when Faith tells you to get out of the boat of your life--and WALK!

Faith. I've discussed this before, but it always helps to have reminders, because we think in the here and now. We always try to have an optimistic attitude, but Life intervenes. It says, "to heck with optimism, I'm here to mess you up!" Am I right?

Quick recap: when my husband lost his job, I panicked. Big Time! Yet it was after a lot of panicked prayers at first, then later, after much more introspection, that I realized all things come out for the better. No matter what happens, look for the good. God DOES help those who help themselves. But you also have to do you part--and this is where Faith comes in.

We had waited for word on whether or not a job that was available...180 miles away from where we were now. So it meant...if he got that job that we'd also need to move. Two major life changes at once.

Four months went by. No word. I had pretty much given up that he would get it. Then one day, what we needed to hear happened: yes, he had that job, but now needed a background check. More waiting. Meanwhile, I was online, looking for rental housing at the "new" location and taking notes. I Googled the town, getting myself acquainted with it. I asked God, "well?? Will he get that job or not?" I asked God for a sign. I listened from the depths of my heart. About 10 days later, I asked again. Early that morning (about 4:30 am, thank you!) as I took my dogs outside for an early bathroom break, I glanced at the townhome Dumpster nearby, bleary eyed, saw nothing unusual and after the dogs finished, went back in my house. At 7 am, once again they were whining, needing another reason to go outside. Once more, we walked in the same area as before. Except that this time, I glanced up and noticed in the Dumpster a large "something." Curiosity got the better of me and I took a second look. As I walked up to that very big garbage can, I could not believe my eyes. Right there was the biggest plastic tote box that I had ever seen, with a lid, just sitting right on top as if someone had placed it there.

It was BRAND NEW! Still all shiny clean.

This was it! The sign that I had asked God for. Immediately I took it and the dogs back home.
And began to pack.
I packed. I purged. I just KNEW---I had to do this. I still hadn't heard yet what the outcome would be, but I knew that box meant that something good was about to happen.
And it did. My husband got the job and we moved.

So...what was the motivation?
Faith.
Faith says that yes, you may be up a creek without a paddle, but if you don't come up with a Plan B, you're just going nowhere. Feeling stuck in a rut? Then get up and DO something. Need a job? Look for a new one. Relationship going sour? Seek ways to either make it better or do the kind thing and cut it short. Need to make a move? Get those boxes, start packing!

Whatever is holding you back from making a change in your life, cut it loose! No need for excuses, excuses just hold us back from something better! And who thrives on chaos, confusion and despair? None other than the devil...like the old saying, "the devil is in the mix..."
Jesus also was up against it so many times. He'd go off to pray, to listen...to find out what the next step would be. When He healed someone, He didn't say, "now go check with your doctor to make sure I did this right!" No, His repsonse was simply this: because someone sought Him out, they knew, deep within their hearts, that THIS was the One who could make things all better. And as He told so many of them, "your Faith is what saved you." He was the instrument in their Faith, but they had to realize it within themselves first. Similar to the lesson that Dorothy (from the "Wizard of Oz") realized...she had thought it was the ruby slippers that held the promise of getting back home. By the end of the story, she realized that the desire was within her the whole time; she didn't need the slippers after all.

Discern what your path shall be, then act on it. You don't always need beforehand proof that it is the right thing to do. Trust in God...trust in yourself also! God is there...He is on your side, but you also have to take that step out of the boat...BELIEVE that, like Jesus, you can walk on water when asked to. Don't look down at the turbulence...walk straight ahead, eyes always on God. (Matthew 14:22-33) He is leading you. Have Faith that between you and Him, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished!
Thanks be to God!