This chapter has not left me since I read it. It truly AMAZES me at what strikes a cord with me...& what strikes a cord with others. Sure SHOWS me unIQue we are.
From the second paragraph in today's reading: "To make the best use of your life, you must never forget two truths: First, compared with eternity, life is extremely brief. Second, earth is only a temporary residence. You won't be here long, so don't get too attached."
I said in yesterday's blog how all of the choices and actions I make tend to have MORE purpose than what they did before. I think it is because THIS chapter has helped me tie up SOME loose ends. I had a moment where I realized that I wouldn't have forever to be a Mom, or a wife, or WASTE my time with worry.
MAN!! I used to be chalked FULL of worry. I worried about moving myself up the ladder. I worried about impressing new clients. I worried about if other people in the company were going to do their job. I worried about how others were treated in comparison to myself. I worried about impressing my bosses, my co-workers, my family. I worried about how much weight I gained. I worried about the decisions I made. Man I worried!! I'm not sayin' it NEVER creeps in anymore. It does....BUT it makes me stop to look around b/c the Holy Spirit is tryin' to tell me something.
I have been free from the corporate shackles for 6 months now. I had to work through the mindset of having to answer to someone else and having to look busy & over the past few months that anxious/edgy feeling has left me for the most part. I still get anxious sometimes before an auction or birthday party or whatever, but it's a different kind of anxious...a good kind. I'm not clouded by thoughts and opinions and frustrations that really DON'T matter in the grand scheme of things. NOW, when I get that icky anxious feeling I believe it is the Holy Spirit talking to me. He's causing me to PAY ATTENTION.
Like we learned yesterday: God has entrusted us with gifts, talents, and blessings. Family, friends, business relationships, our house, our car, our talents (which could be anything like: crunching numbers, caring for livestock, building relationships, caring for the sick, teaching young people, or protecting our country) are GIVEN to us....NOT to use for ONLY ourselves, but to bring glory to God. He gave MY BLESSINGS TO ME. Therefore, when I feel like they are being endangered...it is MY RESPONSIBILITY to PROTECT them. They are entrusted to me for a purpose I don't yet know, but they are mine & I have FAITH that God won't give me anything I can't handle & doing the best job I can with the blessings HE gives me...will get me closer to meeting my friend & brother Jesus.
So....Here are the specifics for today:
Day 6: "Life is a temporary assignment."
"Point to Ponder: This world is not my home."
Daily Bible Verse: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
Daily Question: "How should the fact that life on earth is just a temporary assignment change the way I am living right now?"
From my journal the first day of reading: I should be sure that all I am doing is bringing glory to God...in ALL situations: How I care for myself & my family, How I use the gifts God has given me, how I handle ALL situations: Good & Bad, Easy & Difficult, how I praise Him.
This will relieve the stress and busyness of my life and make my assignment more clear.
Well....let me just tell you. It has done just that. It hasn't fixed all my problems. We are supposed to have problems. Our problems prepare us for future problems. My focus has been sharpened. I've still got some sharpening to do, but you better believe there's been PROGRESS.
This is a cliff note of this chapter. You can apply it a totally different way at each reading. I really URGE you to get this book & really read this chapter, so you can begin to wrap your head around it.
BUCK UP BABY & RIDE WITH JESUS!!! Join in on the discussion!!
God Bless!!
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