Seeking Him, Chapter 2

The theme for the second lesson in the Seeking Him study was humility. As I've mentioned in earlier posts, I'm finding that humility is truly key to revival. Pride is one of those "domino" sins--it tends to have a domino effect and cause all sorts of other sins.

I learned in this week's study that one of the quickest ways to gauge how prideful we are is by our reaction to being chastened by God. The study's author, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, writes:

"The inclination of our hearts toward pride or humility becomes evident when God brings to our attention something in our lives that is not pleasing to Him. The way we respond to Him in moments of conviction reveals the true condition of our hearts." (pg. 27)

In times when I know that God is speaking to me about a certain behavior and I am reluctant to confess it, or when I start to make excuses for it, or compare it to someone else's behavior, that's pride. It's a hindrance to my relationship with God, because I cannot have intimacy with Him (or anyone else, for that matter) if I allow myself to be prideful. While humility can be an uncomfortable state, it brings about beautiful results.

This week, ask yourself how you respond when God or someone else confronts you about a particular attitude or behavior. Do you respond graciously and humbly? Or do you become defensive and prideful?

Laying Down Your Life

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:12-13)

For some reason this afternoon on my drive home from work, John 15:13 popped into my head. I'm not sure what prompted the thought, other than divine intervention, so we'll just say that God wanted to speak to me about this verse.

For a long time I thought that laying down one's life for his friends referred to the supreme sacrifice of dying in place of another. And while I do believe that is part of what Jesus is referring to, I now also believe that it's more than that.

Take a look at the preceding verse, where Jesus commands His disciples to love each other in the same way that He had loved them. Now, at the time of His saying that, He had not yet died for the world. Obviously He had demonstrated love to them in other ways preceding His ultimate show of love in the crucifixion.

Laying down your life is not merely a physical death, but a death to self as well. It is putting aside our own desires and will in exchange for someone else's. It may be giving up our desire for a quiet evening at home so that we can spend time with a lonely friend. It may be making a financial sacrifice to help someone else. It may be yielding to someone else's judgment when their way of doing things is not our preferred method.

This death to self is a vital part of any successful relationship, whether a dating or marriage relationship, parent/child relationship, friendship, or co-worker relationship. And it's especially critical in our relationship with God, who knows more than anyone the value of sacrifice.

I imagine that very few of us will ever be called to physically give up our lives so that another may live. But we are all called to lay down our lives in various ways, every day. Today, ask God to open your eyes to ways to lay down your life for someone else.

Deer and NASCAR Don't Mix

Overheard at the salon tonight as I got my haircut, a conversation between a little boy (about 7 years old) and his mother:



Son: Can we put a deer head on our wall?

Mom: I'm not putting a deer head on our wall.

Son: Can I put one on my wall then?

Mom: It wouldn't go in your room with all your NASCAR stuff.

Son: We could get a helmet for the deer head. Do they make helmets for deer heads?

Mom: No, they don't.

Son: Then how we would get one?

Mom: We'd have to get a deer helmet specially made.



For some reason, the thought of a special-order deer racing helmet absolutely cracked me up. It's quite possible the jet lag and brain fog contributed to my getting tickled. I'm just glad that my stylist was unfazed by my shaking shoulders as I tried to keep from laughing.

Revelations

Over the past couple of weeks, one of my prayers has been that God would help me to see people as He sees them, with His vision. It's easy for me to be critical and judgmental when I'm only seeing people from my point of view and with my limited sight. I want to be more understanding of others, particularly those who I truly don't "get".

God has been answering my prayer in an unexpected way. Rather than revealing to me other people's motives or problems, He has gently but firmly revealing things about myself to me. There have been numerous times over the past couple of weeks when I've started to pass judgment on someone for their perceived laziness or stubborness or whinyness, and all of a sudden God softly speaks to me and reminds me of times when I've acted the same way.

I suppose that, to best see others how God sees them, I must first see myself as God sees me. As I become more sensitive to my sinful nature, I am slower to judge others. (I can't say that I'm not judging at all...but it is coming slower than in the past!)

