Good Morning
So far, things are going fine, in the stay at home department. I know I need to really knuckle down and stay on budget, which is tough. It always looks good on paper, but it can be sooo tough to do it. Otherwise, things are going well, and I am getting that old job out of my system. I knew I would, it's just a matter of time.
I was thinking this morning about a song I really like, by a recent vintage CCM artist named Ginny Owens, she does some really good, a little funky, and not to pop-y material, but her lyrics are what I enjoy. One of her songs especially speaks to me about salvation, what it is when we really are living it and not just talking about it like a third person. The song is called "Free" and it's from a pearlier album called "Without Condition".
Turning molehills into mountains, makin big deals out of small ones, bearing gifts as if the're burdens, this is how it's been.
Fear of coming out of my shell, too many things I can't do too well, afraid I'll try real hard and I'll fail, this is how it's been.
Till the day you pounded on my heart's door,
and you shouted joyfully, "you're not a slave anymore"
You're free to dance, forget about your two left feet
and your free to sing, even joyful noise is music to me
and you're free to love, cause I've given you my love and it's made you free.
I have set you free.
My mind finds hard to believe that you became humanity and changed the course of history,
because you love me so.
And my mind cannot understand how you'd accept me as I am, but you say you've always had a plan and that's all I need to know.
So when I am consumed by what the world will say, it's then you're singing to me, as you remove my chains.
I can't speak for the experience of anyone but me, but in my life, the idea that God had done something for me to change my life was a cliche, until I actually started to believe it. It was kind of a cutesy thing that over-zealous or overly perfect people who obviously had no problems said to make people like me who weren't perfect feel bad. Either that or they were so clueless that they had no idea that "Jesus loves you" and "God so loved the world" were just words that meant zip to me. I guess what changed my mind was meeting people who I knew had really struggled and seen their lives changed by God. I only mention this because I know there are people who hear some of the great Christian music out there today and probably think "what a load of crap, go blow sunshine up someone elses butt" because they can't imagine that anyone could possibly be that positive without being on serious medication.
I know that it is posible to keep a positive view on some of the worst situations in life, because I have seen some bad situations really turned around. I guess the coolest thing about knowing that God is, and is involved in my life, is knowing that no matter how bad things look, whatever happens he can turnit around and make it for good. I would not have believed that if I had not seen it for myself, but it's true. I don't go around now looking for trouble, but I know when it finds me, there is going to be a blessing in it. (somewhere under all that horsepuckey, there's gotta be a pony- attributed to Reagan but I won't vouche for it's authenticity).
I realize that terrible things happen, and I am thankful that the kinds of tragedy that has struck has been of the more garden variety, but the blessing has been that I have had a chance to learn about the character of God in the process, and that you take take with you where ever you go in life. I had to learn to trust, and that is not an easy thing for me. I had to try it a few times first and see that he really means what he says. That is the whole point, it's not about God jumping into the middle of our lives and cleaning them up for us, it's us getting the message that he is there and looking for him, turning to him and away from our own solutions. I really had to stop my train of thought, and hop on a new one. Like saying, ok, for the sake of argument, let's assume that God really means what he says and says what he means, what does that mean for me?
I started by telling God that I would try this believing thing. My marriage was a mess, so if I was going to believe in him and my husband wasn't, I would just find that part of the bible where it says that you can leave, when you don't both believe. Hmmm, since we were already married, the "don't be unequally yoked" part didn't work, I was as yoked as you can get. Otherwise, I read that the believing spouse should stay with the unbeliever, that who knows, maybe the unbelieving spouse would be saved? That wasn't what I wanted to hear. However, I did say fine, if that's the way it is, it's up to you to make this marriage work. He did. Not just a little, but a whole lot, It's taken years but he did. All odds were against it, and conventional wisdom was against it, but I think God knows that I am kind of stubborn and he used that in my favor. I don't like to give up.
What all this got to do with salvation? I kind of got off track. If your belief in God isn't freeing you from the bondage of your own mind, of the mindset that says I am a victim, I am a prisoner in what ever my life has shoved at me, then you aren't really experiencing salvation. I know, we are saved on the inside by our faith, but that manifests on the outside by our lives. Once you have really put it in God's hands, in your heart, you start down this hill like a snowball, it gets bigger and bigger and starts sweeping everything around you up in it. But you do have to let go of your preoccupations and mindsets, they are chains. You kind of have to throw caution to the wind and say, ok God, none of this makes sense, but you have made some promises, and I am told that your promises are for whomsoever will, and that includes me.
Find out what God has promised, and take him at his word. He really delights in revealing his character to us. He wants us to know who he is, not just read about him. That's what salvation says to me, it is the opportunity to get to know God, not through some interminable process of religion, but for real, in person up close and personal. The only thing is, we have to make the move. He put out the invite but we have to accept. He's not really playing hard to get, but he's not stupid. He has done everything but drag you kicking and screaming through the door, you have to walk through on your own two feet.
That's just what's on my heart this morning, have great day all, I have work to do!
I was thinking this morning about a song I really like, by a recent vintage CCM artist named Ginny Owens, she does some really good, a little funky, and not to pop-y material, but her lyrics are what I enjoy. One of her songs especially speaks to me about salvation, what it is when we really are living it and not just talking about it like a third person. The song is called "Free" and it's from a pearlier album called "Without Condition".
