The details

I have been thinking a lot lately about Gods plan, and how big that plan is...and it has prompted me to think about Gods plan for me, if he has one, and weather or not the details of my life matter in the greater scheme of His plan? How involved is God in the details of my life?

Does time and chance really happen to everyone? Or is God really in the finer details? How 'hands' is God in our lives?

Gods plan is massive, however, God is still a father (his Genesis to Revelation description of himself). And I guess we have to reflect on how a father is with his children. Although many people don’t have a ideal father figure to compare this experience with, a father is someone who cares, someone who protects, but also someone who teaches and someone who guides, and sometimes that is by learning the hard way. Tough pill to swallow.

I was talking with Adam Byrnes the other day about this very topic, and he had some pretty cool things to say which I would like to share with you.

Adam B reflected on his own experience as a father and I will quote him:

“As a father I cannot spend 24x7 walking a step ahead of my 3 kids and trying to guide them, protect them, stop them, encourage them, turn them into something. But what I do do is provide them an environment in which to grow.

I occasionally step in and do a "miracle" (eg stop them from running onto the road and getting run over or rolling down a flight of stairs) but generally Shell and I do "providence" (provide an environment in which they can grow by making their own decisions and learning things their own way and occasionally getting really involved by ensuring that certain events or things happen that will be significant in their development).

We choose to provide (a) an environment for growth and (b) to get really hands on in significant developmental matters. I wonder if that is what God provides us today?

That he doesn't care about the minute details of ensuring we get a good car parking space and get to an appointment on time. But that he is in the background working on our environment and at times he does get involved in significant developmental matters.

I have been thinking about this in the life of Jacob. God does the "miracle" thing occasionally for Jacob. But for 40 years, no less, Jacob gets no involvement from God (when at Laban's). And Jacob comes up with this idea to get rich by doing some genetic selective breeding (remember he gets all the cattle to have spotted and speckled offspring which he keeps and basically gets the best part of Laban's flock and ends up rich). The angel appears to him after 40 years and says to him -

"I did not let Laban harm you" (the environment)
"You were not clever in making yourself rich - I was doing it" (God was providentially looking after Jacob in a slightly more hands on way)

So Jacob goes through absolute hell for 40 years with getting cheated in marriage, made to be a slave for Laban for 34 years, getting ripped off in wages etc. Where was God!!??

God made sure that the environment did not harm him and then was influential in matters in the background. Otherwise the rest was up to Jacob.

The more important question is "What was Jacob's plan for God?" rather than "What was God's plan for Jacob?"

I suppose it is a similar question for Abi???....

What is Abi's plan for God? Rather than "What is God's plan for Abi?"

God loves thoroughly. And He loves you thoroughly. So I have no doubt He is interested and watching and loving you. I just wonder if He wants to see what your plan for Him is, rather than the other way around."

So, I think it is natural for us to sit back and wonder about what God is doing and what His plan is and how it is happening. But maybe it is the other way around...... God is "sitting back" and wondering what we are going to do and what our plan is and how we are going to do it. Not "sitting back" in judgement or removed isolation. Sitting back like a father does when a child starts to walk or first rides a bike. Heart full of love and concern and pride and ready to get involved if things start to go sideways.
A loving father.

I totally loved the way that Adam could relate his experience of being a father and compare it with how God could possibly father us as His children.

The other side of the coin for me on this topic is that while it is really awesome that God can give us a taste of what it is like to be a parent to a child, and once that has been experienced, i would imagine your own personal experience with your own child would bring you closer to God in so many ways...however, we are IMPERFECT parents, in every way, and God is a PERFECT father...so does that mean that he would interact with us on a level that we could not even comprehend? God could be as involved as he wanted. I mean, he does know everything before it happens, every word on our lips before we speak it, every mistake we make before we make it...so there is still this little question mark wondering of Gods father skills may precede our earthly experiences?

This brings me to another thought...does God want us to be happy in this life?