Further, as I become more aware of my sins, I become more aware of the need of God's grace. And then I am more aware of others' need of grace in their own lives. And so I'm finding myself a little slower to criticize or complain about others, because God is helping me to see so much of myself in them.

As I said, it's been an unexpected way to reveal things to me. But it's definitely eye-opening.

Watch Your Feet

My toes are still black and blue from Nancy Leigh DeMoss stepping all over them in her ongoing series about humility. On Monday's broadcast, she gave a long list of examples of pride. Many of them hit me squarely between the eyes, including some actions that I'd never before considered to be prideful.

Here's the list she gave...I won't ask you to name which ones in particular convict you, unless you just want to 'fess up!

1. Do you look down on those who are less educated, less affluent, less refined, or less successful than yourself?

2. Do you think of yourself as more spiritual than your mate or people in your church or people in your workplace, other believers. Do you think of yourself as more spiritual than other believers you know?

3. Here’s another one: Do you have a judgmental spirit toward those who don’t make the same lifestyle choices that you do? Dress standards, how you school your kids, entertainment standards. Think of other believers you know. Do you tend to have a judgmental spirit? Now maybe you don’t think you do. If you wonder on some of these, you may want to go ask somebody who knows you really well, "Do I come across that way, as having a judgmental spirit toward those who have different lifestyle choices than I do?"

4. Here’s another one: Are you quick to find fault with others and to verbalize those faults to others? Do you have a sharp, critical tongue? We would call it discerning, analytical.

5. Here’s another one: Do you frequently correct or criticize your mate or your pastor or other people in positions of leadership—your kids’ teachers, youth director. Think about the people who are involved in your life, people in leadership. Are you quick to correct or criticize them? To them or to others?

6. Are you proud of the schedule you keep? How disciplined you are? How much you’re able to accomplish? You’re a real producer, a real performer. Is that something that you’re proud of?

7. Are you driven to receive approval, praise, or acceptance from others? You always need to have a pat on the back, have someone telling you how well you’re doing or you get discouraged. Are you driven to receive approval from others?

8. Are you argumentative? You have to have the last word. Think about what it’s been like in your home for the last day or two. Proverbs tell us that only by pride comes contention. So where there’s contention . . . “Yes,” you say, “I know. My husband. He’s a proud man. That’s why we have so much contention in our home.” No, it takes more than a proud husband to have contention in a home. It’s a proud husband and, more often than not, a proud wife too. Are you argumentative?

9. Do you generally think that your way is the right way, the only way, or the best way? Think about how you go about cleaning up your kitchen and then your husband comes along and he does it differently. Is your way the right way? It has to be done your way.

10. Do you have a touchy, sensitive spirit, easily offended? Do you get your feelings hurt easily? This is another one of the evidences of spiritual pride that Jonathan Edwards talked about—people who take offense easily. He said:

Spiritual pride takes great notice of opposition and injuries that are received and is prone to be often speaking of them . . . humility on the other hand causes a person to be more like his blessed Lord when reviled: quiet, not opening his mouth, but committing himself in silence to Him who judges righteously.

11. How about this one? Are you guilty of pretense. Trying to leave a better impression of yourself than is honestly true. Here’s a way to go about seeing if you have that one. Would the people that know you at church be shocked if they were to come and discover what you’re like at home, behind the four walls of your own home?

12. Another one: Do you have a hard time admitting when you are wrong? Is it hard for you to say, “I was wrong.” Or do you wait for the other person to admit that they were wrong?

13. Do you have a hard time confessing your sin to God or others? Not just in generalities. We all say I need to be a better woman. I need to love the Lord more. I need to read my Bible more. But when it comes to the specific issues. "I’m in love with food. I’m in love with television. I love entertainment more than I love God." I mean the specifics. Do you have a hard time confessing those?

14. Are you excessively shy? You say, “Shy? That’s proud?” Excessive shyness. What is it? Self-centeredness. What do other people think about me? That can be an evidence, a subtle form of pride.

