Sometimes being confidence can easily turn into being prideful. I know, because I have crossed that line more than once and it is embarrassing to say that. I didn’t even know that I stepped into that ‘no-no’ area this last time. It wasn’t until I stopped and asked God about a situation, and what God showed me somewhat hurt the flesh (my pride) a little (well, honestly, it was more than a little). But it was what I needed to line up under him so I can be the person he has called me to be.

You may be asking yourself; what did God show me? Well, let me illustrate it this way.

There is this woman, we will call her Bridget, that is really good at playing basketball, she has quick reflexes, and does well with the fast pace of the game. She is a quick thinker and is constantly looking at all angles of which the ball can be played. Bridget knows the rules of basketball and knows the plays which her coach would want her to perform before anything is said. She is excellent at what she does. However Bridget decides she wants to play baseball. It is a totally different game with an entirely different rule book. Her new coach does not know her that well but is willing to give her a try, but things are not working out. The coach doesn’t know the character of this new player, or her willingness to be the best for this team. Coach only just sees Bridget as being too self- efficient, assuming things that may not necessarily be wrong, but not how it’s done.  Bridget is able to play baseball  but she goes about it in a nontraditional way, it’s not done in the matter it should have been done. As much as this new player is trying to please her coach, she is following the wrong play book. She is applying everything she had learned in playing basketball to the new game baseball. That doesn’t work!

If you haven’t guessed Bridget is me, and the coach is my boss. I have been trying so hard to do my new job, I was applying what I had learned in my old job to the new one. At my previously job it was a fast pace and I had to problem solve quickly. I had the pleasure of assisting many people (face to face) throughout my day. My prior boss expected me to problem solve without consulting her. I would only ask questions on how to handle things if I was not 100% sure how to. This new job is much slower pace, and I don’t get to serve as many people as I did before. Things that I would ‘assume’ to know how to handle isn’t exactly how it should be done. With me being little more independent than my boss would like, I was coming off as arrogant and maybe even prideful. Now she didn’t say that to me, she just said; this isn’t working, we need to figure this out. I was crushed! I have been trying to be someone she could depend on; however she said that she didn’t have that kind of confidence in me. Wow! That hurt, because I was trying to be all that she wanted me to be.

That is when I went to God and asked; what is wrong here? What am I doing wrong? He answered my question with a question; how can you be all that your boss wants you to be if you’re not asking her what she wants from you.

You see I was trying to play basketball in a baseball game. Once returning back to work after God revealing this to me I control myself not to think so much on my own, yielding to my impulse to figure things out on my own. With me ‘asking’ my boss how she wants me to do things I hope to build her confidence in me. I need to be more humble (modest and unassuming in attitude and behavior) and show her respect.

Yes we need to be confident people in Christ, knowing who we are in Him. However we are to be humble as well. To be honest this is hard for me to find that line, if you knew me years ago, I didn’t have an ounce of confidence. It is hard to find that balance but with God’s help I know I will find it.

This past week I had the most interesting conversations with several people. As I listened to their views about what they expect in the year 2013, I was taken aback by their attitudes, these people are Christ followers. However most were filled with dread and fear for the New Year. They pack up all their past pain, disappointments, and failures, place it into a suite case and was willing to carry that heaviness with them right into the ‘new’ year.

Please understand I am by no means trying to minimize the horrific heart ache that our society has suffered (personally and as a whole) this past year. I know that there are people that have experienced incredible disappointments and pain. So much so that it felt as if your heart was being ripped out of your chest. I myself have experienced great disappointments this past year. Yet, in that disappointment I heard my Father in Heaven ask; Do you trust me? I still don’t understand, but I trust God.

I guess what I am want to say is, yes life can get ugly. This world can seem messed up at times. We may not have reached our dreams- yet. But! We need to keep our eyes on God. We can not become downhearted, discouraged.
Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 -This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Colossians 3:1,2 – Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Our God is awesome and He can do anything. Our breakthrough could very well happen tomorrow. Our prayers could be answered in the next hour. Our dreams can come true by the end of the week. Who knows but God? Hold tight to this; God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. (Eph. 3:20)

Let us enter the year 2013 with great expectation.

Happy New Year!
Love,
Georgia

I went to visit my daughter and son in law a week ago. I had my car packed, GPS all programed and ready to hit the road. I was to make this journey by myself. I am not opposed to driving alone, though I dreaded that it would soon be dark. As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t see well at night. It was raining and foggy out which only decreased my ability to see. I couldn’t read the road signs until I was right up on them and then had to strategically get into the right lane to avoid missing my exit and hearing my GPS say; “recalculating.”

I also hate to admit that I am still learning how to ‘use’ my GPS. So here I was heading out on my 5 hour drive with my GPS fastened to the bracket attached to the windshield. I found a decent radio station to listen to and was settled in the driver seat comfortably. I didn’t even get 10 miles down the road my GPS & bracket came off my windshield onto the floor of the car. Driving 75 mph down the road I was crouched down feeling around on the floor for my GPS. Once I got my hands on it I then tried reattach it to the windshield, but decided that it wasn’t that important. I figured I could just lay it next to me and pick it up when I need to see it. Besides the other drivers that drove pasted me seemed a little agitated at what might have seemed like reckless driving on my part.

