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Sometimes, we feel like we have blessings like this:
We view them as small and insignificant. But as we learned Sunday, these aren't small, but "Fun Size." The next time you feel sorry for yourself because of what you have, remember, God gives fun size blessings to make them into:
Recently we had the exterior of our home painted. This is no cheap proposition. We got several recommendations, and several quotes. I ended up going with a guy that I felt good about, not necessarily the lowest price.
We had to re-schedule the start, but finally we got the pressure washing going. Then we had to wait a few days to get started with the paint. The agreement was to keep our paint color as is – in other words, do not change the paint color. Paint it the SAME color. That’s what was in the contract.
So, after they finally got painting (can you tell I was a little bit impatient?), the trim color was a different color. Not slightly different, completely different. We had what we thought were the original paint numbers from the builder. Turns out, they were wrong.
So, we stopped the painting and got on the phone. Things got a little tense. My wife said I got “firm.” That’s never good. I was thinking that we might have to part ways. I didn’t, however, lose my mind. I told him my side of the story. I listened to his. We worked it out – I think – it’s not completed yet.
In life, we’ll have conflicts. The question isn’t if you have them, but how you’ll handle them. God wants us to honor him even through our conflicts. We need to consecrate our conflicts to God, and remember that the other person is not the enemy.
Handling conflicts give us a window into what we’re becoming. All of our “trying” is exposed for what is really happening in our heart. When was the last time you had a conflict? What did it expose in you?
Some great news on John! Last week he had a follow-up appointment with his rehab doctor, who released him to do whatever he wants to do. Until this point, John has not been able to ride his bike, etc. While he has been playing, his activities have been limited. So now, he can venture out!
The doctors are still surprised by his progress. The week prior to John’s visit, his doctor had taught a lecture to the PICU nurses at Egleston, using John as one of his case studies. We owe them a visit!
Hopefully he will get his new tooth by the end of the summer. We’ve grown so accustomed to the missing tooth, it will be a drastic change! He also has a bald spot on the back of his head from so many days lying in the hospital. He may need a hair plug before he’s 40…
To accomplish something new, we need to change what we're doing. One place to start is usually with a new attitude. If we have the same attitude about our future, we'll keep getting the past.
It may be judgmentalism - comparing yourself to someone else. Do you constantly find yourself comparing yourself to your colleagues, your neighbors, or your spouse? It comes out like this: "I wouldn't have done that." "I am glad I didn't do that." "They always think they're right." "That was stupid."
It may be selfishness - always being right and wanting to get what you deserve. Trust me, you aren't and you don't.
It may be defeatism - you don't want to try something new, because it never works. "This always happens to me."
Whatever your attitude malfunction, it's holding you back. Take it out, examine it, and throw it in the garbage disposal where it belongs.
One thought that has intrigued me of late is how God calls people to be consecrated prior to His showing them a great work. Specifically in the case of Joshua, and the children of Israel crossing into the promised land, we see God tell them to be consecrated.
This means to be set-apart. I’ll be posting on some areas that need to be set apart in our lives. What is it that you see God wanting to accomplish? What area of your life do you need to set apart?
