I'm tired this morning and didn't want to get up. I've done my reading and was sitting here with my eyes closed, wanting to go back to sleep, when I 'saw' waves of clouds flow through my eyelids. I pondered it as it seemed cloud after cloud went by. As it did, I asked the Lord, 'what is it, Lord?' and it came to me that it is the past being removed. Things that occurred in the past are being removed, and the new shall come forth. What does that mean? Some things I may not be able to understand, and this is one of them. Was I seeing the things I've hung on to - material, emotional, mental - are these things to be (or have been) removed that I no longer feel I need to hang on to them? 'the new shall come forth'. What does that mean? Surely not more material things for I still have a lot to let go of.
Could it mean that the clutter in my life is being removed? That would be truly a blessing. I don't just mean material things around me. The clutter of my mind. My wish and hope is that I can be immersed in the goodness of God. I want to love others like I want God to love me. (sometimes, as you know, that is really, really hard) My thoughts are not His thoughts, and His thoughts are not my thoughts, His ways are not my ways.... but I really wish His thoughts WERE my thoughts and His ways were my ways. Why is it I struggle so in this area? I WANT to be like Jesus, but ME keeps getting in the way.
This morning my devotion was about making memories. Perhaps that is why these thoughts came to me, I don't know. Memories made. Memories being made. Memories to be made. Bad memories we push back to the back for we don't want to think about them. Some memories we hold dear to our hearts that they will bring us much joy.
From the song 'Memories' by Barbra Streisand she sings 'Memories....light the corners of my mind'... take your time... did some memories come before you? Were they good memories, or memories you'd like to forget again?
I have different memories from different times in my life. Some good, some bad. Has the time come that I am to let go of the 'bad' memories? Is that what I feel I was being shown this morning? Those things that trouble me, the things that hurt me, the memories that crush my spirit... those are the memories that need to go away.
Just like the clouds I saw this morning being lifted away from me...I need to release them and let them go. They are to be replaced with memories of Joy, of Happiness, of Love.
I believe they can be, but I have to do my part to make them. I can't dwell in sorrow. I can't live in sympathy at my losses. I can't stay in the pits of my emotions.
I choose to live. I choose to look at each day with a better outlook. I choose to let go of bad decisions and bad choices. I choose to not reflect upon my mistakes of the day before, or even before that. I choose to live my life - worthy of the One who created me.
Who am I, that the One who created the earth, who created you and created me, that He would look down upon me and show me how to find my way? Who am I that He would take away the clouds of despair and hopelessness, to bring me joy and hope? I am but a spec in His eye, but He holds me in the palm of His hand. And He holds you there too. Jeremiah 29:11 -13 says "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity.....
The captivity that we place ourselves in when we allow our thoughts to pull us down into despair, into the pit of hopelessness. The LORD created us for better things.
Where are you at this morning? We've got a 'new year' coming up soon. Do you make new year resolutions? I'm trying to remember exactly what it was my son said they were - he doesn't make 'resolutions', but .... the word escapes me for now. I am sure I wrote about it when it was said, but it is several years back - perhaps even before I started these posts. It wasn't long after that - that I quit thinking of resolutions for the new year. First of all, why do I have to wait until January 1 to begin something new? If I want to change today, why can't I? Why put off being better? Or doing something different? Or changing my life? I can change it today - it has nothing to do with a Sunday, or a new year.
Today is the day that I can choose to make a difference. What about you?
Blessings!
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