Sometimes that is what we are called to do. Turn the page and live all over. Some people may think of it as a new chapter in life. Or a new paragraph. Something that has ended and let's move on to another topic, another subject. And here we are.
Today is Monday and I am to be back at work. I am grateful that I work from home so that I have time to write in here before having to get ready for work. I did get on the computer to - I think it was - 536 messages. Now, to be honest, probably 20 of those are ones that I have to do something with. I get meeting notices for 5 people, so many of those were either notices to them of meetings, or acceptance of the meetings that were scheduled for them. I worked over an hour on them Friday afternoon and got the majority out of the way. I have perhaps 30 new messages since Friday, and again, many of those will not be mine personally. For that I'm grateful, for I'd had to work all weekend if they were! I do have things I need to get done this morning, and I will get them done. It's 'Timecard Monday' so will be working on those first thing. It will be a fairly quiet day as one boss has taken the day off and the other is on PTO this morning as she took a 'red eye' flight to New York last night. She's sleeping this morning and getting settled in as they are staying 3 weeks. They have the perfect place. Her father-in-law had a house and he died a few years ago. Many of the siblings of her husband still live around that area. They keep an eye on the house, and when they want to 'get away' - they all "reserve" the house for as long as they want it and stay there. Everything is there - it's like renting an airbnb only you don't have to pay for it. Anyway, she will be there 3 weeks and visiting family, only taking two days PTO a week to play. The rest of the time she will be working remotely. We'll probably chat this afternoon. I have tried to eliminate any meetings after 2PM as they are 3 hours ahead, but some meetings she will just have to take them.
We enjoyed our granddaughter staying with us this weekend and we took her back to where she is staying after lunch yesterday. I hate it that she is in this living situation, but I am unable to do anything about it. I can only pray she is taken care of. If we were in the other other house, I would have let her live with us; perhaps that is also one of the reasons God encouraged us to move. We are limited in this 55 plus community. A weekend occasionally is fine. For a length of time for anyone under 55 is a no-no. Keeps the community quiet, I guess. Us old folks don't make much noise - and as hot as it is right now, no one goes outside anyway!
Shingles blew off our roof the other windstorm. I think more blew off last night but haven't been out to look. A roofing company is to come this morning to give an estimate to turn in to the insurance company. I think I wrote before that hubby was calling the insurance company before the storm had even stopped! We will get a second estimate too, as we have a $1000 deductible so if they can just repair the roof it should be only a few hundred dollars we'd have to pay. Hubby gets too carried away and is more than willing to pay someone to get something done; only it usually ends up me paying for it out of my savings. It is what it is. I don't necessarily want cheap and shoddy; but I do want a guarantee that they will stay up there for years. Our current roof is 7 years old. They are usually guaranteed for 10 years, I think.
We heard a great message at church yesterday that really made me think. It was in Exodus 32 where Moses was delayed coming down from the mountain with God, and the Israelites felt they needed a 'god' to lead them; forgetting that it was God who led them out of Egypt. So they took their gold earrings and jewelry and gave to Aaron, Moses' brother, to fashion for them a golden calf, which he did. (of course when he was confronted by Moses when God sent him back down the mountain to find the Israelites in revelry of all kinds, including the sexual revelry of Egypt) and Moses was so angry he broke the Ten Commandments that God had given him. Aaron had the gall to tell Moses that the people brought him all their gold jewelry and he threw them into the fire and 'out came a golden calf'!
What we learn from this chapter is that we all sometimes put idols before God. We all think we have to have something that we put before time with God. Some examples, our phones. When we have to constantly have to have our phone in our hand, looking at it, it has become an idol. If we can lay it aside and leave it alone for lengths of time, it can just be a distraction. When we constantly stress eat - food can become our idol. We use food to comfort us (guilty!) when we feel sad. When we feel lonely. When we feel hurt. When we are angry. Food has become our idol. Food is there to nourish our body; it isn't there to make us 'feel good' about ourselves. One thing that was identified surprised me. Control. When we feel we have to control every one, every situation, to make them do what we want them to do; when we have to be aware of every aspect of something, to make sure it is according to what we want - control becomes an idol.
Why are these things identifed as idols? Because they take us away from our relationship with God. God should be the One to whom we run when we are hurting. God is the One to whom we turn to when we are confused and angry at situations. God is the only One who can rescue us, the only One who can lead us out of our Egypt.
Yeah, I've learned that saying. Sometimes when we are in certain situations, you can classify them as 'Egypt' where we are enslaved and miserable. When you get out of debt, you are leaving Egypt behind. When you restore a relationship, you have 'walked away from Egypt'. When we lay the situation down of what is before us, we not only walk away from Egypt, but we 'lay our Isaac down'. Remember the story of Abraham getting ready to sacrifice Isaac? Are you willing to surrender the very thing that you hold on to - lay your Isaac down - to the only One who can make things right?
Moses, when he had come down the mountain, called for those who followed the Lord to come to him. Only the sons of Levi came. They were ordered to take the sword to the people.... and about 3000 men were killed that day. Then Moses. He interceded to God for the people. God wanted to wipe them out totally. Start a new lineage through Moses. But Moses intereceded and begged God to instead wipe him out of the book God had written, instead of the people. And God listened to Moses. And changed His mind.
Exodus 32:31 NKJV: "Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, "Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin - but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written."
If you have an idol you have placed before God, let it go. It's ok to have things in your life, but it is when they become your focus that it becomes a sin. God is to always be first and foremost in one's life. It is to Him we are to run to. It is to Him alone who receives all our praise and all our worship.
Even in times of trials and pain, Jesus is always there, helping us through them. Trust Him. Talk to Him. Tell Him what is going on and how you feel. He knows it already anyway, but talk to Him about it. And wait on His timing to make things the way they should be.
Blessings.
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