One Foot In Front Of The Other

To My Happy Happy Girls!

I so hope you had an amazing long, long weekend full of family time, romantic moments stolen with your hubby, and maybe just some time for yourself and your Lord! I hope you are refreshed and ready for the week!

To be quite honest with you, my weekend was rough. It was mainly rough because I am my own worst enemy. My hubby would be testimony to that. My expectations, my assumptions, and my interpretation of reality can be so twisted from the truth. And then all following events are based upon that second dimension and I might as well be living on another planet!

I found it quite ironic that this Proverb charted my path this weekend perfectly...

Step One:

3 People ruin their lives by their own foolishness
and then are angry at the Lord.

Oh, girls! Are we all right here at one moment or another? I will say that my own foolishness could have ruined a whole future. My foolishness tends to wrap around my wrong assumptions of what has happened in the past and my false expectations of what is to come. I could probably have an entire relationship with myself and all the thoughts that fly through my head. Wouldn't that be hilarious? Or tragically sad!

But take that craziness we can create for ourselves one step further, and instead of taking a good hard look at the reality we made on our own, we deny responsibility and blame it on the Lord. That blame can look like anger, indifference, or even stifling sadness... because we just don't take a good long look in the mirror.

I was forced to do so this weekend. To see myself through someone else's eyes (which definitely cuts down on the foolishness, as long as you are listening to their point-of-view with a open heart and mind), to acknowledge his honesty, and then to digest and act upon his observations. For consistent action is the true proof of a changed heart.

Step Two:

20 Get all the advice and instruction you can,
so you will be wise the rest of your life.

As this weekend kept going down, and I mean south...down...far from good, I turned to some trusted girlfriends who I knew would keep me grounded and hold me to the standards of the Lord. And it was those girls who posed the right questions and the right kind words, who kept me from my own foolishness.

Wisdom. Wisdom is all around us...and we have been given amazing girlfriends and mentors; we have been given spouses who care for our best and for our marriage's best; and we have the Lord, the King of all Wisdom, instructing us directly in very plain and clear terms what wisdom holds in store for us.

So, open up those hearts and minds to what is around you. For God is good..."get ALL the advice and instruction you CAN." Pretend your at an all-you-can-eat wisdom buffet and eat up mamas! It's calorie free, open 24 hours a day, and will leave you more filled to the depths of your soul than any other substitute in this life.

Step Three:

21 You can make many plans,
but the Lord 's purpose will prevail.

Here's the tale of how I knew that I remained in the palm of the Lord's hand, even if I was, and still am, unwise.

At church Sunday morning, the benediction was all about the Lord's peace...peace that surrounds a soul that only comes from Him. And that's when I shed my first set of tears. For the Lord was speaking directly to my heart of unrest.

I knew I needed to talk to my hubby and ultimately apologize to him, but didn't what to dive into it when the kids were home. Then stepped in my mom who called and asked if the kids could come over to "play" at their house. Let me just say that my parents have never once in 6 years ever asked for my kids to come over to their house unprovoked. So, that was God, undeniably.

Kids gone, Cliff and I talked. And I had to pray through the whole two hours. Pray that my ears were open, my heart was open, my mind was open (I kept silently repeating to myself over and over his key points to make sure I would remember them), and that I would keep my defensive walls down. I had to stop that part of my brain that immediately thinks of arguments to counteract each of Cliff's points. And that was only through His strength.

As the conversation was coming to an end, there were things that I wanted to hear from Cliff to set my heart at ease, but was sure he'd never say. I prayed and prayed and listened. And within the two hours, my hubby's heart was turned and all my concerns were washed away. If you don't know my man, well let me say he's 1/2 German and 1/2 Italian, and there is little that actually changes his mind once it's made. But God did. God did without him knowing. Because ladies, God changed me first.

The conversation ended well. The relationship was restored. We sat eating soup, when my mom called and said that Keegan wanted to spend the night at their house and had already packed his pillow, blanket, and stuffed animal in his bag without me knowing. So, the grandparents, who never ever have my kids over, now wanted to keep them OVERNIGHT...which gave Cliff and I a "stay-cation."

So, here's the deal...my plans were nothing compared to what God had in store. The "Lord's purposes will prevail." How awesome is that? Even working through my 6-year-old son, my 63-year-old mother, my two emailing-like-cray girlfriends, and my amazing hubby who loves me despite my foolishness. God is good.

Girls...one foot in front of the other no matter what the circumstances. Gird yourselves with the wisdom of His Word and the wisdom of those around you. Keep your hearts open to Him. Keep His Word at the forefront of your thoughts. And allow Him to guide you even though you may not be certain of the outcome, for He is amazing!

Love love love!! Here's to a great week!

If you're in town, Titus 2 tomorrow morning 9ish to 10:45, childcare provided at Grace Baptist...the most amazing (in my humble opinion) women's Bible study. It's on submission...so come to be challenge in the most personal and unbelievable way!

Rebecca :)