I love when God's plan comes together.
After reading 2.9 "the Chaff" and seeing the importance of straight rows when plowing, i read Proverbs 4:25-27
25 Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;
stay on the safe path.
27 Don’t get sidetracked;
keep your feet from following evil.
I was so encouraged to read something from the Word that directly confirmed what I had been thinking after the reading. Margaret wrote "Aaron's words reminded me if how small compromises in my own life can lead to big consequences. I appreciated the idea of looking for something, or Someone, ahead in the distance to reset onto the right course." - Page 96
All i could think of is how important it is in our lives to keep Jesus as the focal point. He says over and over in his Word that he will direct our paths, but we need to be focused on Him and in right standing with him.
This also reminds me of what i learned in Ballet. When learning how to do Chaine Turns, the first thing that is taught is to pick a point in the distance and make sure your head snaps to the point in every turn. This keeps the dancer from becoming dizzy and keeps the beginning turner on a straight path.
A good lesson for me, never take eyes off of the focal point!
"How often do I have unrealistic expectations
ReplyDeletethat I will reap where I never bothered to sow?" (p.115) Or even how often do we believe we will reap WHAT we never bothered to sow? I have a picture in my mind of a gardener, who didn't plant beans, expecting beans to come up, saying to himself, "Now where are those beans?!" I often expect that I can look good without putting forth the effort to exercise. Or that my hair will look good when I haven't washed it or fixed it. I'm that gardener, looking for my beans.
Recently God has encouraged me to stop watching tv. I can't tell you how clean my mind feels. When I go to sleep at night, my thoughts are on God or The Little House on the Prairie story I read to my children that evening--clean, pure thoughts. It's like a field with good soil, ready for God's word to be planted, without thoughts of the tv (weeds) crowding out my good thoughts.