“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Ahh, the dreaded question every teenager and child hates to be asked. “Where is my place? Where am I supposed to be?” Those are the dreaded questions we ask ourselves. Some people, from the day they are born, know what they want to do. It becomes a consuming life passion. But not all of us are that lucky. The Bible tells us we all have a purpose.

“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” ~Exodus 9:16

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” ~Proverbs 19:21

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” ~Romans 8:28

Sometimes, finding our place in life can be difficult. We may have a desire to serve in our church or the desire for a certain job, but that may not be God’s desire. Finding our place is like trying on clothes. Let’s say, you have an important event you know you need to go to and you know you need to find that one special outfit. You have an idea in your head of what your budget is, what your style is, what you want this outfit to look like. You search through the sale ads in that morning’s paper and look online for more ideas… then; you get into your car to start the search. You stop at the first department store, walk in and are immediately amazed at the amount of choices surrounding you. You walk even further into the store and start looking at the racks of clothes until you find an outfit that catches your attention. It’s the right size, the right colors, the right style….then hesitatingly, you look at the price tag, not only is the price within your budget, it’s marked down 50% off!

Amazing! Everything fits the criteria you have placed in your mind about what you want. So then, it’s time to go try it on…you get to the dressing room and put the outfit on, not looking in the mirror yet. As you put on the outfit, you start feeling that something just isn’t right…the material doesn’t feel right on your skin, you realize that this amazing outfit feels tight in places where it shouldn’t feel tight and loose in places you really don’t want it to be. But, hey, it is the right color, style and price, so you think to yourself, well, maybe I can make it work…until you look in the mirror and realize that nope, this outfit isn’t for you.  Crushing! So, now you have to start the search all over again. Maybe, if you are lucky, you have brought in a few more options…but you still have to try them on. In the end, you walk out of the store, either with an outfit that works or you walk out empty handed and move on to the next store to start the process all over again.

For me, finding my place in life is just like that – especially when it comes to serving the church. I have this overwhelming desire to serve in the church, and I have tried on a few “different outfits” but so far, none of them fit, but I know that perfect outfit is waiting for me to slip right in to. There are times where we find the outfit that fits only to find out later that we have outgrown it. Sometimes, our place in a ministry may be only for a season so that we can learn and grow, other times, the door may be closed completely. We may have to go through 3 or 4 or even 5 different ministries or career options before we find the right fit. God provides us an opportunity to learn and grow with each experience. If where you are now is not a right fit, then don’t be afraid to take the outfit off and return it to the rack. Ask God to lead you to where He wants you to go, not where you think you should be. God’s plan for our lives is perfect, but sometimes, we just need to be patient and wait.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11

Taking a day off from life…..

Really, it’s not that bad…but sometimes, life can get really overwhelming. I’m a fighter and I am usually pretty good about not letting things get to me, but even I have my limits and I have to admit there are times where I just want to pretend I am ostrich  and hide my head in the sand. 

But, as I am gazing out into my hard, looking for the perfect place to dig a hole for my head, I am reminded of others that had a rough patch. 

I am lead to the book of Job. Talk about a man who had a bad day….This man lost his home, his lands, his animals, his wife, his family….and if that wasn’t enough, Job got sick to the point where he had sores all over his body. In the midst of this, his wife tells him
“⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job 2:9 (NIV) but Job replies to her “¹⁰ He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” Job 2:10 (NIV)

…Shall we accept good from God and not trouble! Wow, how that spoke to my heart. As you read on about my friend Job, you’ll find that things proceed to get even worse for him. His friends judged him, claiming he had brought all his troubles upon himself and he was in pain and definitely suffering. Although Job has strong faith, he took his frustrations, fears and anger to God. He laid them at His feat and cried out to him. He questioned everything that was happening in his life and he questioned God. 

How easy would it have been for Job to just bury his head in the sand? How easy would it have been for him to just give up. But, he didn’t. He stayed strong in his faith and woke up each day to face the day head on.

