Poop, Scoop, Keep on!!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13

I was walking the dogs yesterday and only had a limited amount of time, much like today. The days seem to be so full as the end of the school year heightens in demand and summer beckons the cleaning and purging of spring!! The weather was beautiful and the sun was just breaking through the clouds and the air was perfectly cool! With a slight skip in my step and puppy tails wagging, we were off to a glorious start! 

The birds are singing loudly, flowers are popping their vibrant colors along the pathways, trees and yards are lush and green, and little bunnies are out playing. All the senses were engaged, seeing, feeling, hearing, touching, embracing it all...until the "poop" hit the floor. Literally, my old girl had to take a potty break, a #2, which means we must wait....and scoop the warm hot mush of a pile. Those who know me, know I am not one for mushie textures much less it being poop! I am a MOM, so I can handle just about anything through the art of distraction. However, it's just gross and there's nothing pretty or cool 'bout it. Okay, so, deep breath, it's part of the process when you walk with dogs. Poop, scoop, keep on!! 

Well, now, we have 2 pups walking, and after I was just starting to hearing the birds singing again and the smell of fresh air was surrounding me once again, puppy #2, went #2. Ugh...my shoulders slouched, my breathing was deep breaths and my attitude dropped to the ground. Why couldn't they do their duty at home? Before the walk or after the walk? Why didn't they do it at the same time at least, a one stop drop?! Needless to say, it changed my demeanor and my once cheerful skipping had now become a disappointed stompping. It wasn't their fault, they were just doing was was normal for them. The birds were still singing, the flowers were still swaying, grass was still lush and green (now fertilized`lol!!!) and the day was still glorious, but there I was scooping poop. Yuck and Bahumbug.

It was then I felt the stirring in my spirit of Ecclesiastes 3, there is a season for everything. People like me who are peace-makers, don't like the "bad parts" of life- disappointments, confrontations, betrayals, unrealistic expectations, harsh demands, etc. We try our best to stay focused on the rainbows of life (glass half full) and not the poop (glass half empty). But it is just a part of life. In a world full of sinners, just as I am one of them, there will be heartaches and "poop" that we have to deal with. But, that doesn't mean that everything else changes. 

I could spend my "walk" watching out for poop piles, sticklers, snakes, spiders, vultures, ant beds (which I should be aware of but not hyper focused on) or...I could spend my "walk" looking for the beauty and goodness around me, careful of anything that may hinder my walk, but not consume it. 

God come to give us abundant and joyful life, "plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. " We have the choice to live life consumed and distracted by all the "poop" or to "walk" faithfully and cheerfully knowing that there will be moments when we will have to scoop it up and toss it off the "path" we are "walking." Scoop, keep on! 

Keep your eyes on the Amazing, Beautiful, Creative Creator, Life Giving God! Just be sure to watch your steps along the way. 

Why Lord?

"Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on GOD who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On HIM we have set our HOPE that He will deliver us again. YOU also must HELP US by PRAYER so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the PRAYERS of many." 2 Corinthians 1:9-11

Have you ever felt like you were going die? That your circumstances were so great you thought you were going to die, or maybe you wanted to die? Illness, family crisis, unemployment, loss of a loved one, emotional distress, broken or difficult relationships, physical ailments and extreme anxiety just to name a few of life's heartaches that can drop us quickly to our knees.
We wonder Why Lord? Why is this happening? Does He hear me? Will He help me? How will I make it through this? Satan would like us to feel overwhelmed and feel like we are not in control and headed over a cliff. But, we actually do have control over our mind and heart. We have the choice to sit in despair or set our hope in Him. It is soooo easy to sit in despair, shut down, become self-absorbed and close ourselves off to the outside world. That's exactly what Satan would hope you would do but the Lord is LIFE. Life Who conquers death! AMEN!!! John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. "
When we search the scriptures, we find the steadfastness and faithfulness of God for those who believe and set their eyes on Him. Those who wonder, fear, fail have taken their eyes off Him and went out on their own wisdom. It is important to take time in these moments to give thanks as you remember how the Lord has been faithful in providing deliverance in your own life and even in the life of others that you yourself have witnessed. That doesn't mean every time your life has been perfect, but every time the Lord has provided and rescued you, bringing comfort even amidst the trial.  
The Lord is faithful, He will do it again. This passage gives us two ways we can stand firm and keep our spirits up...1.) Our hope must be set on Him and 2.) we must ask for prayer. We are helped by the prayers of others. They are actual BLESSINGS!!!
Whatever you are facing today, are you relying on yourself or on the God who raises the dead? Have you been lost in despair and lost hope? May these words today set your hope back on Him. May you reach out today and ask for the prayers of many? As much as our journey is personal between us and the Lord, it is part of the working and growing of The Body. As we live life together, we have to be in eachother's lives so that we can be part of the process of healing and hope which ultimately highlights and reflects the glory of our faithful and loving Father.
What do you need prayer for today? Who is God asking you to bless by the offering of your prayers?  

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him." Psalm 28:7