In this world filled with hurt, pain and suffering, it hardly seems a happy place to be! How should we feel about this life? Is this life just this thing we have to endure and get through to get to the next? Or is everything in this life that we experience purely to help us be better ambassadors for Christ in the Kingdom? Is it simply a big linking of arms? Like we are all here to help one another and love one another and to learn to be compassionate and completely selfless? Is the journey to find happiness through misery? To find contentment through selflessness?

We know he intends for us to experience joy in this life, but joy is different from happiness...so how important is our happiness to God? Is it just a choice? To be happy no matter what your circumstances? I feel that is a big ask for a lot of broken people in this broken world.

I read Psalm 37 the other day, and it talks about God giving you the desires of your heart. I dont know why but this is something that keeps coming up in my life! The big question is - is that intended for this life or the next? And if God does give us the desires of our heart, and if our desires are in line with Gods desires, then surely our desires would not be about our own lives at all. Surely they would be outwardly focused, so should the desires of our hearts be about everyone else's happiness? Is that they key to finding true happiness?

Too intense??? ;)

Any thoughts?

Thank you God

Thank you God for this day.
Thank you God that I am alive.
Thank you God that I can feel.
Thank you God that I have the power of choice.
Thank you God that I choose you.
Dear God, please choose me too.

Amen.

Present time

"We are so rarely in the present. Within a period of five minutes we are remembering one thing, anticipating something else, unable to focus on the only time that is ours to affect. In moments of intense exertion, physical or emotional, we are forced into the present. Part of the "high" that comes with long distance running is that there comes a point when all we can think about is the next step. There is also a "high" that comes with an emergency because we cannot think beyond what must immediately be done. But why when we are not pushed to our limits, can't our mind simply rest in the present? The present is not boring or routine. It is basically unknown and recovered only with a haze of nastalgia. When we stop skimming the surface and allow ourselves to be fully submerged in the present, we discover depths of beauty and meaning. THE PRESENT IS THE ONLY PLACE WHERE WE CAN FIND GOD."

- Carol Ochs "The Presence in the Desert"

Ask God

I asked God to take away my pain.
God said, No. It is not for me to take
away, but for you to give up.

I asked God to make my
handicapped child whole.
God said, No. Her spirit is whole
and her body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No. Patience is a
by-product of tribulations;
it isn't granted, it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No. I give you blessings.
Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No. Suffering draws you
apart from worldly cares and brings
you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No. You must grow on
your own, but I will prune you to
make you fruitful.

I asked for all things that I
might enjoy life.
God said, No. I will give you life so
that you might enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others,
as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh,
finally you have the idea.

Author Unknown

Dear God,

Thank you for loving us.
Thank you for leading us.
Thank you for teaching us.
Thank you for life...
that we may live lives that make you smile.

Thank you for all these things.

Amen

The Blame Game

When you blame others,
you give up your power to change.
Robert Anthony

"And Jesus said, "I tell you the truth,
unless you change, and become like little children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:3

Leave a mark

Live life to the fullest. True and honest, begin with yourself and extend it to others. Use your words wisely. Words have power and create influence, do not spread them carelessly. Negative words create negative energy and repel those around you. Live in the positive.

Leave your 'stamp' on everything you do. Make yourself an icon to be admired and respected. Become an inspiration to others-so think carefully before you speak and act. Every action, every word carries a consequence. Create a genuineness about you that is addictive to all those who meet you.

And finally, leave a mark on those you meet that couldn't have been left if you weren't in their lives.

Author Unknown

In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds,
with purity in doctrine, dignified,
sound in speech which is beyond reproach….
Titus 2:7-8

It takes courage

It takes strength to be firm,
It takes courage to be gentle.

It takes strength to conquer,
It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to be certain,
It takes courage to have doubt.

It takes strength to fit in,
It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend's pain,
It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to endure abuse,
It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone,
It takes courage to lean on another.

It takes strength to love,
It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive,
It takes courage to live.
Author Unknown

Wait for the LORD;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the LORD.
Psalm 27:14