The Challenge in Stopping to Smell the Roses

"This is the Stuff"
By Francesca Battistelli

I lost my keys
In the great unknown
And call me please
'Cause I can't find my phone

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use

45 in a 35
Sirens and fines
While I'm running behind
Whoa

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use

So break me of impatience
Conquer my frustrations
I've got a new appreciation
It's not the end of the world
Oh, oh, oh

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff...someone save me
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
And I've gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
This is the stuff You use

This song has become my "Hymn All About Me"! I find myself in this mindset quite often. Oh how blessed I am! Blessed beyond description. I have so much for which to be thankful. And, yet, I still catch myself getting caught up in those little things that don't mean much in life. Why? Oh if I only knew the answer to that question!!!

If I could just stop and not get so stressed about it all, I might be able to see the bigger picture. Those things that bother me may be very intentional. God may be using situations for His will. Have you ever stopped to think about that concept? When you're stuck in that line with the slow cashier or you get stuck at a traffic light or, worse, you get behind a traffic accident, do you think about what God's purpose for you at that moment may be?

What if I tried to be the forever optimist? If I could find the good in all those detestable situations, I may be able to see God's purpose for me at that very moment in my life. Have you ever been running late, fussing as You fly out the door. But as you travel on your normal route, you come across a terrible accident. Or, worse yet, you realize that your route at your "on time" schedule was the same route of a natural disaster (flash flood, tornado, etc.).

What if, just what if God's intention was for you to be late?! Have you ever gotten a phone call that you may have missed if you were running on your schedule and not His? His ultimate plan may not be totally clear to us. It may not even coincide with our plan. But, if we are not open to divine intervention, we may miss out on so many of the great things that our Heavenly Father has in store for us.

In our Bible study we are looking at the topic of prayer. One of our lessons encouraged us to find some event that occurs daily (i.e. stopping at traffic lights, tying shoes, washing hands, etc.) and designate that as a time to pray. I encouraged our group to take one event and gradually add another and another to it. Eventually we could be filling those mindless moments with meaningful conversation with God! Oh, how happy He would be!!

Sometimes we need to (please excuse the cliche) "stop and smell the roses". In those moments when we are not finding things going our way, we need to stop and consider God's plans. We can take those mindless moments turned into meaningful conversation and recognize our many blessings. Rather than getting so anxious and irritated and impatient, we could attempt to count our blessings and find the positives.

Imagine how wonderful our lives could be if instead of dwelling on those little things that drive use crazy, we can focus on all the good in our lives. In so many situations, we could be happy rather than sad. We could be excitedly waiting God's next move rather than anxiously recounting what has gone awry. We can find what has one right rather than focus on what has gone wrong. What a challenge for me!! But I can recognize what a little effort on my part can ultimately offer me...peace, joy, happiness, all trust in my Lord. I'm willing to accept the challenge. Are you?

Here Am I

Isaiah 6:8 "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

I think we all ask this type of question at some point in our lives. We are looking for whom it is God is calling when the honest truth is we should be looking in the mirror for that person. We need to own up to that call sometimes in life. There are times that that call is for us. We need to heed that call despite our fears and hesitations about the unknowns. It is okay to be nervous about where God is leading us or calling us to go.

Sometimes God's call leads us to the road less-traveled. Sometimes it's that all too familiar road. Always it is a call to a journey of faith. We have to follow His call trusting that He will provide. This doesn't mean that the trip will be easy. And it definitely does not mean to sit back on our haunches and wait for God to make it all work.

God's call in our lives may change. He may take us from one career to another. His call may lead us to a different hometown. His will may be for us to be right where we are. Whatever the message, we have to be ready and willing to hear it. And, at times, we have to accept that perhaps God's plan for our lives is not one in the same as our own plan.

I feel that there is nothing wrong asking God about His plan for us. But, we must be prepared to hear His answer, whether it is one we like or not.

Have you ever felt those prompts to do things? Take for example this: You have the talent, gift, of singing but have not chosen to commit to singing in the choir. Or yet another: You desire and long for a time of Christian fellowship and Bible study but have not volunteered to set up a study or have not committed to attending one. Another prompt could be the gift and love of working with children but you have not volunteered your services in that direction.

Or, the "prompt/nudge" could be bigger. It could be that you feel the push to move into another career. Or, it could be that the career that seems to have chosen you requires sacrifices: money, time, etc.

These prompts or nudges are not just some gut instinct. In my heart, I feel that they are provided by God as road signs to lead us in the right direction on our journey on the road of life. Just like a journey, we can end up on a detour or attempt some sort of a short cut. And, just like on a trip, we could end up lost.

We need to remember that God provides road maps for us through the Scriptures. He provides gas station attendant assistance/information in the form of trusted Christian persons. He does not send us out on this trip without preparation. He does not turn us loose with no assistance or counsel. But, He also does not do the work for us. He gives us what we need for the journey; we have to choose to use it.

I don't necessarily have a song that spoke to my heart for this entry. The Scripture passage is what grabbed my attention. As I have begun to face many cross-roads in my own life, I am reminded of Isaiah's commissioning. When God asked whom He should send, Isaiah stepped up to the plate and said, "Here am I. Send me!" I am forced to evaluate where God is calling me in life as a wife, as a mother, as a leader, as a follower.

Have you thought of that lately? Where is God calling you in life? Are you listening for Him? And if He calls, will you heed his direction? And one last thought, are you ready to answer as Isaiah did with "Here Am I. Send me!"?

"If you want to know what God wants you to do--ask Him and He will gladly tell you."
James 1:15