Thicker than pea soup fog...

So, as you may or may not know, I work on a special needs bus. Before you assume, I'm not the driver.  I'm the attendant, the aid.  A couple of days ago on the bus, it was so foggy. You could barely see anything.

Fog always make me think of Pea Soup. Have you heard the saying it is thicker than pea soup out there? I could go off on such a tangent here. But I won't.
Back to our post...

As I rode along I said to the Lord, there has to be a lesson here or it is symbolic of something, what?   I looked inside the bus, my view was crisp, clear. But out the window I could barely see anything that we were passing.



We are in Tennessee and we were traveling down and up and round this way and that slicing through the fog quickly.  It reminded me of life.  Life has its up and downs.  It isn't always smooth sailing. It takes sudden turns. I have always wrestled with figuring it all out. I seem to have a hard time navigating life.  I could give you a myriad of reasons or excuses but lets not analyse it lets just say that is the way it is.  I do know I'm not alone.  Many people struggle in life.  For instance my Mom has dementia now and life is difficult to her, confusing even.  So the truth of the fog jumped out at me.  Negotiating life can be like moving through the fog. You can only see just a little in front of you.  It's a bit scary and it takes some faith to keep driving.  But I thought of how much easier it was for me to get through the fog now that I was out of my car and on my bus where my driver was driving. It felt safer.  I didn't have to make the decisions.  In fact, I was sitting in an environment where there was much clarity.

I could see clearly the part that I was responsible for.  I could see the kids, communicate with them, meet their needs, assist them.  I could do my job, my part.  I could rest, at ease as the driver dealt with the bigger picture.  Are you seeing where I'm going?  The driver represents the Lord.  Life is so much easier when we let Him drive our lives.  We can totally trust Him and rest at peace when we let Him direct our paths.  And we can see clearly what our part is and do it well when we rest in Him. We don't have to understand it ALL, the bigger picture.  He does.  And that's enough.

  

In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.  Proverbs 3:6

Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.  John Newton

A Masterpiece or a Paint by Number?

We all must paint our own canvas....  a brother in the Lord wrote that to me the other night.  An intriguing thought.  Beautiful unless your friends or family members are making bad choices.  Then you mourn their painting.  But you shouldn't.

Have you ever done a paint by number?  If you are a real painter, sorry.  I thought more people could identify with a paint by number illustration.  Please bare with me.

As I was saying... Have you ever done a paint by number painting?   At first it doesn't really look like a beautiful picture.  It's sort of ugly.  If you stopped there and showed it to people they would think.. Why that's undone why are you showing me it now?

That's what our friends' and families' pictures are.  Unfinished.  If we have faith and are praying for them, believing our good God is hearing us.  Then we need to relax.  Yes, they are making bad choices and yes that's not good.  But our mighty God isn't finished with their "picture" yet.  When it's done it will not be a paint by number picture, though that is nice.  But it will be a beautiful, breath taking painting.  Done by the artist that created the stars and painted the night sky, the ocean so blue and horizon with  a red fiery sun setting.  Yes, that artist is painting their painting and it will be beautiful.

When we try to control their lives by butting in, giving unasked for advise, fussing at them, berating them.  When we do those types of things.  We are trying to be the artist of their lives and it's so sad.  It's like a paint by number painter instead of a museum quality artist doing the picture.  He is a master painter, you know. The original Master artist. Why do we even think we can be in his league?

So relax.  Walk out your path well with an eye on theirs.  Pray much for them.  Believe much in your God and wait for the beauty you will behold in the end.  The Masterpiece He will make of each of their lives.

Phil. 2:12b and 13......work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Philippians 1:6

..being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Know Jesus- Know Peace

As for God, His way is  perfect; The Word of the Lord is proven:He is a shield to all who trust him.  2 Samuel 22:31

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Let all those rejoice who put their trust in you; Let them shout for joy; because you defend them; Let those also who love your name be joyful in you, for you, O Lord will bless the righteous; with favor you will surround him as with a shield.  Psalms 5:11, 12

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. Psalms 118:8

Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God.  Isaiah 50:10

Lately I've been thinking about trusting God.  These verses all tell us good things about trusting God.  A clearer way to say it  is that when you trust in God you are resting in Him, in who He is and in what He says in the Word and to your heart.  As we learn to know how awesome and mighty God is and than realize that He loves each of us, personally  We can begin to learn to trust and rest in Him.  We can look at our problems, situations, challenges and get overwhelmed or we can see who God is and learn to trust and find a peaceful resting place.  

I don't know about you but I tend to worry.  Even though I have been striving to stop.  Though I found a verse that said it was a sin.  My thoughts, like a dog chasing it's tail, go round and round stressing me out.  This is so the opposite of resting, trusting.  And what a denial of what I believe.  I do believe in God I do believe in the Bible and this striving, wringing of my hands, this negativity is just wrong!  And tiring.  But trusting in Jesus.  Trusting in Father God.  That's where the peace is.  There is the rest I desire.   

I have heard the catchy phrase:  Know Jesus-Know Peace  Sounds simple, right?  But it's a journey.  Just like I know my husband better and better because I've spent time with him.  I've talked with him and shared my life with him.  I've heard his ideas and dreams.   It's the same with the Lord.  Spend time praying  reading the Bible, studying it and learning more about who He is and as we do that we will "know Him".  and we will "know peace" .  

What does this look like in real life?  Well for instance:  I had a problem with a child on my bus.  It was so frustrating.  I decided to ask the Lord to help me with this.  He gave me an ideal to try.  It worked!   As this child was unruly I would step back and whisper a "Help me Lord". I would feel peaceful and an ideal would come to me, what to say or what to do. I would then do what I felt nudged to do.  I was able to trust in Him to help me and I knew peace in that difficult situation.  

Another picture of what trusting God, resting in God is like is this.  Imagine floating on water in a pool.  You have to 'trust' the water to hold you up.  You have to "rest" on the top of the water.  If you strive or struggle, down you will go splashing, getting water in your mouth.   You wont be able to float if you don't trust.   We have to lay back in the word of God.  We have to trust in who He is to hold us up.   

This is just a few of my thoughts on this subject.  I've in no way exhausted this subject but I hope I've got you thinking.