15. Do you have a hard time reaching out and being friendly to people that you don’t know at church? Do you stick to your own little group there, hard to reach out to new people? That can be pride.

16. Do you become defensive when you are criticized or corrected? That anger that wells up. What is that? That’s a fruit that grows on the root of pride. Why do we get angry when somebody criticizes us? We may not express it outwardly, but inwardly. Because our pride gets hurt.

17. Are you a perfectionist? Here’s another evidence of pride perhaps in your life. The way you keep your house, the way you do your job, the way you raise your kids. Are you a perfectionist? Everything has to be just perfect and you get impatient and irked with people who aren’t.

18. Do you tend to be controlling of you mate? If you’re not sure, by the way, ask your mate.

19. Do you frequently interrupt people when they’re speaking? The Lord really spoke to me about this as I was working on this list. I realized what I’m saying when I interrupt you when you’re speaking is, what I have to say is more important than what you have to say. It’s pride.

20. Do you often complain about the weather, your health, your circumstances, your job, church? Complaining. How’s that pride? You think you deserve better. It shouldn’t be happening to me.

21. Do you talk about yourself too much? Are you more concerned about your problems, your needs, your burdens than about other people’s concerns?

22. Do you worry about what others think of you? About your reputation or your family’s reputation. By the way, that’s one thing that motivates a lot of parenting, isn’t it? With mothers, "What are people going to think if my child is this way?" That can be pride.

23. Do you neglect to express gratitude for the little things to God, to your mate, to others. An ungrateful spirit, that’s pride.

24. Do you neglect prayer and intake of the Word? How’s that pride? Well, I’m saying I can live my life without God. I can manage without Him.

25. Do you get hurt if your accomplishments or your acts of service are not recognized or rewarded? In your home? At your job? In your church?

26. Do you react to rules? And who of us doesn’t? Do you have a hard time being told what to do? Do you have an issue with authority? That’s pride.

27. Do you avoid participating in certain events for fear of being embarrassed or looking foolish? Do you avoid being around certain people because you feel inferior compared to them? Feel like you just don’t measure up.

28. Are you uncomfortable inviting people to your home because you don’t think it’s nice enough or you can’t afford to do lavish entertaining?

29. Is it hard for you to let others know when you need help? Maybe practical help or spiritual help. You have an independent spirit. I can do this on my own. I won’t let anybody else help me.

30. Here’s a way to measure your pride quotient. When is the last time you said these words to a family member, to a friend, to a co-worker, “I was wrong. Will you please forgive me?”

For the full transcript of the broadcast, click here.

Prayerlessness=Pride

The second chapter in the Seeking Him study is about humility. It is noted that pride is at the root of all sin, which is what makes it so dangerous. When we don't deal with our pride, we cannot effectively deal with the other sins in our life.

One area of pride that God has revealed to me is neglecting to pray. I try to maintain a pretty consistent prayer life. Usually my morning commute to work is spent in prayer, and I often pray at other times during the day as well, particularly at night before bed. But when it's the weekend or I'm not on my usual schedule, prayer sometimes falls by the wayside. It's easy to let it become rote or routine and not really genuine, fervent prayer.

When I don't take time during my day to seek God in prayer, I'm saying that I don't need Him. Of course, deep down I know that I do need Him. But my actions say otherwise. I'm realizing that rushing into my day without praying is an act of pride on my part.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree?

Seeking Him, Chapter 1

As I mentioned last week, I've started a 12-week study on personal revival called Seeking Him. Throughout the study I plan to share some of the insights I've gained each week.

Week one's title was "Revival--Who Needs It?". I think it's important to realize that for true revival to sweep across our churches, communities and nation, it has to first begin with us as individuals. It's easy for me to ask God to change those around me; it's far more humbling to ask Him to change me.

I've begun praying that God would open my eyes to see people as He sees them, and to make me sensitive to His leading. He has definitely been answering those prayers by bringing attitudes and behaviors to my attention that have not been pleasing to Him. Like I said, it's a very humbling experience.

