Where have the years gone? Time certainly has a way of flying by ... doesn't it? You blink and your fifty. My husband just celebrated his fifty-second birthday! It's hard for me to believe he's fifty-two? I remember when he was twenty-five years old and I was a YOUNG and SLIM twenty-one year old! LOL ... Now, twenty-four and a half years later, our girls are grown, Stef is married and we are enjoying our very first grandson! Wow! It seems like yesterday I was just getting engaged to him?
Over the years, I have learned, gained and gleaned so much wisdom. Now ... I finally have come to the conclusion that; "I don't know anything", "I can't do everything", and "I am hardly ever right". The last one was the biggest surprise for me! In all actuality ... I'm wrong, way more than I'm right and that's the whole truth too! :) It absolutely shatters that made up reality that I chose to live in for so many years. I feel as though my bubble has popped and I am sucking air!
How many times have we thought our way was the right way, our ideas were the best ideas, our advice was the best advice and our plans were the only ones that made sense? We sure do have a lot to learn ... huh? I lost track of all the times I've had to circle the mountain. It makes perfect sense to me now as to why it took the Israelites forty years to take a week long journey! I get that now! I really do. Revelation!
I'm learning that pride is a real stinker. I'll say this, it can pop up in our lives when we least expect it! Here we are going along in our lives, minding our own business and boom ... suddenly offense rises up, from something someone said or did to us that hurt our feelings and wounded us, boom ... suddenly jealousy rises up because someone is getting more attention than we are, boom ... suddenly bitterness gets lodged in our hearts from unforgiveness that began taking root for an offense.
Boy, we are complicated and peculiar people aren't we? It's ironic how we ourselves can become entangled by the very things that irritate us about someone else. What I have found to be true more times than not, is that what we despise in others, we haven't dealt with ... within ourselves. Ouch! That hurts! See, many of us can't grasp that ... because we haven't come to the point of absolute honesty with God and ourselves, about the feelings inside of us.
Feelings? Those fickle feelings. Can't live with 'em and can't live without 'em ... huh? They can be our worst enemy if not kept in check by our spirit. If it were up to the flesh, our feelings would dictate every choice, every mindset, and every negative disposition we can possibly hold to. Flesh coupled with feelings, equals serious trouble! Most all deep seeded emotional problems are only magnified by our flesh.
God gave us feelings and emotions, but they were never intended to run our lives. But so many times, they do. They are given so much power over what we say, think and do. Before we know it, we're conjuring horrible thoughts that turn in to words, that form on our tongue and proceed from our mouths. Wow! If we could only stop them before they're released.
Words directed by the flesh, can create wars, conflict, wounds, arguments, deception, manipulation and isolation ... just to name a few. But when guided by the spirit, they can also produce good things, such as reconciliation, encouragement, healing, forgiveness and unity. So if we look at both lists .. which one looks better? The first one or the second one? I would venture to say the second list.
Time is of the essence-words must be chosen with wisdom- and ways must be weighed by the spirit.
Until next time,
Tracy :)
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