but it is Monday and I have to work. Well, I don't HAVE to, I could call in 'sick' or just say I want a day off. But if I did - what would I do differently? I just wouldn't get on the computer and it'd be another weekend day - in which nothing happens. Although this weekend we did have something both days, but normally our weekends are pretty quiet. So, no, I am not going to call it off. In the past, when hubby was working, I'd sneak and take a day off, not telling hubby until that morning. Of course he'd fuss and say 'why didn't you tell me, I'd take the day off too!'. There was a reason I didn't. I wanted a day ALONE. I don't get time alone very often anymore (and I probably shouldn't complain, for some day I will be alone, possibly.... ) but I do love my alone time to do whatever I want to do.
So I am trying to motivate myself this morning to DO something. I mean, I do have to work, so in another hour I will be dressed and sitting in front of my work computer. Not that I want to, but because I have to. I try to think positive about working. I have people in the 'outside world' that I can talk to, albeit verbally and not in person. I have things to do that activate my mind. Those are positives, right? But I am just tired of working. Ok - enough of the negative.
There is a woman in the Bible who got very negative. Her name was Naomi - remember her? You can read about her in the book of Ruth. Now Naomi and her husband lived in Bethlehem and when a great famine hit, Naomi, her husband, and their two boys moved to Moab so that they could have food. Then Naomi's husband died. In Biblical times, when the husband died, the boys in the family were expected to take care of their widowed mother. Well, after the boys were married, they died. And that left Naomi and her two daughters-in-law alone.
So Naomi became very bitter and negative and 'woe is me' ... not sure that I blame her. That was a bad lot to be cast into. Naomi heard that Israel had food again and the famine was over, so she wanted to go back to Bethlehem. She tried to send her daughters-in-law back to their parents - and perhaps find a new husband. One daughter-in-law did return to her parents. But one daughter-in-law, Ruth, refused and went with Naomi to Bethlehem. She said:
Ruth 1:16-17 (NKJV): "But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me."
So Ruth went with Naomi back to Bethlehem, ended up marrying a rich man by the name of Boaz, and they had a son whom they named Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the grandfather of King David! Now that is something to be positive about! When Obed was born, Naomi's negativity (she had requested her name be changed to Mara, for she felt that God had dealt with her harshly) changed to joy and she took care of this little one as her own son.
God can take our negativity and bring joy to it in many ways. He can take our bitterness and change us into instruments of great worth. But you have to believe it, want it, pursue it. How bad do you want to change? What is it worth to you to have peace within and without?
God can take mundane things and make them whatever He chooses. And He can also take you, just as you are, if you are willing to let Him do a good work in you.
Every day I lay out my life before Him and ask Him to do whatever in me, that I can be more of Him. That I can live better for Him. That I can be used by Him. And when those opportunities come, I need to take hold of them. I had a couple opportunties yesterday to 'be Jesus' to a couple people... I may share about that another time. It wasn't about me, but it WAS about Jesus.
People watch you and see if your words spoken are reflected in your life. Sometimes it is a learning process and you do things that don't reflect what you say... and you beat yourself up about it (at least I do), but when God gives you opporunities to glorify Him, go with it! You will never regret it.
Blessings!
