Afraid of God's Will?

graphic from thegospelforoc.com

In a recent conversation with a new friend, she asked, "Does it really matter to the Lord what I do for a job?"  She is afraid to ask God what he thinks.  Why?  Because she is afraid she might find out God's will requires a radical change in her life. 

When we first come to Jesus Christ for salvation, we come with repentance.  That means we are turning our back on our sins and on unbelief, and that now we are willing to change from our way to his way.  Or at least, we are willing to have him make us willing to change.  If I am afraid to learn that God wants something different from me, does that not mean that I am refusing to give up my will?  Hmm.  What happened to repentance?  Does it only go so far?

As my friend is a new Christian, I can understand her fear.  The problem is, she fears the wrong thing.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, the Bible says.  The fear of the Lord is what drives the Christian to understand his will.  As my friend learns to fear God and obey his direction, she will find that she will also trust him more; as she proves him, she will find that the result of submitting to God's will is better than any of her own plans could have turned out.  Truly, it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4)!  He is so gracious and kind.

I wrote a post on this topic several years ago, and it bears repeating:

Trusting God's Answers

“But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.”  Luke 9: 45

Have you ever been afraid to ask God about a particular passage of the scripture? I have. Soon after I was saved I began to hear preaching and to come across Bible literature about a lady’s wardrobe.  It wasn’t just about modesty, for if it had been, I would not have been bothered.  I thought I was modest. (It’s amazing how the Bible opens blinded eyes!) This stuff I was hearing and seeing had to do with women wearing pants, and how God designed women and men, and what the Bible has to say on the subject of a woman’s wardrobe.  For some weeks I pondered and wondered.  I searched the scriptures, looking for a verse that said my outward appearance didn’t matter. (It wasn’t there.) Then I began to argue with God.  While I didn’t want to be a rebel against the Lord, I also didn’t want to submit to his will if it meant giving up my pants.  What would my family and friends think? Wouldn’t people look at me strange if I only wore skirts?? How could I afford a new wardrobe?!

The whole question could have been solved much sooner for me, if I had just asked God the clear meaning of the passages I had read. But I was afraid to ask him! I think I already KNEW what God wanted me to do. So why was I afraid? Did I think submitting to his will was going to make me miserable?  Did I think God wanted me to feel conspicuous? Was he going to destroy my comfortable LIFE?  Did I think God just did not know what he was doing?  After all, in our culture, women wear pants. If I gave in to this, what else was he going to demand from me?  (Pants on ladies is not the subject of this post, so keep reading.)

Since that time, other similar issues have come up for me, issues that I was afraid to ask the Lord about -- how he wants me to act towards or react to the unloveables in my life, what he wants from me now that he owns me, what kind of missions offering does he want me to give? The Bible has the answers to all of those questions. Certainly I have not gotten the victory over every fear concerning what God might ask of me, but I do thank the Lord for this promise:

“For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.” Luke 9:56

There is nothing that God could ask of me, that, if I obey him, will make my life miserable.  Oh, I might be afraid to give up this security blanket or to be put into that uncomfortable situation or to humble myself, but I know now that on the other side of obedience there is joy and a peaceful conviction that I am in the will of God.

My husband knows a man who thinks maybe the Lord is calling him to be a preacher.  This man is afraid to ask the Lord about it, because he is afraid of the answer. A call to preach would mean EVERYTHING that his family is comfortable with would change.  They would have to move away, take a very serious pay-cut, and move into the spotlight as a preacher’s family. He would have to learn to speak in front of people on a very regular basis (oooh!), and come up with messages that he is convinced are from the Lord, to feed his church. The burden to pray would be great.  The burdens of his church family would add to the burdens of his own family. His wife would be a preacher’s wife, and his children would become PK’s.  His dreams and aspirations for this life would go up in a puff of smoke! Now that’s scary! Is God set out to destroy this man’s life and that of his family?  No.  God wants to save his life.  God may be giving this man an opportunity to serve him right in the center of His perfect will. What an opportunity!  What peace can be found when God’s answer is known AND acted upon. 

What does God want for your future or your career (or lack thereof)? What does he want you to look like, and how does he wish for you to spend your free time?  Are you afraid to ask him? If you are God's child, he has a wonderful plan for you. His plan for you is better than any of your own plans. Go his way.  It may take a leap of faith to ask him what it is, but you won’t regret following him in it. 

Tip of the Day: How to Fix Night-Time Leg Cramps

Welcome to my first tip-of-the-day post.  There may not be a second one, but this is so good I have to share it.

If you suffer from night-time leg cramps, give this a try.  It sounds crazy, but it works.  Before you go to sleep, put an unwrapped bar of soap, any brand, under the sheets.  And then, go to sleep.  If something wakes you in the night, it won't be a muscle cramp.

That's all.  

Wasn't that easy?

*   *   *   *   *

The legs of the lame are not equal: 

so is a parable in the mouth of fools.  

