the toenail An Important Part Of The Whole

All things….all…every single one of them.

Our Heavenly Father didn’t promise us that most things will work together for good, or that some things will and some things won’t.  We are told in Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”  ALL.  Period.

This past week during a study group at church, the challenge was issued for each of us to really take a look at our journey so far and consider how Romans 8:28 has been realized in our personal lives.  Wow!  The thing is, from the point I’m at right now, looking back for one specific reference is overwhelming and my naturally A.D.D. self quickly wants to think about something else more defined, like the number of chains in a dishcloth I’m crocheting, or the order of events in my schedule for tomorrow’s business day.  Something finite.  Something I can count.  Something I can begin, and end.  I like tasks with that kind of closure and completion.  But looking at my yesterdays and picking out how events have worked together for good…..that IS a challenge.  I’m still a road under construction.  There are events that have intersected with others, there are accidents, potholes and uneven pavement.   There are even some dead ends, which are really not dead ends at all, because they turn me around and send me in another direction.  Okay, taking off the construction hat now and kicking those orange traffic barrels out of the way so I won’t lose you in this rant…

Had I been asked this a couple of years ago, it may have been easier for me to dismiss this challenge.  Now, though, as I’m growing in Christ and my understanding of His word more voraciously than ever, I can’t formulate a concise, tidy response.  I think this is because I’m beginning to understand Romans 8:28 better than ever.  I’m getting more “hindsight-understanding”.  As my faith is becoming more steadfast on a daily basis, as is my acceptance of the things for which I was not created to understand.  I know that all things work together for good, because I have seen witness of this in my journey so far, through the combination of many events and outcomes.  And I know that the trials I face today will be looked upon at some future date in acknowledgment that they, too, were with purpose and part of God’s plan for me.

God’s word is true, “It’s All True”, as sung to us by Jeff Slaughter.  All.  Not most.  Not some.  All.  Having God’s promise, His word, will never fail us.  As life churns forward, with all it’s beautiful countrysides and bumpy dirt roads, I know that at the end of it all, God’s promise waits for me.  Romans 8:28 just reassures me that the journey between the beginning and the end of this human life I’m living is only temporary, and will work together for good.  Now THAT is something to get excited about!   All things.

There once was this guy  who disliked a certain football team SO MUCH that he even picked out the orange candies from his favorite Skittles snack and threw them away.  It was a ritual for him.  If it was orange, it had to go.  His disdain for the team was always made apparent to any bystander who had to witness his disgust and disposal of a candy that, in his eyes, represented something bad.  He put a lot of effort into letting it be known that he didn’t want anything to do with anything orange.

I wonder, did he put on such a show over the disposal of “all things orange” when no one else was around to see him?

Hmmm.

Just like that, I thought about our spiritual walk with Christ – our attempts at “doing away with the bad” and living more and more like Christ every day.  Do we do away with the “bad” in an elaborate, attention-seeking public display, only to hold onto this same “bad” in private?  Or, are we consistent in our walk, whether it be before others or when we’re alone?

I don’t want to “do away with” my sinful ways, because it looks good to the person walking past me.
I don’t want to “do away with” my sinful ways, because it looks good to my Sunday School class.
I don’t want to “do away with” my sinful ways, because it looks good to my son’s friend’s family.
I don’t want to “do away with” my sinful ways, because it looks good to my husband.
I don’t want to “do away with” my sinful ways, because it looks good to my Aunt Eloise.

I want to “do away with” my sinful ways, because I want to be more like Christ…because the Holy Spirit lives in me and is pleased when I do this…..because of my love for God.

My Father knows my heart, whether I throw away the orange candies or not, and that is all that matters.

I’m posting for the sake of emptying my head this morning.

T-I-R-E-D is a word that was given to me this morning.  It has been present in my all week’s study time, so after being hit on the head with it long enough, I figured I need to dig in and see what the Lord is revealing to me.

As I prepared for work this morning, I was saying a prayer of thanksgiving over the disciples.  Were they ever tired?  You betcha!  Our Sunday school lesson brought this to the forefront for me.  I imagine if I was standing in the presence of Jesus, being taught by his messages, being asked to come along on his path……I imagine that I see first hand the miracles he performed……I imagine the power that the disciples were given to cast out demons and heal the sick……..I imagine……what if I was one of them?

HELLO!  I am!  I AM ONE OF THEM!   I DO stand in the presence of Jesus.  I AM being taught by his messages.  I AM being asked to come along on his path.  I DO see first hand the miracles he performs.  I DO have the power to make an impact on those who are lost, those who are sick.

Don’t you know those disciples were tired?   But what a different tired that must have been from the tired some of them knew from the fishing boats.

“Lord, I can get completely exhausted from working in the yard, from working at my job, from worry and anxiety…….I tire from many, many things.  I wake today wanting to tire FOR YOU, exhaust me!  Let me be a witness and a worker for you, Jesus.  I want my satisfying slumber to come from the reprieve of your promises, after being a tireless witness for you.  Amen.”