Redirected

Good Friday morning!

Thankfully, my computer woes were resolved on Wednesday but it took me most of the day. It finally occurred to me to email the friend who installed the software just to let her know what was happening. She said she wished I had written her earlier (like about five hours earlier). I could have saved myself a lot of grief not to mention hours wasted. I spent so much time trying to trouble shoot a problem, taking drastic measures at times where none were even necessary. The remedy was much simpler than the route I took.

Once the crisis was over, I started thinking how my approach to a computer problem is entirely different than God’s approach to me. As I said, the first sign of this problem, I tried to fix it, but I didn’t understand the problem. So, having researched a bit on line, I started troubleshooting, thinking maybe it’s this or that. Ended up uninstalling a couple of programs, twice, when I probably didn’t need to do this at all.

I am so thankful to God that He never merely “troubleshoots” in my life. He doesn’t look down from heaven one day and see that I’m hurting, or wrestling with some sin, or witness a bad attitude surfacing and start “fiddling” with my life. Rather, if God sees a problem, He knows exactly how He plans to fix it.

Okay, switching gears, the reason for today’s title, “redirected.” This is the last day I’m posting for a while—perhaps a real long while, though I’m not sure. To say I’m “quitting” my blog seems too severe. But I may be. Thing is, if I stop posting for awhile, y’all won’t know to come back and check, although it would be great if you did sometimes.

Here’s the deal. I’d been praying for a long time about whether God wanted me to expand the freelance marketing assistance I offered to a couple of clients to a full fledged business. He answered that prayer a few months ago when WordCount was born. Still not sure whether I’ll end up landing a full-time position here in the area and WordCount will merely supplement that job. (I thoroughly enjoy my job of administratively supporting authors). Or maybe WordCount will become my full time job. Time will tell. All I know is my business continues to grow. Recently had my new website designed, http://www.wordcount.biz, but I need to finish researching and writing the copy for that.

Further, I’ve noticed that I am spending long hours at my computer, far more than I would have if my job was off site. This has been robbing me of exercise time out in the glorious sunshine, or time with friends. Just time to chill. So much time spent at the computer soon cuts into my productivity. I’m busy, sure, but am I productive?

So the Lord showed me recently that my blog is one area that I need to cut out. It’s not just the time I spend writing it—I’m really slow and won’t even tell you how long it takes me to post each blog—but the time I spend mulling possible themes over in my mind. Actually, the part of thinking about the “when I remember” principles of God’s love, mercy, and grace each day is terrific. I won’t be changing that! Just won’t be writing all those thoughts down here!

Thanks for hanging with me over the last few months. It’s been such a blessing sharing a bit of my heart and my journey with Christ with all of you. Like I said, I may post sometimes. Heck, maybe I’ll post tomorrow if I suddenly feel a hankerin’ to share. But I also might not post for a month or two. Or six. Or maybe I’ll post next week but then not again for a month.

You get the picture. Just won’t be committing to any sense of regularity any more.

May God richly bless you this weekend with family and friends.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven….I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 14)

Computer Problems

Hey folks,

Well, I have some big time computer problems this morning. At least at the moment, they seem pretty big. Eating my time, making me a bit anxious. Can’t really concentrate on much—not, even talking with y’all—until I get this settled. I have some things I’m going to try but you know how it goes. Takes time.

So, I bid you all a nice day and I’ll see you back on Friday. Any prayers would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Read this passage this morning:

Stop putting your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. How can they be of help to anyone? (Isaiah 2:22 NLT)

Same could be said about my computer at the moment. I really don’t mean that, you understand. Just need to solve this problem. My livelihood depends on my computer functioning well!

Grace in Temptation

Happy Monday.

Last Friday I talked about temptation and how sometimes I deal with it better than others. I also shared how God is faithful, not allowing us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. (1 Cor. 10:13).

I was reminded of a story from my childhood. At this time, I had a knowledge of God and a tender conscience. I would not accept Christ as my Savior for many years but God was clearly working in my heart, even then. I’ve never forgotten this story.

***

Returning from recess, we took off our shoes and set them beside the door of our classroom. In Miss Cupid’s third grade (don’t ya just love that name?), we’d been studying about the Japanese culture. Today was officially designated as “Japanese Day.” We were so excited because ours was the only third grade class who would be eating authentic Japanese food for lunch instead of the boring peanut butter and jelly sandwiches which generally graced our lunch boxes.

We each sat in a circle while Miss Cupid set out her frying pan and various utensils. She then opened a small plastic bowl of marinated steak and gently began sautéing. A few moments later she added the vegetables to complete here Teriyaki stir fry. I was so hungry and the meal smelled wonderful.

And yet, the moment I saw Miss Cupid toss in the steak, I grew sad. As a Catholic, at least back then, we didn’t eat meat of Friday. Today was Friday. I knew I could eat the vegetables but I loved steak and I wanted it.

All the while the meal cooked, I could only think about how much I wanted my steak. There wasn’t a lot, and I knew we wouldn’t each get that many pieces. But we each would get some and I wanted it so bad. I resolved in my heart, I would not eat it. I just wouldn’t.

Finally, my teacher transferred the stir fry into a glass bowl where she’d already prepared the rice and handed it to the first student, where he took a small portion then passed the bowl on to the next. When the bowl had made it half way around the circle, I turned to the boy next to me, who I also knew was Catholic. Too bad we can’t eat the meat, huh, David? Oh, it’s okay, he said. I’ll just go to confession on Sunday.

Wait a minute, I thought. That can’t be right. Seems I’m supposed to at least try to do the right thing from the start, not deliberately do the wrong thing, thinking that apologizing afterward was enough to make it okay. So when the bowl passed to me, somehow I managed to take only the vegetables and rice but didn’t take a single piece of meat. I then passed the bowl to David. Without hesitation, he scooped up some of the meat. I had a hard time with that. We had the same beliefs and yet I let the meat pass and he didn’t. Again, it wasn’t that I didn’t understand that we all make mistakes. What troubled me was that he thought going to confession afterwards made it okay to do this.

Now, though, I began to rationalize. Maybe it was okay after all. And yet, how can something be not okay one minute and then suddenly become okay simply because I want to do it really bad? My little eight-year-old conscience was taking a beating.

After we all had a small portion, there was enough left over so Miss Cupid passed the bowl around again. This time, I decided, when the bowl came to me, I would take some steak this time. I just wasn’t strong enough to say no two times! And yet, when the bowl passed to me, all that was left was rice and vegetables. No steak!

***

Years later as I began to study my Bible, I learned there was no Biblical restriction against eating meat on Friday. Yet obviously, my purpose in sharing this story is not to speak despairingly again Catholicism or any other denomination.

The reason why the story stuck with me all these years is this. I tried to do the right thing according to my conscience at that time and I did do the right thing. But when the temptation simply proved too strong for me the second time around, and I knew I couldn’t make the right choice again, God removed the temptation. Now I didn’t think in such terms back then as an eight-year-old. In fact I do remember being a little disappointed by the time the bowl came to me.

Yet in my heart I really felt like God had done me a favor. And when you think about it, isn’t that what God’s grace is? Always giving us a break when we don’t deserve it, forever wanting to just do us a favor?

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)