STRIVE

This post was written for Five Minute Friday 

Word prompt--STRIVE

Five minutes to free write about it 

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As I Googled for a verse on striving this popped up first. It's not an actual bible verse, but it was just what I needed to see at this particular moment in time. A personal message of encouragement from the Lord, it seems. Hopefully a word of encouragement to someone else who reads this post as well.

“Do not strive in your own strength; cast yourself at the feet of the Lord Jesus, and wait upon Him in the sure confidence that He is with you, and works in you. Strive in prayer; let faith fill your heart -so will you be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”

—Andrew Murray

It made me smile as I thought of how well it addressed my feelings regarding a text someone I have not heard from in a very long time sent me this morning and my response to it. 

I had been unable to get to the phone in time to answer her call yesterday, but was overjoyed to see her name on the screen. I immediately called back to apologize for not making it to the phone on time, and when it was voice mail that answered instead of her, I left a message saying I hoped she would try again.

For the rest of the afternoon and evening I carried my cell phone around with me in full anticipation that she would, but she did not. And so, instead of just letting it go and letting God, I strove for that call back by following up with a text. 

At first it seemed as though she wasn't going to respond to my text either, but early this morning she did. Just a short text back saying she had called because she had been thinking of me, she was doing well, and she assumed I was thriving. My response was that I wouldn't say I was thriving, but I was doing okay and God is good.

And yes, God has been beyond good. He has been awesome and touched me in so many small, personal ways to encourage me along the way. This was such a small thing. Why could I not just rest in Him instead of striving to make things play out the way I wanted them to.

Though it was disappointing not to get to talk to this person from out of the past, it was still a blessing to know that she does still think of me sometimes and that for one brief moment she even considered picking up the phone to call.    

CLARIFY

This post was written for Five Minute Friday 

Word prompt--CLARIFY

Five minutes to free write about it 

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I must have been dreaming about this prompt, because I woke up to a jumble of questions that could all use some clarifying. These are a few.

Out of the 1,600 plus folks who have downloaded a free copy of my book, Sincerely Wrong (and the many others who have actually purchased a copy on Amazon), has even one person come to Jesus as a result of reading it?

Why did a faithful blog friend suddenly stop visiting my blog though I never stopped visiting hers? 

Why, on top of the other issues I have been struggling with, has my blood pressure decided to run amok?

And on a lighter note, reading the many tags clarifying the special qualities of the new raincoat I just purchased, I wonder why the manufacturer felt it necessary to treat a slicker with UPF 50+ to prevent sunburn? 

ANTICIPATE

This post was written for Five Minute Friday 

Word prompt--ANTICIPATE

Five minutes to free write about it 

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For as long as I can remember, nothing has ever turned out the way I anticipated it would. Sometimes it's been a very good thing and I was blessed beyond my wildest expectations, like when I anticipated I would not live long enough to see my children grow up and made arrangements for a good friend to have custody of them should this be the case. But by the grace of God not only did I see them grow up, I've seen my grandchildren grow up as well, and have even been blessed with six great-grandchildren. 

Sometimes I've been pleasantly surprised by something I could never have anticipated, such as the offer of a job in a field I had no idea existed, or a large check from an unexpected source when there seemed no way I would be able to meet my financial needs. Even becoming a published author of children's picture books was an unexpected surprise, given I never anticipated becoming an author--let alone at the late stage of life it happened.

Other times what I've anticipated had a disappointing outcome, like a post I thought would take off, but that hardly had any readers at all, or having plans I'd looked forward to be canceled at the last minute due to circumstances beyond our control, or even the wildflower seeds I planted n the spring with great anticipation of the butterflies and hummingbirds they would attract, but that failed to thrive or attract anything at all.

Some outcomes have been tragic, such as when I anticipated getting married to someone I would grow old with, and was unexpectedly widowed at a very young age. 

These days I try hard not to anticipate, but rather to trust in God's plan, focus on one day at a time, and look for the hidden (or not) blessings in it.    

ATTEMPT

This post was written for Five Minute Friday 

Word prompt--ATTEMPT

Five minutes to free write about it 

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Good advice I needed to be reminded of today as I looked for a picture to use on my post for this week's FMF challenge -- ATTEMPT.

There are things on my to do list that I would like to get around to, such as updating my address book, organizing the photos on my computer, and finishing a children's picture book I started eons ago about a miracle violet I once had that is now defunct.  It's like why even attempt to get started when there are too many other pressing things clamoring for my time. 

Well, today turned out to be a day full of much needed encouragement to help get me unstuck, like this other picture I came across that reminded me that I don't have to attempt to do all those things on the back burner all at once. Setting aside an hour or two a couple of times a week to devote to them, for instance, is certainly something doable to attempt. 

On a more serious note, there are a couple of priority things in my life that I am pouring all my energy into in an attempt to achieve, but keep getting frustrated by discouraging obstacles along the way. Sometimes it all seems so hopeless it's tempting to throw up my hands and say, what's the use.  

God had three things to say about that as well.  

The first was a scripture verse that showed up in my quiet time today: So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. -- Galatians 6:9, NLT; the second was a picture about perseverance that popped into mind; and the third was a song playing on the radio when I turned it on that felt like a personal exhortation to hold on just a little bit longer. A gentle prompt to turn my gaze away from my circumstances and focus it on Him who is seated on the throne and who has never failed me yet.