Turning molehills into mountains, makin big deals out of small ones, bearing gifts as if the're burdens, this is how it's been.
Fear of coming out of my shell, too many things I can't do too well, afraid I'll try real hard and I'll fail, this is how it's been.
Till the day you pounded on my heart's door,
and you shouted joyfully, "you're not a slave anymore"
You're free to dance, forget about your two left feet
and your free to sing, even joyful noise is music to me
and you're free to love, cause I've given you my love and it's made you free.
I have set you free.
My mind finds hard to believe that you became humanity and changed the course of history,
because you love me so.
And my mind cannot understand how you'd accept me as I am, but you say you've always had a plan and that's all I need to know.
So when I am consumed by what the world will say, it's then you're singing to me, as you remove my chains.
I can't speak for the experience of anyone but me, but in my life, the idea that God had done something for me to change my life was a cliche, until I actually started to believe it. It was kind of a cutesy thing that over-zealous or overly perfect people who obviously had no problems said to make people like me who weren't perfect feel bad. Either that or they were so clueless that they had no idea that "Jesus loves you" and "God so loved the world" were just words that meant zip to me. I guess what changed my mind was meeting people who I knew had really struggled and seen their lives changed by God. I only mention this because I know there are people who hear some of the great Christian music out there today and probably think "what a load of crap, go blow sunshine up someone elses butt" because they can't imagine that anyone could possibly be that positive without being on serious medication.
I know that it is posible to keep a positive view on some of the worst situations in life, because I have seen some bad situations really turned around. I guess the coolest thing about knowing that God is, and is involved in my life, is knowing that no matter how bad things look, whatever happens he can turnit around and make it for good. I would not have believed that if I had not seen it for myself, but it's true. I don't go around now looking for trouble, but I know when it finds me, there is going to be a blessing in it. (somewhere under all that horsepuckey, there's gotta be a pony- attributed to Reagan but I won't vouche for it's authenticity).
I realize that terrible things happen, and I am thankful that the kinds of tragedy that has struck has been of the more garden variety, but the blessing has been that I have had a chance to learn about the character of God in the process, and that you take take with you where ever you go in life. I had to learn to trust, and that is not an easy thing for me. I had to try it a few times first and see that he really means what he says. That is the whole point, it's not about God jumping into the middle of our lives and cleaning them up for us, it's us getting the message that he is there and looking for him, turning to him and away from our own solutions. I really had to stop my train of thought, and hop on a new one. Like saying, ok, for the sake of argument, let's assume that God really means what he says and says what he means, what does that mean for me?
I started by telling God that I would try this believing thing. My marriage was a mess, so if I was going to believe in him and my husband wasn't, I would just find that part of the bible where it says that you can leave, when you don't both believe. Hmmm, since we were already married, the "don't be unequally yoked" part didn't work, I was as yoked as you can get. Otherwise, I read that the believing spouse should stay with the unbeliever, that who knows, maybe the unbelieving spouse would be saved? That wasn't what I wanted to hear. However, I did say fine, if that's the way it is, it's up to you to make this marriage work. He did. Not just a little, but a whole lot, It's taken years but he did. All odds were against it, and conventional wisdom was against it, but I think God knows that I am kind of stubborn and he used that in my favor. I don't like to give up.
What all this got to do with salvation? I kind of got off track. If your belief in God isn't freeing you from the bondage of your own mind, of the mindset that says I am a victim, I am a prisoner in what ever my life has shoved at me, then you aren't really experiencing salvation. I know, we are saved on the inside by our faith, but that manifests on the outside by our lives. Once you have really put it in God's hands, in your heart, you start down this hill like a snowball, it gets bigger and bigger and starts sweeping everything around you up in it. But you do have to let go of your preoccupations and mindsets, they are chains. You kind of have to throw caution to the wind and say, ok God, none of this makes sense, but you have made some promises, and I am told that your promises are for whomsoever will, and that includes me.
Find out what God has promised, and take him at his word. He really delights in revealing his character to us. He wants us to know who he is, not just read about him. That's what salvation says to me, it is the opportunity to get to know God, not through some interminable process of religion, but for real, in person up close and personal. The only thing is, we have to make the move. He put out the invite but we have to accept. He's not really playing hard to get, but he's not stupid. He has done everything but drag you kicking and screaming through the door, you have to walk through on your own two feet.
That's just what's on my heart this morning, have great day all, I have work to do!
posted by madmom at 8:32 AM
3 Comments:
That was a beautiful post. You are a good writer! It really is about trusting Him isn't it. I think it's human nature to worry when things are looking grim, but it sure isn't God's nature. We can't worry and trust Him at the same time, can we?
I was just thinking, your children aren't used to you being a stay at home mom. They may like it and they may not, but they need it. You're doing what God has called you to do, and I beleive He will bless your family because of your trust and obedience. I'm looking forward to your next post.
I really liked this post.
I do believe that things generally work out for the best. I have seen it in my own life, when times are hard, when out of nowhere some solution presents itself that I would never have imagined.
I love your writing.
Thank you to both of you, it's nice to know that someone appreciates hearing my thoughts. Thanks for the good wishes too, and yes, we will be fine. My kids are loving having me home every day (at least this week, that may change as time goes on). My son was glued to my side friday, doing his homework, "even if I don't need help I like having you by me mom!", that's so sweet. Take care all!
Post a Comment
<< Home