YES! Night Shift Is Officially OVER! Praise the Lord.
Have you ever been going through a rough time, experiencing frustration, not understanding why God was doing things the way He was... and you started a little self-talk? Something to this effect, "Well, surely God will do this or that,...or....God will bring us out of this soon, I'm sure."
Inspiring, encouraging talks to yourself??? And, then those little pick-me-up pep rallies began to have an effect on your attitude and outlook? Today, I raise my hand right up there with yours.
As I mentioned yesterday, when Kurt began this whole night shift season, we had been through 10 months of unemployment, and almost 8 months of a job that took him away to Ohio. I counted every month of those moments. Here we were taking another step in this journey God had planned. What was my little cheer I shouted to myself each month? .... Ten months, then eight months, ahaaa, this one will be less. God is making each step a little shorter!
When October approached, that 6 month deadline, and we were still going strong, I didn't despair. I told myself that we could really go up to December and still come out on the shorter end this time around. You know what happened. December came and went. No change, and No end in sight. I was truly disappointed. I had set myself up!!!
In this whole time of talks to myself, and talks with my God, I was being moved from one mindset to another. And in January, I had arrived....to the state of brokenness and surrender to God's plan, and not my wishes. After the holidays, I raised my hands up to my Father, opened them wide, and gave it up. Your will, Abba, your plans, not mine. I will be CONTENT in what you have for us. I will wait only with an expectant HOPE for what is yet to come. I will be still...and see the moment by moment blessings you have been doing and continue to do for us, yes....even in these days of night shifts. I accept your ways, your timing, your best for us.
In this life, there are the times where we are waiting.. waiting, and longing for the time to come where circumstances are changed, rearranged, or simply left behind us as we move on. We do not know the times or means by which all will take place and what the end results will be. These are the times that try the souls of men and women alike.
I believe there is one thing God seeks to work on and see flourish in our lives in days such as these. And it is what He has shown us in our household, once again, throughout the last 3 years of waiting. God yearns for us to have a spirit of CONTENTMENT in the times of the unknown... in the days of uncertainty. It is when we are under the most pressure of not knowing the end, not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, that we can literally collapse under the strains of Discontentment.
It is then that our attitudes are most vulnerable to become oppressed and depressed with what we have not yet attained, rather than focusing on all God IS blessing in the moment.
DO NOT LET THE DECEIVER CAUSE YOU TO LIVE OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF... "One Day At A Time, Living In The Blessings Of The Here and Now."
As you face your own period of waiting on the Lord for an answer to your prayers, for a change in your lives, for a revelation to something unknown as you walk in the darkness, remember this! Keep your eyes directly on His face. Keep your ears directly open to His instruction for this current day...(only). Keep your heart directly in line with all that He is pouring out to you in blessings that you might have missed if you were not focusing on just today.
This is the order of "Contentment Reality."
Do not allow yourself to operate in a holding pattern, circling around and around waiting for your plans to take place before you land and rest. You may be circling a year and a day, exhausting yourself, because you have not relinquished your hold to the One who is in the Control Tower. He wants you to let go and experience His version of R&R. Release, and Rest... in His plan, unknown though it may be. Be content in your here and now. TRUST the one who holds your days in His hand.
I would encourage you to muster up courage, grab hold of Hope, count all of the blessings you can think of and write them down. Then get down on your knees, and THANK GOD for all He is showing you and all that He isn't showing you. Tell Him you trust Him to take care of you and bring all "holding patterns" in your life to an end with blessings unbelievable. Ask Him to help you to focus on today, and find contentment in His will, not yours.
It took months for God to get me to the position on my knees of resignation and submission to totally release my hold on the "ending time" for night shifts. And when I did relent, oh what peace and contentment He showered down on me. (If only I had done that from the start!)
Life is a journey. :-)
SO WHAT DID GOD DO WHEN HE GOT ME TO THIS POSITION??
On January thirtieth, a call came to Kurt offering a new job with day hours... 1st shift. Next Monday, April 20th, that new step begins for us.
God is good...ALL the time...God is good.
There will be many, many more times of waiting in our lifetimes. If you and I do not learn the secret of Contentment in the midst of those times, we will indeed have a future of disappointments and discontentment as life inevitably comes full circle again, and brings another period of waiting,... waiting for the next unknown answer.
My blogger friend....Wait with Hope!!!! Let Go and Let God. There is no better position to be than right smack in the middle of Contentment With Your God and His plans today, This Day... For You!
Courage...and Contentment to you.
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