the story of everyday people both from the Bible and in this time, who chose to trust the Lord during their ‘bitter’ moments.  They allowed the Lord to write their story because they trusted in His perfect love for them. Life is unpredictable but our God isn’t.  He is steady and faithful and trustworthy. The Lord has taught me so much about me, especially during the last year; let me share with you what He said…

He showed me, I’m not as good as I thought.  I know right? It was an absolute shocker to me too.  I have always been told, by most people (except my mom, I wonder what she knew?) that I’m a nice person. Well, in their defense, this is usually the image I want to present to the world.  I like people to like me, so I become what is acceptable in their eyes (usually… don’t push too far, which bring me to point #2)

I can be mean (yeah… at this point I was flabbergasted too).  Really Lord… they pushed first, I just pushed back harder, that’s all).  

Oh! And I usually justify and defend my wrongdoings.  At this point, I was done.  Did I get anything right? 

Well… I did do better with the amount of words spoken out loud (although that could be due to quarantine).  I did not always say what was in my head.  I tried to ensure that the words which came out of my mouth would encourage and edify.  Most times I was successful, although there is still room for improvement.  

I also became a bit more organized and less impulsive, but again there is always room for improvement (see paragraph two). 

I picked less battles to fight and I surrendered a tad bit more, not necessarily faster, but I demonstrated more trust in the Lord, but of course, say it with me (there is still quite a bit of space for improvement). 

I’ve gave more control to the Lord, which brought me more peace.  Although at times, I believed that lack of control leads me to forget that surrender does not mean idleness. 

Teach me to number my days, Lord, that I may gain a heart of wisdom Psalm 90:12

I also learned quite a bit more.   I learned to be more grateful and thankful and complain less.  My favorite verse this past year, allowed me to see and enjoy the beauty that surrounds my life.  

My God chose to remain faithful to me, throughout the past year, in spite of my unfaithfulness.  He chose to be kind and gracious, especially when I did not deserve it.  And He did not give up on me, even on the days when I gave up on me.  His steady presence kept me and I trust Him to continue to keep me.   

The Lord also told me quite a bit of Himself and His standard for me, but that’s for another time.  How are you doing? When is your birthday? Do you usually reflect on your birthday? How do you usually celebrate this milestone?

Let’s continue the conversation over on Instagram. Follow my Instagram and I will follow back, just let me know in the comment section. I would love to meet you 🙂