However, this humbling experience has brought about a new awareness of how much God loves me. As I see my sinful nature more clearly, I get a greater sense of the depth of His love. One thing that stood out to me in this first week of study is that the Bible is filled with story after story of God's relentless pursuit of His people, and of His desire to have a relationship with them. That desire did not end with the Old Testament, or with the first century church. It persists today. Even now, God calls out to us to turn to Him, seek His face, and enjoy fellowship with Him.

Another point was that the desire for revival and relationship with God is not produced by ourselves, but rather it is a desire placed in our hearts by God. Our hunger for Him is from Him. We don't generate it ourselves.

Looking forward to what week two has to say to me...

Nail Biter

Nothing like some last-minute heroics to get your blood pressure up....

ROLL TIDE!!!

Friday Fun

Let's kick off the weekend with a little intelligence test. If you get at least 19 right, you're considered a genius. (So far I've gotten 27 of them right, woo hoo!)

Have fun!

Undeserved Love

Yesterday, someone told me that I was "always" nice. Boy howdy, if they only knew the real me! I was humbled by this most undeserved praise. Yes, I try to be nice and kind and generous and loving. But I am certainly not "always" any of these.

Unfortunately, there are many times when I am cranky and stubborn and stingy and selfish. (I could rattle off many other negative characteristics, but you get the point.)

How thankful I am for those people who know the "real" me and love and accept me anyway! And how extremely humbled and thankful I am for the God who chose and saved me, even while knowing what a sinner I'd be. His love is truly undeserved. And yet He continues to give it freely. What amazing grace!

When Riding High, Don't Forget to Look for Danger

Today a co-worker and I worked at a golf tournament. Each hole on the course was sponsored by various companies, most of whom decorated their tee box. My co-worker and I served as sponsor judges, which meant we spent the day riding around to all the tee boxes to decide which sponsors had done the best job decorating.

After we'd made our decisions, we rode out around the course again, this time to award the winners. There were five people on our golf cart (which was designed for just four), with the 5th person standing on the back of the cart and holding on for dear life as my co-worker drove us around.

We were riding down the cart path past some trees when all of a sudden, we heard a THWACK! We turned around to see our fearless standing passenger with blood streaming from his forehead, nose, cheek and ear. It turned out that he had been looking back and not paying attention to what was ahead, and what was ahead was a low-hanging limb on a pine tree. Thankfully, outside of some cuts and a bruised ego, he wasn't seriously hurt. But he definitely learned that he needed to pay more attention to his surroundings. Standing up, he had a great view of the course--but he didn't pay enough attention to the danger directly in front of him.

When we are riding high, spiritually speaking, it's easy to forget that danger can be lurking. In the valley times, I am quick to turn to God, seek His comfort and assurance, and walk closely with Him. But when I come out of the valley and move toward the mountaintop, I don't always maintain that closeness, nor do I always feel a deep need for God's protection.

I love the mountaintop experiences. I thank God for them, especially after spending time in the valley. But I don't want my alertness to potential danger, nor my dependence on God, to wane when I'm riding high.

How do you remind yourself that you need to depend on God at all times?

From Friend to Savior

I'm still participating in our Thursday night Bible study of the gospel of John. This week we're planning to cover chapter 12, which begins with the story of Mary annointing Jesus' feet with perfume and wiping it with her hair. Although I've read that story many times before, this time I was struck by what the story said about Lazarus:

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him. (John 12:9-11)

As I read that particular passage, I made the following note in the margin of my Bible: How did it feel to eat dinner with the man who saved your life? How Lazarus' relationship to Jesus change after Jesus raised him from the dead?

Of course, the Bible does not share those insights, so I'm left to speculate. But I can't help but believe that Lazarus' relationship with Jesus DID change. Jesus was no longer just a friend, or just a rabbi/teacher. He had become Lazarus' savior. He literally brought him back from the dead. I wonder if Lazarus was grateful for the second chance at life, or if he'd have rather remained in the grave.

