You know it’s going to be a great writing session, when you type the title and two hours later haven’t progressed any. However, that’s when I know there is something lurking beneath the surface. That’s when I know I need to stop listening to everything around me and listen to what’s inside me. Writer’s block for me is the signal to stand still and let God move.
Sometimes I have to get myself out of His way. I have to evaluate situations and meditate. I have to listen, when I feel the urge that He wants to talk with me. I have to turn aside from everything I know, and realize I don’t have a clue what needs to be done or even how to do it. God always gives us instructions, however they are not always what we want or think might work.
Yesterday, I lost the stone out of my engagement ring. I was devastated as I looked down into the gaping hole that was once the most beautiful part. It was gone and the void was astounding. And I was saddened for the times when I never noticed its beauty or took the time to be thankful for it and what it represents. It reminded me how quickly life can change and how the things we love can be taken away—in an instant.
I had been doing so many things that I had no clue where the stone might have fallen. To retrace my steps seemed overwhelming. I had been cleaning like a mad woman for hours. There was a part of me that instantly gave up and declared it gone forever. And there was another part of me that longed to find it.
My husband comforted by promising another ring, but some things just can’t be replaced. So I listened to my heart and it took me to the very spot when I first noticed it was missing. And lying on the bottom bunk bed of my kid’s room was my stone. I was putting sheets on the top bunk when I noticed it was gone.
I was so thankful to hold it in my hands and so thankful I had listened to the still small voice that had guided me. God is always a presence in every situation. He’s the voice that urges us to look again at a stop sign or to check the stove one more time. He’s the voice who gives us warnings and directions. It’s up to us to heed them or ignore them.
The center is always the best and most important part. The center of a marriage is love. The center of family is love. The center of life is God. If you remove the center then all you have is an empty shell.
I feel like I am a constant work-in-progress. The devil is always seeking whom he may devour. He is always filling our lives with obstacles and hardships. However, when we look to God, He has always has a plan. Every day is about being the best that we can be. It’s about trying one more time, when we have failed numerous times. It’s about trying before you decide to quit.
There is no easy button in life. There are no magical formulas to accomplish your goals or dreams. It takes hard work and persistence. It’s about being honest with yourself and working to overcome your faults and failures. We are all viable and important!
Lastly, I would like to remind you there is never an exception anywhere that allows you to be mean to another soul. Don’t be a bully and strive to hurt others. It doesn’t make you respected or important. It makes you miserable.
Don’t be the type of person to knock someone down, and then kick them. Help them up! We can’t control how other people treat us, but we can control how we treat them.
What if God treated you how you treated Him? He doesn’t lash out at us for our wrongdoings, but blesses us with His amazing love.
Love is the greatest weapon in battle. Just think of how Jesus defeated the enemy that crucified Him. He asked God to forgive them and then He died for their sins. Instead of lashing out with vengeance, He emitted unconditional love.