Proverbs 26:7

Diamonds in the Country

That's what we are becoming.  The Lord sure is giving us a lot of opportunities to live like country folk, in spite of the fact that we dwell in a townhouse. Does this mean he is preparing us a home outside of town?  If so, he is also preparing for us a mower and a plow and something to push that plow... and lots of gas for many trips into town.  :)  I'm kind of liking the idea, although I have to confess that for the past forty-some years I have not been trained to keep up the work ethic that is needed for country life.  It's never too late to change, and miracles do happen.  I am looking forward to a miracle in my character.

So far we have been on a hay ride, weeded a big garden, harvested carrots, potatoes, and corn, and enjoyed a nice outdoor campfire and meal.  That's country-ish, don't you think?

Last weekend we added apple-juicing to our list of countrified activities.  We learned how apples go from this

 

and this

 

and this

 

to this!

 

First we gather the apples.

Then we separate the good apples from the bad.  The pigs get the bad ones.  It's their dessert.  :)

Next we wash the apples and cut out the bad parts.

 

Then comes the fun part.  The apples go into the grinder,

 

and from the grinder into the press:

And from the press into the cup/jug/mouth. 

 

Deeeelicious!  

We'll be adding raking leaves, shoveling snow, and milking a cow to our list of experiences.  Stay tuned!

Just a Little Lefse

As we now live in the land of Scandihoovia (not to be confused with Outer Slobovia), we thought it was time we made some lefse.  Two people here think it is just the most wonderful stuff.  I guess it's kind of like pickled herring or lutefisk, two other Swedish/Norwegian delights.  Either you love it or you can leave it.  The lefse lovers here eat it with butter and jam on it.  To me that tastes like mashed potatoes with jam... not that I would ever top my mashed potatoes that way.  (Blech!)

The Lefse Song (sing to the tune of Camptown Ladies)

Norsky ladies sing dis song...Uff Da! Uff Da.
Bake dat lefse all day long...all da Uff Da day.
Bake it till it's almost brown...Uff Da! Uff Da.
Makes you yump yust like a clown...all da Uff Da Day.

(CHORUS)
Gonna bake all night...gonna bake all day
I'll spend my money on potatoes and flour...
To have me an Uff Da day.

Vent down town for some lutefisk...Uff Da! Uff Da!
De vedder vas so cold and brisk, all da Uff Da day.
Used my lefse for a Mackinaw...Uff Da...Uff Da
Greatest yacket I ever saw...Lefse saved da day.
(CHORUS)

Vent to town in my Model T...Uff Da...Uff Da.
Tire vent flat and I said "poor me."...it Vas an Uff Da day
Used dat lefse for a patch...Uff Da...Uff Da!
Now I gotta bake me anodder batch...Oh da Uff Da day.
(CHORUS)

For you non-Scandihoovians, lefse is a lot like a flour tortilla, but it's made with potatoes.

Here is my lovely lefse baker, who thinks it would be nice if we made ALL of our bready items by hand.

I think this girl is going to grow up to be a coffee-shop owner and resident baker and soup-maker. She will have a little store built on to the side of her pretty house, and the outside will be decked with bright flowers.  :)  Go, Betsy!

An Emily Post

As I was browsing thru my recent photos for some blog fodder, I noticed the sole subject of my photos seems to be my youngest daughter.  Wonder how that happened?

In a nutshell, here's a special post on Emily.

Emily is a very easily influenced child.  When big sister had what was possibly a contagious stomach bug a couple of weeks ago, the power of suggestion was too much for this one.  Her complaint of a tummy ache resulted in her missing her piano lessons. :(  Next time she won't be so quick to imagine herself ill!

Friends from church had a hayride and potluck dinner last weekend.  Emily loved their miniature horses and thinks we need one!  As well as a goat, a donkey, a cow, and some chickens... Ah, I am blessed to live in a townhome.

One of the fun things about getting together with families who have lots of little kids is that a seven-year-old discovers she is one of the "big kids".

A while ago I received a nice gift bag full of lovely things from the sweet ladies at one of our supporting churches.  Down in the bottom of it were these two battery-operated, lighted zipper pulls.  I had to laugh at that, wondering what the targeted market is for lighted zipper pulls.  I discovered the answer this evening.  The market is seven year old little girls! 

I love this little kid.  This evening we took a short hand-in-hand walk.  She was full of love and affection for me.  :) 

It's so nice to be a mom. 

~ ♥ ~

Sickhouse Update

Thank you, all you dear people who commented and gave advice about my poor Amy's illness the past week.  She is better.  So much better, in fact, that I can't afford to keep her.  She is eating me out of house and home, quickly putting those ten pounds back on.  It must have been a virus of some sort, and really, I should have gotten a clue when Wal*Mart was totally out of Imodium.   

I am very thankful to have her back to health, and I'm thanking the Lord.  

Now if we can just get her over being sick of chemistry we'll be doing real good...

Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?

