See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Matthew 6:28-29
Women can be so prone to worry and fuss and be uptight, as least this woman can be. I wish at a much earlier age I had just learned to chill more, to dance more (thus Dancing with My Father), to stop and smell the flowers. Each of us has been given a different puzzle--different circumstances, differing gifts, personalities, children, husband or lack there of, family. I wish I had not been such a people pleaser, trying to live up to the expectations of others--my family, my critics, my peers. My family puzzle just did not fit into the pattern of other's expectations and so trying to live up to these impossible standards was impossible. I wish I had accepted that at the very first instead of fretting about things I could not change.
Some of the cards we have been dealt are pleasing and some just drive us crazy. But I have often said to my children, "You might as well decide to like God's will because it is not going to change and you have to find peace within it."
But the reason I think we often struggle with His will is because we find ourselves and our circumstances unacceptable or embarrassing or less than perfect. I remember praying about a certain child and some issues in our family one day and I came across, "Fret not, it leads only to evil doing."
So that is what I was doing--fretting. Fretting is a waste of time and it does not bring grace, peace or love into a circumstance.
One really doesn't find peace until she relinquishes a tight grasp on her rights, her disappointed expectations of life and people, and learns to rest in the place where she finds herself.
God loves us and cherishes us as we are, warts and all. He died because we could not get it all together. He sees our flaws and still loves us. We must learn to love ourselves and find joy, thankfulness, acceptance with the place we are today. I love David Wilkerson and have been greatly encouraged by him over the years. He was in an automobile accident recently and died but is now in the presence of His precious Lord. He wrote these words,
God's ultimate goal for all his children is abundant life. He never intended
that we go through life focused on our sins and failures. The good news is that
we serve a God of absolute love—a God of mercies who desires to bring his
beloved ones into a place high above all turmoil. But we cannot take our place,
seated with Christ in the heavenlies, until we are fully identified with his
death and resurrection. David Wilkerson
To have peace and rest with our puzzle, we must die to ourselves, our failures, our expectations and hold our hands as a toddler holds their little arms up to his Father and say, "I need you. I need your love, grace, joy, peace today. Without you, I am not able to experience rest in my heart. Help me to see your presence in this place in time, these circumstances, within my own limitations. Open my eyes to beauty, to your fingerprints personally around me today. "
As his own beloved child, He will welcome us into His arms and caress us with His love and soothe our restlessness and disease. He will whisper gently the secrets of a happy life, living it with Him holding our hand and giving us His perspective on our very own puzzle.
The peace and grace and favor of the Lord be with you this day.
Kirschenessen