It's interesting to note that, after this, Lazarus joined Jesus on the chief priests' "Most Wanted" list. I wonder if he had to go into hiding. Ironically, because Jesus had saved his life, Lazarus' life was now in danger. He was a living, breathing testimony to the redemptive power of Jesus, and he helped lead others to Him.

I wonder if people who knew Lazarus before he died (the first time) looked at him differently after he was raised from the dead. I wonder if he appreciated life even more. I don't know if he caught a glimpse of Heaven while he was dead, but I wonder if he was not fearful about his eventual death. I wonder if he felt closer to Jesus or more in awe of Him or both. I wonder if he felt unworthy to have Jesus into his home, let alone sit at the same table and share a meal with Him.

Of course, Jesus plays the same roles with us, that of Savior as well as Friend. Sometimes I think I am too casual in my friendship with Him, taking for granted the fact that, without Him, I would be spiritually dead and lost forever. I forget that I am indebted to Him.

But the good news is, He does not make me stay at a respectful distance. He invites me to dine with Him. He welcomes my friendship and my company. That is a humbling, and reassuring, thing to realize.

Do you have anything you wonder about Lazarus' encounters with Jesus? How does recognizing Jesus as your Savior change your friendship with Him?

Increasing Sensitivity

As I've started this new study on personal revival this week, I feel that I am entering a time of transformation. One of the requests that I've added to my prayers is that God would make me increasingly sensitive to His leading.

Too often I have preconceived notions about what I think I should do when God may have something in mind altogether different. I want to lay aside my ideas--no matter how good I think they are--and trust Him especially in those times when His leading doesn't seem to make sense.

Part of that increasing sensitivity is an increasing awareness of my sinful nature. In the past couple of days I've been convicted in particular about being critical and not being generous. Ouch. This transformation business is not always comfortable. And I fully expect that as I depend more and more on God's leading, He'll continue to work at whittling away the rough edges of my heart.

Attitude

While eating at a wonderful seafood restaurant in Charleston last week, I noticed that the restaurant had posted the following quote by Chuck Swindoll as their staff philosophy. I have to agree, it's a great one to live by:


The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.


The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.


And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.

Remembering

It's funny how we measure time around certain events. There are some events that define our lives, causing us to forever after think of our lives in the context of "before" and "after" such events. There are moments of great joy and moments of great sorrow, but it's rarely the ho-hum moments that stick in our memories.


I suppose that September 11 will be, for as long as I live, one of those defining moments in time. I was getting ready for work that morning, with the "Today" show on in the background. I think I turned it on just after the first plane had crashed into the first World Trade Center tower, and it was assumed that it was a mere accident. Then several minutes later, I saw them report the crash into the second tower, and the dawning realization that there was more, much more, to the story.


At work we huddled around the old black and white TV with the grainy reception in the office, scoured the internet for updates, and listened to the radio for breaking news. My thoughts were with my aunt and her family who lived (and still live) in Manhattan. Thankfully we soon learned that they were all well, although obviously greatly distressed.


I had lunch with three friends that day at a sports bar, with all the televisions tuned into the news instead of ESPN. Even with the non-stop news reports, I don't think that we realized the magnitude of what was happening to our nation that day. I don't think anyone did.


Somehow, over the following days and weeks, the word "terrorism" became a common use in our terminology. Words like "jihad" and "Al Qaeda"--terms I had never heard before--entered our language. Slowly I began to see that we were living in a "post-9/11" world. And things would never be the same again.


As I reflect on September 11, I think about the things I've learned from it. I've learned that true heroism still exists. I've learned that there are people who truly hate our country, who hate us so much that they are willing to sacrifice their very lives if it means taking ours. I've learned that tragedy can unite the most unlikely groups. I've learned that our government doesn't always know or do what's best. I've learned that God can be and is glorified even in the midst of tragedy. I've learned that September 11 will always be a day tinged with sadness whenever I see that date on the calendar. I've learned that time is fleeting and that life is precious and that I never want to forget that.


Most of all, I've learned that, despite the threats of terrorism, despite wars and bombings and videos calling for American blood, God is sovereign. He is in control. He cannot be shaken.


