let.it.go week 4 blog topics

**This post relates to an online Bible study based on the book Let.It.Go by Karen Ehman. Find out more about on Melissa Taylor's  blog by clicking HERE!

WELL, THAT WAS EASY!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always); Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]; Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]. (AMP)

Kendall, be joyful.

Kendall, pray continually.

Kendall, give thanks in all circumstances.

Kendall, this is God’s will for you.

Kendall, who is in Christ Jesus.

Oh, God’s Word is always timely! Have you ever searched Scripture for an answer….but you were really looking for the answer you wanted to hear? That was me this week as we navigate the waiting portion of our adoption journey and were struggling through several decisions that needed to be made. I wanted so desperately for Scripture to tell me to follow my own desires….um, didn’t find that verse anywhere. Then I wanted to find a verse that says following and obeying God is easy and always has a fairy tale ending….no such luck there either….

Instead, God gave me these verses from 1 Thessalonians which actually have nothing to do with my wants, needs or feelings but everything to do with praising Him who reminded me that HE is the source of our joy. He is the foundation of my faith. Through faith in Him I can be joyful in all circumstances…not happy about the waiting….but joyful IN the waiting. What a reminder to be thankful for all that we do have. Which is an abundance of blessings. This is God’s will for me….to be joyful, prayerful, and thankful. Perhaps, when my focus is more on praising Him….the desire to have those other questions answered seems to just fall away.

iSCREAM

“If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love. For a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted.”

                                           Missionary Amy Carmichael

Karen Ehman mentions this week on pg. 138:

“Likewise, when someone bumps my day’s agenda, threatening to knock over the nice clear outta me, guess what happens: What is already inside of me will spill out.”

“If I react to my husband with harsh words when he interrupts my time, if I snap at a coworker for her inefficiency on a shared project, or if I answer my offspring’s call of “Mom!” for the twenty-seventh time with a harsh, angry, and witchlike “Whaaaaaaaat!!” I’m simply spilling out what is already inside.”

“Read this verse slowly, allowing its words to penetrate you soul: “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” Luke 6:45 NLT”

My agendas. My plans. My schedules. Ouch……

Too many times my agenda, plan or schedule has caused  stress that leaked out of me and over to my family. What has been on the inside has spilled out in frustration unnecessarily on my family because I’m feeling stressed about my agenda being threatened. Thankfully over the past few years God has shown me areas that I needed to trim in my life. Many of these activities, clubs, organizations were “good” things but just not necessary in my life and certainly weren’t beneficial to my family. Releasing those commitments actually opened a window where God showed me what His Will for me was and how my identity in Him could be best utilized right here in my own home.

Karen’s tips for trimming the fat from our schedules are very helpful and will be a tool I’ll come back to as other opportunities arise…..and I’ve found they always arise!

pg. 140

Putting the Brakes on Busy:

Stand back and ask Why? (why are we doing this activity)

Dare to be different.  (don’t do something out of habit or guilt)

Consider setting number limits. (ex: one activity per child)

Make a list and check it twice. (weigh the pros and cons and pray before you commit!)

Realize how each family member’s activities affect the others’ schedules. (is this the best time for me to be gone? How will it affect family time, etc.?)

Don’t take on more than you can pray for. (love this one!)

Say yes when you feel called, not because you consider yourself capable. (which I’d obeyed this one more)

Don’t attempt to set the world record for the most consecutive years served.

Ponder this truth: The less you’re involved in, the less your schedule will scream, and the less you just might too!

Karen writes on pg. 131 – “We grab the baton of control and keep things clipping along at breakneck speed, seldom slowing down. All the while around us are living souls who, when they don’t get with our program, immediately get on our nerves.”

Oh Father! Save me from myself and please do not let this be said of me. Rid my heart of selfish desires for affirmation from others and keep my eyes focused on an Audience of One. Help us to wisely discern what is best for our family and what needs to be trimmed. Draw me to my knees where I can come back to your source of Truth and be filled with your Living Water that will spill over to my family. Thank you for being a part of all that we do as a family and for your gentle prodding along the way. Amen.

SERENITY

Sometimes, no matter what we do to try and control a situation…we simply can’t.

Things I cannot control with our adoption:

The number of expectant mothers who contact our agency.

The number of times our profile book is shown.

The number of other families who are in the waiting pool with us.

The “type” of family that an expectant mother is looking for.

How many months/years the waiting will go on.

Proverbs 19:21

We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails. (MSG)

pg. 155 from Let.It.Go.

“We can attempt to change our circumstances. Sometimes it works, but not always. There are no foolproof, three-step methods for making the bad, or just the annoying, in our lives go away. Usually the only aspect we can change about our circumstances is our outlook. So we must adjust our attitudes, alter our actions, and put on a cloak of contentment in order to weather life’s circumstantial storms.”

pg. 156

“Changing our circumstances rarely changes us. What transforms our outlook and us is an attitude shift. It’s God’s job to determine our circumstances. It’s our job to cooperate with him in the midst of them, adjusting and realigning our attitudes with the truth of Scripture.”

pg. 164

“Instead of longing for God to change the trajectory of your life’s story line, look for his face as you practice your faith at each twist and turn along the way.”

Things I can control about our adoption:

I can change my attitude.

I can choose to seek God.

I can be joyful in the waiting.

I can be prayerful not pouty when it gets hard.

I can be thankful for His abundant blessings now.

I can be content.

I can seek to trust God instead of myself.

I can stand, be still, and wait on His perfect timing.

Dear God, This week I was seeking answers and although they weren’t what I wanted to hear – they were surely what I needed to hear. Your perfect plan is where we desire to be. We seek to trust and obey despite the difficulties of waiting. Help me to focus more on changing my attitude rather than my circumstances. Thank you God for these lessons this week. Your Word never fails. You are faithful. Amen.