Sorry, those lyrics that were pounded into my brain a zillion times during my youth have a permanent place in there. All I remember is that line, and I don't even know what the song was about.  Probably fornication.  Most of those rock tunes are.  Either that, or a drug high.  But I digress.  

What I am actually thinking about is whether to stay, or go to the doctor.

This has always almost always been a problem for us, and it would have been a lot worse up until now except for the fact that God has given us an exceptionally healthy family.  How do you decide when to go?  I think I can recognize an emergency.  It's the non-emergency, but becoming urgent, medical situations that get me.  

Amy has had diarrhea for over a week, and although she feels starved she doesn't eat, because everything immediately goes through her.  She has lost 10 lbs that she didn't need to lose.  She had a fever early on, but only for a few hours.  She is beginning to look pale and skinny (er).  And she doesn't feel tops.  Here is my line of thinking:

Could it be food poisoning?  Probably not.  We have all eaten the same things and the rest of us are fine. A virus?  Maybe.  But weird one.  Could it be Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis or Celiac disease?  Probably not.  But what if it is?   

Maybe I should take her in. 

But if I do, that will be $125+ to see a doctor... and $???? for diagnostic tests that we can't afford, and what if they don't show anything wrong with her, in which case we will wish we had not wasted the money...

Lord Jesus, my daughter needs your healing touch, and I need your peace of mind...

I just hate it that the cost of diagnosis and treatment is a part of my decision-making.   Amy is worth way more than all the money we have.  Which isn't much.  The money, I mean, lol.

But thinking like this has kept us in the black.  I could have had kids in for tests for diabetes, Celiac, obesity, allergies, ear infections, etc, and we'd be broke just from the diagnostic testing. But patience has always proved that we didn't need it.  I think the medical industry is wacko on spending other people's money, whether that is insurance money or private funds.  I don't want money stress on top of health stress.  And I hate having to admit that I even hesitate to help my daughter because of it.  

Amy is sick... 

Have I been patient long enough?  Too patient?  Am I heartless?  Prudent?  Foolish? 

Sigh...

I am really good at casting my cares upon Jesus with a big rubber band attached.  They always come flying back at me. 

Stand Still and Consider

I meant to take the camera to church today, to post a photo of our new location.  But, as one of our church ladies says, my memory is something I forget with. I've been meaning to do this for several weeks.  If I had remembered  to take my camera two weeks ago, we would have seen a gorgeous green countryside in the background.  Today we'd have had a more fallish looking scene. We're meeting in an old township hall building with a wood floor and great acoustics, out in the middle of a corn field (or is it a bean field?  yes, I know the difference, I just can't remember!), with horses and chickens nearby.  Big oaks in the yard drop their acorns on the parked cars, adding big metallic thunks to the country sounds every few seconds.  And I'm pretty sure that if we keep the door open our singing can be heard a ways down the road.  The church nursery is a comfortable tree stump out back, where the one noisy child has been rocked, hummed to, and tricked into falling asleep.

Fall is definitely upon us.  Early last Thursday morning my hubby drove the car right out of the nice warm garage and dropped it off at the tire store.  I left a few minutes later in the van to pick him up, after turning the defroster up full blast, running the washer/wipers, and using my kitchen scraper to chisel a hard frost off the windshield.  I grinned at the cloud of vapor coming out of my mouth and nose.  I jumped into the van and shivered, and I couldn't help smiling. Truth!  It has been a long time since I have been that cold, long enough that I have forgotten how awful it is.  Fall is invigorating!  I love it.  And I have determined to love it all the way 'til.... maybe Thanksgiving?  Then the snow will be upon us for good.  God will give me grace to love the snow, too.  My chances of that might be better if I just observe it from my living room window, but with God nothing is left to chance.  :)  

In the short time we have been back in Minnesota I have really enjoyed watching God's handiwork.  What has been even more fun is watching my desert kids' reactions to the wonders I have taken for granted: worms in the driveway after a rain, apple trees full of ripe fruit, the look-at-me-blue sky of September, soft grass to run in with bare feet, frost on said grass, sand cranes feeling in a field, sumac turning bright red, and the appearance and disappearance again of all the leaves that alternately hide and reveal landscapes.  

Thanks for the photos, Amy.

Honest, I did finally learn to love (Can I say "love"? I think I can say "love"...okay) like the desert a lot, and there are desert things (and people!) that I miss tremendously.  But I am very happy to be back in a land where things are alive, and you can tell.  lol.  Okay, if I had been more observant back there in Bullhead Land, I would have appreciated much more of God's handiwork there, too.

Okay, now for the snow.  Stay tuned.  It's coming.  

Thank you, Lord, for letting me be blessed with all this beauty that you made for your own pleasure.

God thundereth marvellously with his voice; 

great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; 

likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.
He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.
Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.
Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.
By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:
And it is turned round about by his counsels:

that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.
He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
Hearken unto this, O Job: 

stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

Job 37:5-14