Thursday, March 03, 2005

Wondering About Whining


Just a quick note today... Finally we are getting a break inbetween snow storms so I will brave the roads and drive to the supermarket. I've put that off as long as possible and yesterday we ran out of eggs and flour (the healthy kind) and milk and well, even a professional homemaker like me finds it hard to bake without those things.

So here is my thought: When God wants us to do something--as in fulfill our calling or put our gifts to use-- He provides the way and means with which to do that. And the necessary time. And money.

God is not a big, mean tease. He does not require something of us and yet make it impossible for us to do whatever it may be. He, instead, provides a way where there is no way. Opens doors other men may close (opens a few windows, too).

Why do I bring that up? I guess it's because I've heard a lot of people complain (dare I say whine?) lately that they never get to do what they really want to do nor have what they'd like to have. Something, they say, always stands in the way.

So I wonder...where could the problem lie?

Have we grown impatient? Are we wanting to run ahead of God and zoom past the necessary foundational training years of our calling? Are we wanting to skip the homework and go right to graduation?

Are we spending our time wisely? Are we saying no and yes when God wants us to say no and yes? Is choosing good over best gobbling up our time?

Are we standing in a whole wrong field? Did we look longingly at another person's calling and decide that's what we wanted, even though God never equipped us to do that?

Or scariest of all, did we lose our first love? Instead of going after more of Jesus to fulfill us are we, instead, going after affirmation from people to meet our needs? Or running after things and stuff? Have we forgotten that only Jesus can meet our deepest needs and that everything else will then, in turn, come from His hand which gives so freely (after He's certain these things won't steal our hearts)?

Just a few thoughts for today. These are for me, too-- my boundaries--boundaries which, when in their correct place--keep me from whining...

...and keep me so happy, that I often wonder why this kind of happiness hasn't yet been declared illegal.

***
"What God orders, He pays for." ... Joyce Meyer

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