Last week we had a wopper of a NASTY ice storm here. The day before we heard on the news we might be getting some moisture, maybe even some snow & watch out for possible ice. That morning I went out to my car to drive to work. I saw some frost on my wind shield, but the road looked clear. I got in the car, started the engine, turned on the defroster, both front & back windows & called my boss to tell him I might be a few minutes late. I was about to grab my scraper to scrape the remaining *frost* off my windshield when there was a knock on my driver side window. I rolled down the window & my brother-in-law (lives a few doors down & hardly ever says anything) informs me "you're not going to work today". I asked him why? He motioned for me to follow him & started walking towards the main road. I followed & just outside of our apartment driveway exit I saw a big red truck upside down in the ditch in front of us, a cop car with lights on. I told my brother (i-l) thanks & went back to my car, shut it off & called my boss to tell him I wasn't going to be late, I wasn't coming in at all.
Throughout the day I heard reports of traffic accidents & falls, & other issues caused by the 'invisible' ice, what we here call BLACK ICE. One was particularly disturbing because it was an ambulance coming into town, it rolled over, caught fire & all 3 died. Other emergency units couldn't get to them in time, because of the ice. As a previous volunteer EMT, I know all to well that every time that ambulance goes out, those EMT's know they are risking their lives, they don't know what situation they'll be facing. My heart breaks for them and their families.
But that's not why I'm telling this story.
Life today is some times like the roads that day. They look "all clear" but danger lurks just on the surface, invisible danger. It's only by listening to Yahuah's voice, the voice of Ruach Ha Kodesh (some of you know Him as Holy Spirit") Most of the time we are just normally go about out our business, hopefully our Father's business. But every now and then He will speak to us and tell us no, I need to you to "stay home" today. I don't necessarily mean literally stay home (though sometimes that's true). I mean sometimes He tells us not to do something we think would be the right thing to do. This has happened to me. Sometimes I listened, and all went well. Sometimes, I didn't and things went awry, sometimes even became chaotic.
Do I actually hear a literal voice? No, I haven't yet, I'm not saying it's not possible though. No, most of the time it's that "still small voice" we often hear of, a tug on my spirit, a feeling in my gut, a thought that passes through my mind, a word I read in His Scriptures. The important thing is to LISTEN.
I wish I'd listened more.
I'm listening now. I want to hear His voice. I want to avoid the "black ice" on the road ahead. Life is not always what it looks like. I need to hear His voice.
First of all, I hope you will accept my apologies for not posting for almost 3 weeks. No excuses, just apologies.
With all the bad weather we've been having here in the USA and elsewhere, I've heard a lot of "fussing" lately, myself included. Then I was at a "coffee café" the other day and was hearing people complaining because they didn't have free wi-fi, some place else it was because the store didn't have the movie they were looking for, and on and on and on it went. The restaurant didn't bring their food fast enough, the parking place wasn't close enough........
Over a few days I finally realized why all this fussing was bothering me. Normally I probably wouldn't even notice. But this time it was definitely catching my attention.
We have been so accustomed to all of our conveniences that the least little inconvenience, we lose our grip on *reality*. The reality of it all is that we have it so easy!! Even with our inconveniences! Maybe I don't live in a mansion, but I have a roof over my head, a door I can lock & keep my home & myself reasonably safe, in door plumbing, a refrigerator, stove, hot running water, a comfortable bed to sleep in, heat in the winter, air conditioning in the summer, a nice job working inside a secure building with ac in the summer, heat in the winter, benefits, a new car to drive me back & forth to work. a pc (obviously) on which to communicate & do research, a nice cell phone with which to communicate and do research, food in frig & cupboards, nice clothes, a puppy to comfort me & keep me company. oh yea, i have it so rough! (being sarcastic there!)
I remember my grandmother's house in Nebraska. No indoor plumbing, heated by a wood stove, a really old car. a garden for growing vegetables. a small general store for anything else. and at that time (early 60's) in a teeny tiny town, it was actually one of the nicer houses, nice big yard, and the pump for the water well was just outside the back door. she even had a gas stove!
But what about before then? Could we survive if we didn't have electricity, grocery stores, auto-mobiles with ac, heaters, radio's, blue tooth, some cars can even park themselves!!!!
My point is we have it so easy compared to even a hundred years ago, let alone 200+ years ago. We've become LAZY!! We've become WIMPS!! I know there are 3rd world countries, even today, who don't have even a tenth of what we have, they not only survive, they probably don't even realize what they don't have. I don't know maybe it's just me, but I think it's time we simplify our lives & become more realistic? How much "stuff" do we really need? I'm not talking about giving up everything we've worked so hard for, I enjoy my job & I enjoy living where I do (though I wish more of my children & grandchildren lived closer). I just look around my little apartment & think of all the stuff I have just sitting there, collecting dust. I think of all the things I've fussed about lately. There are so many advantages that I have now that my grandmother didn't have. I for one have become more aware of my purchases, my activities, my attitude. I'll admit I really have a long ways to go yet.
The point I'm trying to make is we have so much, I have so much, so many blessings in my life. It's time for me to take time out and evaluate, where I'm at in my life, what I have, where I want to go. That's not to say I don't have problems that need to be fixed. We all do. But maybe I'd have less problems, if I made better choices, fussed less, bought less, valued what I already have more, especially family and friends.
One of my favorite scriptures is Psalms 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am Elohim, I am exalted among nations, I am exalted in the earth!"
I think I need to be still more. I need to be still and focus, make some more & better choices, clean house, both literally and spiritually, emotionally, mentally, etc. I need to be still and KNOW HE IS ELOHIM!!! I need to be still and LISTEN for His voice.
(btw: my efforts to get healthier & lose some weight haven't gone as well as I'd like, maybe I need to rethink that too?)
One of the most important things I've been doing is focusing on honoring the Sabbath. not always easy, but I'm determined! My hearts desire is to honor and obey Elohim, but I have much to learn in order to do so. One of those things I've learned from all of this is to fuss less and learn to love myself (yes, it's ok to love yourself!, Yahua even instructs us it's ok in Matthew 22: 37-40. "...You shall love your neighbor as yourself..." which means we have to be able to love ourself in order to love our neighbor. this doesn't mean to think highly of yourself or be egotistical, but love yourself, don't be hateful toward yourself. You have to have love in your heart, love for Elohim first, then yourself, before you can show love to others.) Anyway, where was I going? hahahaha, I distracted myself. Oh yes, it's time for me to be still, less fussing, less negative thinking, less stuff, less chaos. MORE ELOHIM, MORE LOVE, MORE SIMPLICITY, MORE PEACE!!! (ELOHIM'S PEACE, SHALOM PEACE, HIS WAY)
SHALOM!!!
