Just Keep Swimming

Hello ladies & gents,  I know I'm a day late with this post... And I have a few writings on my mind so who knows where this will end up. I was only home for 2 hours all day yesterday and when that is getting ready/eating time there is just no possibility of writing :( Excuse shared, let's get on with a Friday Fun Day post!

It's so awesome how things can happen... Not that my days have been sunshine and rainbows lately, because they haven't literally or figuratively but still, somehow through the clouds peak glimmers of hope. I guess I'm not going to give you many fabulous metaphors for you to glean from today or anything like that, but let me just encourage you to accept this feeble post as a word for your life, a message of hope and promise.  I know I've been on this promise kick lately, I suppose because I am in the waiting right along with you and I am trying to encourage myself just as much as I'd like to help you.  

I had a friend come up to me Sunday night after watching me sing and just let me know she was thinking about me... Now, first let me say that although last week wasn't what I would call a "great week" it wasn't all together bad and I thought I was doing pretty good all things considered... At least until after just a few words from a caring heart had me reduced to a teary mess.  I kept insisting, I had been fine up until that moment and that I didn't even realize I was stressed or effected by the goings on around me... But maybe I just didn't allow myself to process anything?  Either way, clearly circumstance can effect your mind, your hopes, your beliefs... Sometimes I suppose it would be good, if everything is going right I'm sure it's a good thing to gain confidence, but we must recognize when things aren't good so that we can fight off the negative effects on our thoughts and prayers. Let the good in and out, keep that flow going but do whatever we have to and get the "negative pipe" clogged up! I remind myself frequently of things I hear said to diminish negative impact, words like "just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming" - Finding Nemo (yes, I'm that deep! ha!) "If people are talking behind your back, it' only means you are ahead of them" or " I may walk slowly but I never walk backward" - Abraham Lincoln, or even "he who trims himself away to suit every one will soon whittle himself away." Still, it can be difficult to stay true to who we are and to keep walking toward a promised land we have never seen only trusted in. And I'm not speaking about heaven although I hope we are walking toward that destination too, I'm talking about those future places of progress and destiny where we fulfill our life callings. Those places we have no GPS for or map to, not even a gas station along the way to stop at and ask directions... How do we get there? How do we stay on course? How do we know which way to go?

Maybe we can't know the way, maybe we will never get to where we thought we would... Maybe we won't always know what direction to go even after praying for direction.  But maybe that's a good thing.  In my devotional this morning there was a section that read "I designed time to be a protection for you. You couldn't bear to see all your life at once.  Though I am unlimited by time, it is in the present moment that I meet you.  Refresh yourself in my company, breathing deep draughts of My Presence.  The highest level of trust is to enjoy Me moment by moment.  I am with you, watching over you wherever you go." - God (via Jesus Calling App.)   So maybe the point is to be less like Joseph who knew where he would end up and more like Abraham walking toward a goal we've not seen but been promised we would know when we got there. Maybe as long as we direct our attention to God and do our best to stay close to him when we have lack of direction we will just end up where we are supposed to be... And maybe, He's been giving direction all along. Maybe direction comes in the form of friends stopping you to give you a shoulder to cry on, to encourage you to keep going, to let you know you're not alone...  Maybe it's not really your friend speaking at all but a loving God speaking through that friend.

I received another piece of welcomed encouragement from my cousin as well... I haven't even written to thank her yet but I've turned to that note almost every day since it came in the mail.  It wasn't even a long note, just on a homemade card... But the words were as impacting as a novel of pages.  I read the story of Hansel and Gretel when I was young and now that I'm grown I've realized that sometimes along life's path all it takes is a breadcrumb to remind you of your way... 

I suppose I'm only writing you today to leave a breadcrumb in your path... To encourage you that wherever you are right now in life, just keep walking toward your goals and promises.  Walk slowly if you must but refuse to go back. Fight the strong arm of negative people and thoughts that may press in and take time to recognize all of the little clues of direction and encouragement along the journey. Never whittle away at yourself to make other's more comfortable or worry about what everyone is saying, just trust and follow God.

And one last word... Not from me...