After being on the road about an hour I decided to pick up my trusty ole GPS to find out how far I had traveled. To add to my frustration, the map shown on the screen looked as if I was still in my driveway. “What? There is something wrong here” I said out loud. “This stupid thing is not working!” Yet every now in then she (the GPS) was talking to me, I just had no clue where I was at. I then was wishing that I had my trusty ole ‘atlas’ with me, even though it can be overwhelming to look at a map and find out where I was at, but least I would know.

Ahh, what can I do I thought, I will just keep traveling down the road until I get the next set of instructions verbalized from my GPS. I had to pay close attention after I turned onto the instructed exit; “go 45 miles to Exit 280A.” I would then look down at my odometer add 45 miles to the miles shown so I would know when I would be getting close to the next exit. Now remember it is foggy out, so I couldn’t see.

After a few hours driving down the road I was starting to get stressed out. In the back of my head I kept wishing I knew exactly where I was. I started to feel a headache coming on and realized I was holding my breath. This is ridiculous Georgia, I thought to myself. You know you’re going the right way; you just have to trust the GPS to get you there. Sure enough, after 45 miles down the road the exit sign that I need appeared just as my GPS instructed.

I had to make myself relax and not be so upset that I didn’t know really where I was. I had to calm down and know I was going the right way. That is when I sensed the Lord say to me; this is how I want you to trust me. You may not know exactly when the next ‘turn’ is on your journey but trust me that I will let you know when to turn. Have confidence that you are going the right way. If I was to show you the whole picture (the map) of the things I have for you it would be too overwhelming. Just settle in and relax, I got this.
So needless to say, when I start to feel tense and notice that I am not breathing again, I just recall that night driving in the fog. Remembering that indescribable peace that wash over me, knowing that everything was going to be okay.

Have a diamond filled day my friends,
Georgia

With this being the Christmas season people all around are looking for that perfect gift. We rush to the malls and walk for hours looking, only to end up frustrated and overwhelmed.  With people cutting us off in the parking lot, pushing us along in the stores, or grabbing the last item that we are reaching for we can develop a bad attitude.  That is when we need to ask ourselves this question; Am I a giver, or, am I a taker?

Am I giving out smiles, or am I taking smiles? We may not realize it but our faces have expressions on them at all times. Either we are giving a friendly smile to those around us, or we are scowling, which in turns takes away the smiles of others.

What about patients? Am I extending patients to the cashier, waiting without becoming upset, as he/she struggles to check my items at the register? Or, am I complaining and sighing loudly because I am annoyed?

Then there is Joy. Am I giving the spirit of joy to others by being friendly as I wait in the long lines? Or am I taking joy from others by having a glaring face and say uninviting words like; ‘If this line doesn’t hurry up I am going to walk away from this cart right here and go elsewhere.’ And truthfully the people around you are probably wishing that you would leave if you have that kind of attitude.

This list can go on and on; Love – am I giving love or taking love? Peace – am I giving the sense of peace or am I taking the peace others have? Kindness – am I being kind to others or am I being rude? Gentleness – am I gentle with my words or harsh?

Bottom line, before we leave our homes to go out to shop during this Christmas season, let us all make a conscience decision to be givers and not takers.

 

Have you ever wonder why sometimes people cross your path? I don’t mean the random people we bump into when we’re at the store. This is expected in places where there are a lot of people, especially if you are shopping on Black Friday. But I mean, in those moments when you find yourself talking to a complete stranger. And in that short time, you learn something about them. It is almost like they invited you into their story and in doing so you get just a glimpse of what life is for them.

I used to have many of these opportunities in the job that I had previously however now it doesn’t happen too often, not until last Saturday. My husband and I went on a small road trip to look at a used vehicle for me. We were to meet the seller at a Wal-Mart parking lot that was located half way between his home and ours, to look at this Jeep. They seemed to be a sweet young couple, though the husband look as if his years where harder on him than his wife. They had two boys with beautiful clear eyes, as if you could almost see ‘hope’ in them, especially the 18 month old.
What I mean about ‘clear eyes that you can see hope’ is that sometimes life can be hard on people and it shows in their eyes, they look tired and beaten down. But children, they always have eyes of hope and I love looking into eyes like that, eyes of hope.

Anyhow…

It was a little awkward at first to be examining a vehicle with the whole family buckled into it. But as my husband and the seller discussed the specifics about the Jeep I got a moment to talk with the seller’s wife, and even the eldest son had a shared few words (at least I think they were words). Just a side note, It has been a long time since I’ve been around little ones so I had to get re-acquainted with their language. She shared where she was from and even proudly showed me her tattoos that her husband painted on her. It was amazing how much compassion and love I felt for her and her family. I had even given her a little hug as we parted.

Though on the drive back home I couldn’t help to wonder what her life was like for this family. Did they have positive people in their life or where there negative people that try to push in on them? She had cracked opened the door for me to see her life, but I was imagining what things looked like with the door wide open. I found myself praying for them; it wasn’t that I had any kind of supernatural knowledge of what to pray about. I just prayed things that I know God wants for all of us. Even this morning at church I found this family on my heart and again prayed. And I have the feeling I will be praying for this family off and on throughout my life now that I have met them.

With all that being said, maybe there are reasons people cross our paths. A God divine reason. So I want to encourage you during this Holiday Season to slow down just a bit, allow God to make those connections. You never know, someone you just met might be lifting you up in their prayers.

Be blessed my friends,

g~