Chasing God

Workout

I am by no means a workout enthusiast. Most of my life, in fact, I have refused to workout. I was never concerned with not being able to lift heavy objects and I really don't like that super muscle look of the gym going dude. However, as I was on my health journey last year, I started feeling inspired to at the very least take another look at working out. I'm still not the least interested in having that muscle look or anything. I have found that it is a great way to exercise when walking or running outdoors isn't possible. Towards the end of the year, I pulled back on my workout routine for a bit due to holidays mostly.

One of my goals for getting up at 5am was to get back into my functional strength and core workouts. I told myself that if I were to be able to get up at 5am for 3 straight days, I would begin my 2024 workout routine and workout in the early hours of my day. And I did indeed stick to that! On that third day, which was this past Monday, I did a workout. Today was the next workout day for me. I was still in pain from a few days ago and really didn't want to do my workout...hehehe Upon the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I went through with my workout today. Although I'm still a little sore, I feel fantastic! My body and mind really needed this today.

Slow Pour Coffee

WOW!!! I had forgotten how amazing slow pour coffee was!!! Not only is the taste so much better, the action of manually and slowly pouring the hot water from a gooseneck kettle over the grounds in a decanter truly is a spiritual experience. Another bonus is that it doesn't matter how big or small my coffee mug or cup is! Since the coffee rests inside a decanter, I can pour as much as I need in any size mug! Using my single serve machine, I always preferred the max of 14 oz. Any smaller mug or cup just wouldn't do. With this slow pour technique, I can easily pour another mug or cupful without brewing another batch. I can see my coffee mug and cup collection soaring now!

Vitamin G

For today's post, I'm going to reach back to a past post I made over a year ago. Just as I was back then, I'm working through some trauma. So it feels appropriate to revive and update from the past:

I must work through my pain. Like an untreated wound will fester and become infected, untreated emotional trauma can fester and infect my soul.

I draw a lot of wisdom from the book of Proverbs. There isn't a direct 1 to 1 connection between an specific passage and today's Vitamin G. However, there are several that inspired it when I first wrote it. As I researched it further today, a passage popped up that has appeared now 3 times this week. It is Proverbs 3:5-6; which reads,

Trust in God with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

The best treatment for the emotional recovery of past trauma goes well outside the realm of my understanding. To get straight to the root of the problem, I must acknowledge God. He knows what happened. He knows me better than I know myself. He knows what my future holds. Who else better than Him to help me work through my pain!?

Walk

On Wednesdays, I must take a late lunch hour as there is a meeting scheduled right in the middle of the time I take my lunch on other days. With me getting up earlier now, I get hungry a little earlier. Around 11:30am today, I decided I couldn't wait until my lunch hour. So I threw together a quick salad I could eat while working. In doing so, this freed up my entire lunch hour time-wise. So I decided to take a walk despite the cold temperature. On this walk, I heard God speaking to me about a few things. Here is what He laid on my heart...

Rain

When the storms of life come, as a human, all I seem to be able to see is the rain. I can try to find shelter from the pouring rain or stand there and get soaked. I can cry all I want and the tears just blend in with the rain if I stay in the storm. If I do find shelter, I might not cry as I need to in an effort to hide my pain from others.

What does God see, though? Using the storm analogy, God sees what the rain can do. It helps take precious nutrients to a plant's roots. It can wash away debris from a pathway. The rain can fill streams, rivers, and lakes to provide water for wildlife. The same goes for how He can use the troubles I face to nourish my soul or prepare me for something else down the road. The circumstances may not feel comfortable or they may be an inconvenience at the time, but God knows I need to face it to get out of it what I need to thrive.

The whole of Psalm 139 applies to this. However, this passage sums it up best; Psalm 139:16

Your eyes saw my unformed body. In Your book all of my days were ordained and written before any of them came to be.

He knows! Who else should I be asking guidance from?!? Certainly not from myself. And certainly not anyone else that He hasn't sent to help! If it should rain on me, why should I complain? I should be thanking God that He will be clearing the debris out of my way!

Stuck

There have been many times in my life where I truly felt stuck. You know the feeling, right? I wanted to either be doing something else or be somewhere else. It was rarely the idea that the grass was greener someplace else. It was usually the feeling that I had made some sort of mistake and I didn't want to face the consequences of my choices. It could have been a relationship that wasn't working out, a financial choice that didn't pan out, or a job situation that sounded great when I applied for the job but turned out to be too good to be true.

Another feeling of being stuck is when I look at my walk with God. I have felt many times in my life that I should be further along than I am. As I write this blog entry, I actually feel like I'm back to being an infant in my faith. I'm relearning lessons I had been taught years ago. Most of which are things I ignored when I was young. I'm like, "Why haven't I been applying that to my life this whole time!?" Have you ever felt that way? It can truly feel like wading through the mud!

I was reminded today that God can use me right where I am. Why should I feel this "stuck" emotion? I need to be open to God's Will in my current circumstances. Do I think I'm better than my situation or that in some way I deserve better? In a lot of ways, I suppose I do feel that way if I think I'm "stuck." God knows what He's doing even if I don't know what He's doing. Jeremiah 29:11 states,

For I know the plans that I have for you,” says God, “plans for peace, and not evil, to give you hope and a future.

I can find peace and hope in that. I can feel relief from the emotion of being stuck. His plans for me far exceed what I could possibly come up with myself. And I'm reminded of Proverbs 19:21,

There are many plans in a man’s heart, but God’s purpose will prevail.

God took ordinary people and did extraordinary things. The Apostles were regular people just like me. And although they were probably my age or younger when they became Apostles, taught, and did miracles, they spent 3 full years with Jesus in person before all of that. He can use me right where I am today to ministry to others if He so chooses. After all, it's about Him and not me!

Chase After God

Speaking of circumstances, whether it be a rain storm in my life or the feeling of being stuck with a choice, I was further reminded that I should be searching for God in all situations. Whether I am praying for myself, or in intercession for someone else, finding God and His Will are of the utmost importance. Nothing about my life is about me. Nothing about my sphere of influence is about them; my friends, family, my son, or anyone who I see suffering. It is all about God.

My circumstances, or that of those who's paths cross my own, are the direct result of sin. Free will brought sin into this world. I have no one else to blame for my circumstances other than myself. Yes, there are things outside of myself that can contribute to good and bad situations I find myself in. However, it is completely up to me how I respond to all that happens to me. I choose whether or not I'll sin. The simple truth is we all are a product of sin and we all fall short. Romans 3:21-26 teaches us,

”But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, for a demonstration of His righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance; to demonstrate His righteousness at this present time, that He might Himself be just and the Justifier of those whom have faith in Jesus.“

I have sinned and caused my circumstances. Or I have chosen to allow myself, through further sin, to allow the sins of others to harm me. But God restores! I just need to chase after Him! I need to find what He can teach me about my situations. With that mindset, everything can be okay!

Flood Gates

In my prayer time over these past few weeks of the 21 days of prayer and fasting, God has truly been speaking to me. I'm sure He is always speaking to me. I'm just not always listening...hehehe He has especially been providing Bible passages He wanted me to pray over in intercession for people He has been laying on my heart. He has also been providing passages for me to meditate over for situations in my own life. That's why there are some many references in my blog entries lately!

I hope this flood of scripture continues after these 21 days are over at the end of next week. One way I can do my part in that is to continue my prayer and meditation time at the conclusion. Not just as a habit, but as a lifestyle. I want to grow in my faith. I do not want to remain in my infancy of faith. It is my prayer that God continues to help me overcome my laziness.