Planned Promise

Hi bunnies, sorry I didn't post last week, the intention was there until Wednesday when three Mounties were gunned down in Moncton, New Brunswick, a City less than two hours away from me... And because I have five friends who are Mounties one of which is from the detachment of the officers killed I took time for updates on that all day. Luckily for me but no less tragic for anyone else, my one friend who was supposed to be on duty in that area at that time hurt his back and went home before the shootings. In case you hadn't heard the story here's a link to the happenings.

I've been thinking a lot on some life promises lately... Some things I've been promised will happen that haven't yet come to pass. Now' you see, if I had control I would have already had those promises in my life... Probably more than once because I would have had them too early and ruined them.  It's so hard to just trust, keep believing and hoping. I mean even when you know the one who has promised you something is good for it, if it doesn't happen when you think or hoe you think it should then it's difficult to wait in faith. Sometimes it seems easier to let the dream go rather than be disappointed every time you see a glimmer of possibility that turns out not to be that ship sailing in.

Now, before you climb up onto that high horse called "make it happen!" Let me just say that if these promises within my capability to push along it would be happening... Wait, I already told you that, so listen! Don't go saying "well, you just need to be more positive and then it will happen!" and if I hear "it'll happen when you're not even looking for it" one more time, I'm hitting someone! Ha! Okay, before is get physical I need to explain I'm not down in the dumps or anything like that but it natural to have ebb and flow in your mind, circumstance pounding against the tower of belief you try building can sometimes topple it or at the least erode away some of the strength. So, if you're not with me now, just wait, you will be at some point in life. And don't go saying "patience, my child, patience..." Because one of the promises I'm talking about was spoken to me when I was nine years old, if that's not patience and belief than I don't know either trait.

So now that I've gone through most of what not to say or think about promises and why they haven't happened yet let me tell you the one thing that has actually given me some solist and hope as of late... There is a difference between a promise and a plan.... I can promise you we will go fishing without speaking of the plan I've laid out for our voyage.  Or I can tell you a plan and never promise to do it. I know, deep, right? Well, maybe not astounding to many but I think it's a point we frequently become confused about. When God makes a promise we sometimes assume the plan and because of that, we shrink into discouragement and fear. The thing about God is, he rarely shares his plan other than a general overview or destination, sort of like if I invited you to a huge party at my house but didn't give you the address or directions to get here. There are many promises given but as for the plan to carry  out those promises He says "I know the plans I have..."  And unfortunately for those of us who like to be independent and self sustaining, He doesn't always share that plan, in fact He most never will. maybe it's because He "won't share His glory with any other" or so that we will fully depend on Him, the reason doesn't really matter it's understanding of the difference we need to bring to mind. Lack of knowledge of the plan does not negate or even diminish the promise in any way, it just means if He's the one making the promise He needs no help to bring it to fruition. He's not a parent saying I promise you you can have chicken dinner and when you get home then saying "okay, go cook it!" He's going to promise and make it happen, it's not up to us to know a plan, come up with a plan or help with the plan, it's only up to us to believe the promise, do our best at living a good life and making room for God to direct.

So here's my confession, I to have slipped back into the shadows of fear, distrust, discouragement, disbelief and even anger at times when it comes to the area of promise. I've misunderstood and confused promise with plan... I've allowed myself to let go of promises and dreams because I couldn't see the plan not realizing that it's the job of the one making the promise to fulfill it. I have no power to bring my promises to pass nor yours, I can't help you or myself but you don't need me and furthermore you shouldn't even want my help,  because I didn't make the promise in the first place, I never did know anything about the plan but the one who ,ade the promise has the power to complete it from the veery moment He spoke it... And the best part, He can speak worlds into existence with one sentence so your promise is only not complete because the plan isn't finished. I know it can be difficult to believe any of the bad that happens in our lives could be part of the plan, I don't get it either when it comes to some of that but think of Joseph's promise... He was given a promise as a young child, he was betrayed by his family first, boss second, friends third. Joseph was jailed for years and no one believed in his dreams but when the plan was finished the dream came true and was greater than he could have ever imagined. So let's stop confusing promises with plans and realize that the plan isn't always for us to know but we must believe in the promise makers ability and intention to make it happen.