It's funny how people call to ask me advice about things that I have just struggled with myself. Oh, I know the proper response, but it's not always because I applied it in my own situation. I suppose I learned from my mistakes. But I have to wonder if  my telling them the right way to respond (when I didn't necessarily respond that way) is a bit hypocritical. I know I'm not perfect. Far from it. But sometimes people have placed me on this pedestal and think I have my act together and that I don't deal with their kind of issues. That's just not the case though. And I've learned over the years that when you place someone on a pedestal it's a long fall when they let you down. It's a lot of responsibility to place on someone's shoulders. Anyway, they continue to seek me out to answer their "spiritual" questions.

Some have jokingly said I missed my calling. I'm not so sure about that. I just think I know how to listen to what people are saying and I think before I speak.There have even been times when I waited a couple of days before I responded. It gave me time to pray and make sure my answer was in line with the word. It kind of depends on what I am being asked. I guess if I'm honest with myself I should see that the times when I react hastily and lose my temper are those times when I'm not listening and I'm not thinking before I speak. Which brings me to another point....self control. That's something I've been thinking a lot about lately. It's something I need to work on in several areas of my life. I think if I can get a handle on that, then a lot of issues would be resolved.

I guess in some ways, when people ask my advice, it helps me as much as it helps them. It's like a light bulb goes on as I'm talking about it. You know what they say, "It's so much easier to see another person's flaws than to see your own." But I've found that, in seeing another person's problem, and listening to their heart, it often times can bring conviction for things I may be struggling with. And other times it's confirmation about things I've been hearing.

I was sitting here thinking about David and his affair with Bathsheba. Surely, he had to know it was wrong. But why did it take Nathan having to tell him some story about a rich man with lots of sheep and cattle taking a lamb from a poor man for him to see that? David was appalled when Nathan told him this story. He wanted the man punished. And then Nathan says to him, "That man is you." Ouch. Nathan presented a problem to David and asked for advice. And David was quick to give it. But once Nathan revealed it was about him and Bathsheba, that revelation brought David to a place of repentance.

I know this isn't a well thought out blog...I'm just talking off the top of my head and not really trying to edit my thoughts. So hopefully someone can read and understand what I'm trying to say here. When I see a person's flaws, it would be easy for me to make judgments. But if I take the time to listen and to truly hear what is in someone's heart, and if I keep my mouth shut until I hear from God, perhaps I will see the mercy that needs to be displayed. It's the same mercy I would desire. And it's the same mercy we've all been shown when Christ died for us.

"For our light and momentary trials are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

A few days ago I was driving to my son's house when I noticed storm clouds looming overhead. It wasn't raining yet, but I figured it soon would be. Sure enough, as soon as I got to where the clouds were, the rain started pouring down. I was thinking about the blue skies I had previously been under and how it changed so quickly. It's kind of how life is. We can be sailing along smoothly without a care in the world when all of a sudden some trial knocks us upside the head. We didn't expect it and often times, we have no clue how to deal with it. I'm not just talking about dealing with it in the natural. I am referring to how we handle it in a spiritual sense. As believers, we should be prepared for these things. The word tells us that we will face trials. Knowing this, we have to be prepared for how we will respond before we're smack dab in the middle of the trial. That requires spending time meditating the word, and spending time with God in prayer, learning to recognize his voice. These things help to develop a strong relationship with God, and help us to understand what God has to say about the various trials we face. It also helps us to know that we can trust him even if our prayers aren't answered in the way or in the timing we think they should be. It's a lot harder to trust after the fact. Think about it. If you've never had a relationship with someone and then find yourself in a place where you need their help, do you feel confident that they will do what they say? Probably not. Oh, there may be times when you will have to trust someone you're not familiar with, but it's so much easier to trust the ones you know well. And trusting God is much easier when you have an intimate relationship with him. We all go through things in life. And we will most likely have to go through more trying times at some point. Building our faith in the little things helps us to stand firm when faced with bigger things. That reminds me of the story of David and Goliath. In 1 Samuel 17:33-37 it says:

33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

David knew that God had helped him in smaller things (though I would think those animals were pretty ferocious) and it gave him the confidence that God would be with him in the bigger battle.

At times people have told me, "I don't have the faith you have." As I hear their words, I am reminded of my own questions, doubts and fears. They don't see me as I do. There are times when I really struggle with things. Like why did my cousin die when she had faith for her healing? In those times, I seek answers. And guess what; I may not find them. There are some things in this life that we will never fully understand. But we have to trust that God knows best and that in the end we will see that all of it was working to fulfill his plan. It can be hard, especially if I'm slacking on spending time in the word. It's all about focus. I find that my faith seems strongest when my eyes are fixed on Jesus, not on the problems or cares of life.

In Matthew 14:25-29 we read the story of Peter walking on water.

25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

Peter was fine walking on the water as long as his eyes were focused on Jesus. But the moment he looked at the storm around him, he began to sink. And that's what happens with us. If we can remain focused on God, the trials around us will not cause us to lose heart. Our faith will help us stand.

Last night my husband, grandson and myself went to a benefit for Rion Paige that was being held at The Comedy Club. For those who don't know who she is, she is a singer from Jacksonville who is on the the XFactor. She has been chosen as one of the top 4 girl singers and will be competing in the live auditions, which begin October 29th. She has what some would consider a handicap. But when you see her up there singing, your focus is not on that. She has an amazing voice and a very infectious personality. She also has a heart to help others like herself. I admire that. My grandson, who wasn't real thrilled about missing karate, was fascinated with her the moment she opened her mouth to sing. He quickly became a fan. And he was insistent on meeting her when she went out for a meet and greet. He was excited to get his picture taken with her. If you haven't heard her, check out this video. Even if you aren't a country music lover, I'm sure you can recognize talent when you see it. Or should I say, "when you hear it?"

Do you find it difficult to surrender? Difficult to admit that you don't know all the answers? Difficult to trust someone else to steer your course? I remember when I was trying to teach someone how to do something at work, and because they were not doing it exactly how I would, or going as quickly as I would have liked, I felt like saying, "just let me do it!" I knew I could get the job done more efficiently. Isn't that kind of how we are with God? We want him to do what we want when we want it. We fail to recognize that He knows what is best for us, and it may not always come in the package or timing that we would like it to. So to surrender everything to God and trust him when we don't see the plan working how we'd like can be extremely hard for us. But let me assure you, his plan is always going to be better than anything we could think or imagine. Even if we have giftings that are apparent and think we know where that will lead, we may wind up surprised by how God can turn it into something more than our original plan. His way is ALWAYS going to be better than ours. We have to trust that.

Many times we come before God with our prayers and petitions. We are quick to lay them at his feet, saying that we trust he will answer. But do we really trust him? Do we leave those things there? Or are we quick to pick it up and make attempts to fix it ourselves? Oh, there may be times that we have to do things, but I'm referring to a heart issue. Are we fully reliant on God to accomplish the task? Do we walk in faith, even as we walk through the trials? Or do we mumble and complain and speak negatively? Do we run tell it to all of our friends, hoping to find a little sympathy? I'm preaching this to myself as well as to others. We have to surrender it all. Our problems, our lack of faith, our tendency to want to complain, our fears. And guess what. We even have to surrender our dreams and all that they entail. Now I know that some may think that is impossible. But it's not. And you have to do it every day. Sometimes moment to moment. When you find yourself wanting to take over, stop and pray. Pray for God to help you to trust him. Pray for him to guide your steps. Pray for him to help you control your tongue. The power of life and death are in the tongue...be careful the words you speak. Seek his will only. And trust no matter how things look.