I recently had my eyes opened to some broken areas in my life through an awesome 3.5 half day forum discussion. I learned that I had been dragging past events into my relationships, resulting in destructive behavior and a lack of commitment on my part.

I thought I had forgiven people from my past but I realized that as long as I held them responsible in any way for the breakdown of the relationship, I had not truly forgiven them.

Without true forgiveness, how was it possible for me to walk in love? Learning this created a desire in me to want to make things right. The thought of doing it was difficult but once I got started it became easier.

I decided to take 100% responsibility for the breakdown of my relationships. Then I sought forgiveness from individuals which turned out to be an amazing and surprising experience. I felt such a release as I shared what was on my heart but what I didn’t expect was the graciousness and the compassion of those who were on the receiving end of my apology. I almost couldn’t believe my ears.

I am thankful for the opportunity to mend relationships and erase the pain of my past today, especially because tomorrow is not promised. The limitations of my past prevented me from being the loving person that I aspired to be.

How can I walk in love while holding ill feelings toward my brother? Now I am free to reflect the image of God, the embodiment of Love.

Can you think of any broken relationships in your life right now? Do you have a desire to break free of all the negativity associated with that? Do you miss your estranged loved ones? You have the power to erase the pain of the past concerning those relationships right now. You have the power to make it right with the people in your life. Will you free yourself today?

Take responsibility for your relationships and fix them today. You cannot control what other people do, you can only choose to love and accept them or leave them alone. To be loving and accepting is the choice that will bring joy to your life.

Ephesians 4:30-32 (New International Version)

30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

“Carry me high on the heights of the wings of the dawn. Lead me all the way to the place where You say I belong. For You have the power to cover over all my wrongs, and present me as whole. Only You can make me whole.”  Leah Smith, Untitled
These songs lyrics from Leah Smith’s new EP, Beautifully Made keep resonating in my spirit. I have recently had a series of days where all I crave is a long satisfying nap complete with fluffy pillows, blankets and maybe the rain softly falling outside my window. I want nothing more than to take a complete mental and physical break from everything, but I know that is not possible. There are things I must do in this season. If I am not diligent in these things I will be truly sorry later, so I have to press.

But even as I press forward and through, I am reminded that the Lord is always there to carry me if I will just allow Him. In Him there is always a place of renewal and refreshing. I know the way to that place very well, if only I would take a moment to go there and just rest in His presence.

It is so wonderful just to know that His grace is sufficient for me! As Pastor Ingalls of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Newark stated this past Sunday, “If God never does another thing for me, He has already done more than enough!”

The remembrance of all He has done lets me know that yes, He does carry me high above the things that could entangle me. He has been leading me to the place where I belong for all these years, even when I did not recognize the path. I surely know His power to forgive, cover and cleanse me of all my wrongs.

I do not have to strive so hard because He is here to help me. I am choosing to rest in the knowledge that He covers my imperfections and makes me whole. Lord You are good and your mercy is everlasting. I love You.
Isaiah 40:31 (New King James Version)

But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Sometimes we have to learn when to be quiet. I am still learning how to go to the Lord in prayer before I pick up the phone and talk to anyone who will listen about my problems. I am also learning that sometimes my thoughts/emotions are not worth paying attention to at all!

Have you ever had a day where it seemed like everything was going wrong? You woke up to the bright morning sunshine, sang in the shower, felt like a million bucks as you walked out your front door but then the whole thing started to unravel like that pesky thread on an old sweater. What in the world is going on? I have sometimes wished for a “do-over” on days like this.

The last time this happened to me, I got really frustrated. But even in the midst of my frustration I asked God what to do. I needed to know what my next steps should be before an already confusing day turned into an absolute wreckage. Somehow in the midst of my aggravation and anxiety, I followed instructions and found some unforeseen blessings and answered prayers.

I saw how God was working things out and I wished I had never entertained worry and frustration. It feels like such a waste of energy when I know that God is perfecting all that concerns me. I wish I would have ignored the text message when Fear tried to reach me. I wish my ringer was off so that I missed it when Doubt called. When the rough days come, I think its best if I just take them in silence. I can pray to keep the peace and praise God to keep the joy. Otherwise, I’m not letting any other calls get through.

Lamentations 3:25-31 (The Message)

^25-27God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It’s a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It’s a good thing when you’re young
to stick it out through the hard times.

^28-30When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The “worst” is never the worst.

³¹Why? Because the Master won’t ever
walk out and fail to return.

 

How many times have you responded to a situation in full panic or some other emotion only to later observe how easily the situation was resolved? There you were, all worked up, sweating over nothing.

I have been learning to trust God without the drama. This means when something happens that would normally get me really upset, angry, worried or anxious I sit back and pray first rather than drive myself crazy about it.

Not only has this made me a happier person in general, I believe it has helped tremendously in my relationships because I am not so emotional when I address issues that arise.

Life goes so much more smoothly when you operate from a position of peace. That peace is found in Jesus Christ, who is the hope of glory, our blessed assurance, our guarantee that everything is working together for good.

Put your trust in the Prince of Peace for those situations that are beyond your control. Pray and leave it in His hands. Listen for His guidance but trust Him to prepare the way for you.

Philippians 4:6-8 (The Message)

6-7Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

I like to eat different kinds of ethnic foods. I will often try different dishes at least once before I reject it. However, if I have something really good at a restaurant, I tend to only order that item when I go back. If there is anything better on the menu, I may never know because I am stuck on the flavor of that one dish.

It was pointed out to me how I did the same thing in other areas of my life. I consistently chose the same type of situation because it was one that I have grown comfortable with. In some cases I even believed it was best for me.

With this outlook, it takes a little while longer to recognize the blessings when something different on the menu is presented. Have you ever been stuck on a hamburger when God is trying to present you with prime rib?

This should be a no-brainer, right? We should be open to trying new things as the Holy Spirit leads. The more you study God’s Word and see God’s heart towards you, the better you recognize a good thing when He sends it your way.

God’s idea of what is best for us may far exceed what we even imagine. Why accept mediocrity in our lives when He is constantly leading us to greater things? Greater happiness, peace, joy and love belong to us if we are willing to leave our old ways of thinking behind.

Whatever God is blessing you with today, try it! You’ll like it. The burger is good but the prime rib is mind-blowing!

Psalm 34:8 (New King James Version)

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Are you aware of the fact that you have the breath of the Almighty God flowing through you? Not only are you always in the presence of this awesome Spirit, the very same Spirit is within you and sustaining your life.

Now if the breath of God is flowing through your spiritual lungs, consider the cares of this world, the stress, depression, misery and self-destructive behaviors that we choose to engage in as deadly smoke that threatens to destroy our ability to breathe freely. These are drugs that we definitely cannot afford to inhale because they may not only destroy the physical body but have the ability to destroy our heart and mind as well.

Let’s be thankful today for the breath of God, the eternal life-giving air supply that is always available to us. Let us be aware and determine to block the activities that keep us from breathing freely.

Genesis 2:7 (New King James Version)
7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.