 ^“12 The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.” Job 42:10 (NIV)

Job received the Lord’s promise of blessing. Job trusted God and God rewarded him. I don’t expect the Lord to reward me with rich’s and gold and such. God has already blessed me with family and friends and health and many more things….But, I do know that from this story, no matter what happens, no matter how hard life gets, I have a God who loves me and believes in me! 

“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” Psalm 105:4 (NIV)
“He restores my soul” Psalm 23:3a (NIV)

I look to God for strength and help. He is always at work and always nearby. So, for today, the hole in the backyard will have to wait and my dreams of mimicking the ostrich and sticking my head in the sand will have to stand aside. Today, I will hold my head up high and face anything that life sends my way with confidence and peace that I can only get from God.

Life happens…and this is how I fight back.

 
Let me set the stage…It’s payday…We are a single income family. I’ve paid all the bills and realize that we only have $100 left now that the bills are paid and i still have to figure out how to get gas for the Bike and the Jeep, groceries, my husband’s meds and the last of Karmann's school supplies...I make my grocery list and only put the bare essentials on it…bread, milk, butter…forget the eggs, too expensive. “How am I going to make this stretch for 2 weeks? Leo’s next check is the rent check so we won’t have much left over after that one either…how am I going to make this stretch for an entire month?”

Then it happens, I feel the wave of emotion come over me. Panic has struck. I keep reminding myself how lucky we are. My best friend just lost her mom and my other dear friend will be alone after her husband deploys in 2 days. There are riots in England and women are being victimized in Ethiopia and India and here I am having a panic attack over making $100 last 4 weeks! But it doesn’t help, the emotion is there, I’m going to lose my mind!!!

I repeat 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God did not give you the spirit of fear, but of POWER, LOVE and a SOUND MIND!” Did you hear that satan, I have the power of a Sound Mind so you can’t take that from me.

I then am reminded that “I can do all things through Christ that Strengthens me” ~Philippians 4:13

However, even as I keep telling myself over and over that God is on my side. He won’t leave me, He won’t forsake me…and all of this is in His hands, my emotions still seem to be more powerful than the thoughts and words.

Then, I do something that I know the enemy didn’t count on. I reached out to my prayer warriors for prayer. I swallowed my pride and gave them the details so that they could prey over the specifics. I admitted to them that yes, I was feeling full of the “Woe is Me’s” but that I knew God was bigger than this situation.

I allow myself to cry and as the tears are flowing, I turn my emotions over to the Lord. I cry out “Lord, I praise your name…Lord you are so good to me…Lord you are my rock and you are my Savior…Lord, take these emotions from me and lift this cloud from my eyes”. Once the teas dried up, I began to fight back.

I said “Lord, your word says in Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know the plans for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not bring you harm.’ Lord, this is your promise to me. Thank you Lord, for this promise and for not giving up on me. Lord, thank you for whatever happens from here. Lord, Thank you for the $100 that I do have left. Lord, thank you for giving me exactly what I need and for knowing that I can go another month with my bills being paid on time.”

Then, He reminds me of Psalm 29:
“1 Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings,
   ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
   worship the LORD in the splendor of his[a] holiness.
 3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
   the God of glory thunders,
   the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;
   the voice of the LORD is majestic.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
   the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
   Sirion[b] like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD strikes
   with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
   the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks[c]
   and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
 10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
   the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
11 The LORD gives strength to his people;    the LORD blesses his people with peace. “ ~Psalm 29 (NIV)

And, as I am reading this Psalm, my daughter walks in, carrying her Sholastic Book Fair fundraiser from school…”Guess what Mom, we have until next Friday to order ok??” I had to laugh…Good try Satan, but it didn’t work…God hears my cries, He hears my prayers. Prayer is God’s language between Him and I. God’s voice breaks through everything. His voice gest us through the problems of life…it’s just up to me to listen.

Lord, I praise your name and I Glorify it. I am full of joy and thanksgiving! Thank you for showing up in my life! ~Amen