Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly
above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works in us." Ephesians 3:23
I've heard it often the God is " the God of second chances".
But that just isn't true. If it were, I would not be here!
Because after 40 years of walking with Him, I know I need MORE than 2 chances!
Some things come easily to me, like a monkey takes to a banana.
Others are more like a banana peel that leave me
slipping, tripping and sliding on the path to my inevitable PLOP! onto my backside,
complete with feet flailing in the air!
slipping, tripping and sliding on the path to my inevitable PLOP! onto my backside,
complete with feet flailing in the air!
Sigh.
I really try to interpret His direction clearly and then act upon it accurately with great precision.
(sniff-sniff! I smell pride here!)
(sniff-sniff! I smell pride here!)
Problem is that I am not always speaking the same language that He is.
As a High School Spanish teacher, I can testify to the mess that makes in communication.
A Spanish Language student once confused the word basket ( canasta) with head ( cabeza).
When relating the story for conversation class, she ended up saying there were
"heads hanging on a clothesline that were for sale! "
It seems that as believers we can often hear God's direction, and run the opposite way.
But the Holy Spirit's feathers don't get ruffled when that happens.
He knows that we might take a different way to get to where He wants us to end up!
Trip, fall, fail, or flail, He is the God of 50, 60, and even 140 chances!
We have a natural tendency to remember what we need to forget,
and to forget the very things that are important to keep in our memory vault.
We tend to see things incremently- in sequences. We analyze every step taken.
HE sees the scope AND the sequence and tells us to keep listening,
keep getting back up and keep coming forward!
Now, I don't count how many major or life altering decisions I make daily, but if we forgive others 70x7,
I will let God do the Math and rest that I am forgiven at least that many times daily. We need
to let go of mistakes, failures and stubbornness.
Keep the lessons learned on those meandering paths, but let the rest be deleted from the memory vault.
He will not string up my head for bad judgement, rebellion or even strife. He might put up
a barrier to forward movement to get our attention, but no shrunken heads are found
on the path to Heaven!
I should know. I am the student referred to in the above mentioned Spanish Conversation class that took
place at King's Way Missionary Institute!
There is nothing too awful, too silly, too erroneous that we can do to weaken God's work in us.
It abides despite our weakness. In spite of our pride. Beside our longing.
Come forward! Stop counting the steps and lift your head up.
The view might very well be
downright amazing!
