So as I was asking God about how to ‘survive’ all the transitioning in my life right now. I felt like He took me again to Joshua as they started transitioning into the promised land. They were to purify themselves which we talked about, but they followed after the presence of God. When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, the presence of God, touched the water, the water rolled up on itself a long ways off and let the Israelites walk across. So I think of two things:
1. Only God can make a way for me. I know that two days ago I started the day and recognized that I was carrying the Holy Spirit in me. The day was incredible. I did my morning routine at an unhurried pace. When I looked at the time as I was heading to work I realized that I was actually going to be on time!!! I was shocked. It has been weeks maybe months that I could check off my list and be on schedule at a normal pace instead of pulling my hair out. I even stopped and enjoyed little gifts of God like a beautiful desert willow, my favorite tree. However, the very next day was a disaster. I woke up and immediately focused on all I needed to accomplish that day. I didn’t write it down on a list but tried to keep it in my head. I was focused on remembering everything instead of enjoying God. It was NOT a good day! Have you ever been there? Good lessons though! Only God can make a way for me during the time of transitions — during ANY time 🙂
2. The second thing is I always try to put myself into the Bible stories. I think God uses my imagination to help me get the whole feel of what normal people were experiencing and He usually gives me some insights into His heart. It’s a fun thing that I do with God. So I put myself in the shoes of the Israelites about to cross the riverbed into the promised land. I realized that there was maybe some timidity, I mean the water was walled by the invisible hand of God, but exactly – invisible! They couldn’t use their natural sight, they had to see by faith and keep their eyes on the Ark – the presence of God. I think once they actually got into the dry riverbed they broke out in laughter. I mean these were the ‘new’ generation of Israelites. They had heard the stories of the generation before them on how God delivered them from the Egyptians, how God split the waters and they walked through it. But now here they are, experiencing first hand what they had only heard second hand. God really was the same yesterday, today and forever. He was and IS amazing and crazy dramatic sometimes and powerful . And He loved them! I think this realization caused a celebration of dance, laughter mixed with times of hushed awe as they walked/danced across the riverbed in the presence of the Lord of All Creation! How cool!
Transitions are not easy in the natural. if you are a woman who has given childbirth by natural means you can relate to what I am about to say. Men, sorry! I gave birth to all three of my children naturally. Randy was my birthing coach, right there beside me through all three. He kept me focused, he kept me breathing. Those two things as we walk across the riverbed of transitions are key. We discipline ourselves, hold encouraging friends close, to keep focused on the presence of God like Joshua and the Israelites did. I also have found that I have to focus on the task at hand. I may need to cut or realign the multitude of activities that with which I can get involved . Time was given to us before the fall of man. Time is a good gift from God, not our enemy. We just overextend our time, thus get off focus.
But also in our practical life we have to breath! Breath by taking slow steady breaths between times of intensity and when intensity come do short quick breaths. Right now Randy and I are both in intense times of transitions. We have discovered that during those times of intensity we need to take breaks every 2-3 sometimes we can make it to 4 hours. During the times of intensity, Randy’s thinking gets overloaded so he will go do manual labor where he sweats and doesn’t have to strain his brain too much. Me on the other hand, my emotions go out of control or completely numb. I have found for my emotions to breath, I eat right, take naps, go to the park for a run with my dog, work in my garden, or watch a great action show (I love those). It has been a beautiful thing that God really is concerned about our minds and our emotions, God is not a slave driver, but a son builder!! He is the Savior of my Soul! I love Him. He lets me breath.
Originally posted May 26, 2017