Who have I to fear? My life and my times are in God's hands.


Certainly, today will be filled with reflections on September 11, as well as debates about how protected our country is today versus six years ago, whether or not we are doing the right thing in the war on terror, and whether or not President Bush and the CIA and Congress and everyone else with a say in the matter are acting wisely. While I don't think we need to cut ourselves off from world news or pretend that danger doesn't exist, I do think that, when we are tempted to fear the future, we need to remind ourselves of God's sovereignty, of His wisdom and of His timing. Nothing and no one can stand against Him. Rejoice in that knowledge today.

Seeking Him

Several months ago I received the book "Seeking Him: Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival". It's a 12-week study, with five days of "homework" each week.

I put off studying it for a while, but yesterday felt compelled to pick it up and start it. Later in the day, I learned that on Monday, one of the authors, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, was beginning a series on her radio program based on this study. Talk about God's timing...that was just confirmation that now is the time for me to engage in this study.

I look forward to sharing with you over the next few weeks what God is teaching me through this study. If any of you have done this study before, feel free to add your insights as well. I'm excited about what God is preparing to reveal to me, and I admit that I'm also a little bit apprehensive. I know that personal revival involves personal change, which is not always easy to do. But of course, I am not on this journey of revival and change alone. God's Spirit is at work in me to bring about this change and to make me more like God.

The Wait Poem

by Russell Kelfer

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate . . .
And the Master so gently said,"Wait."

"Wait? You say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
"Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I relate,
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to Wait?"
I'm needing a 'yes,' a go-ahead sign.
Or even a 'no,' to which I'll resign.

You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply.

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting . . . for what?"

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine . . .
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me,
When darkness and silence are all you can see.

You'd never experience the fullness of love,
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask,
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

You'd never know should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But oh, the loss if I lost what I'm doing in you.

So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see,
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still "WAIT".

It's All About the View

I'm home now after spending a few days vacationing in Savannah and Charleston. Our trip got off to a somewhat auspicious start--we took a detour (unplanned) on our way to Savannah, which put us getting there a couple of hours later than expected. When we stopped for a bathroom break, a woman getting into the car next to us opened her car door too wide and put a ding in the side of my friend's brand new car. And it rained cats and dogs much of the way there and all night in Savannah, making navigating from the hotel to a restaurant for dinner somewhat of a risky venture.

Thankfully, I was traveling with someone who has a knack for recognizing the unexpected good things we encountered, and who was quick to praise God for them. Things like the fireworks show we saw from our hotel balcony on Labor Day in Charleston, the pod of dolphins swimming alongside our boat as we took a harbor cruise, finding ideal parking places in crowded cities and experiencing beautiful weather the rest of our trip after a day and a half of rain.

I have to admit that sometimes it's easy for me to focus on the negatives, and that can make it difficult for me to recognize the positives that God is trying to show me. I'm thankful that He provided a traveling companion who helped me view the positive things this week.

May your day be filled with blessings--and may you have the vision to recognize them and to praise the Giver of them!

All that You Can't Leave Behind*

Whenever I travel I have a tendency to overpack. The trip I'm setting out on today will be by car, which gives me even more room to pack since I won't have the strict baggage restrictions that the airlines impose.

I'm trying to leave behind worry, which is never a pleasant thing to drag along with you on a trip (or in everyday life, for that matter). One thing on my mind is a project at work that is moving more slowly and not as successfully as we would like. My co-workers reassured me that they'd be able to take care of it while I'm gone, so I'm trying to let go of it and not worry about it.

Over the years I've gotten better at being able to leave work at work and not mentally cart it home with me at night, so hopefully I'll be able to forget all about it while on my trip. And hopefully no one from the office won't be calling me.

If I do start to worry, I'll just repeat to myself, "God is in control. God is in control...". That's probably a good thing to repeat to myself every day, come to think of it.

I hope that you all enjoy your holiday weekend. I'll be taking a break from blogging while I'm traveling, but will be (Lord willing) back soon.

*The title's for my sister, an avid U2 fan.