Yes, But How?

A friend of mine posted a cartoon of a guy saying "Lord, speak to me please!" In the next frame, The Lord was handing the man a bible through the clouds. 

I was that man...

I was buying all types of books: "How to be a good Christian",  "How to change your life in 17 days" "21 days to being the best Christian ever"  "How to be holy", "Long skirt/no polish 101". Ok, ok. Those aren't actual book titles, but if it was anything that sounded like it would get me REAL "saved", I wanted it. (I still buy books, but I pray about them first). 

I also had Bibles on Bibles and cases and covers and pens and highlighters. (Ok, I still have these too, but the difference is, I use them). 

The problem is that I thought having all of these items on my shelf would somehow give me the answers. Through osmosis, maybe? Let me help you. NOPE. No osmosis. 

The way to know what God desires, what God says about you, how He feels about you, is to READ it. You will probably be like "that was in there??!" The best translation? The one you will read! Don't try to be a scholar from day one. Just read it. Of course, you would want to pray for and ask for understanding. 

I used to read books and write "yes, but how?", When I agreed with something, but didn't know how to do it. Then, I found out that a Bible teacher (Beth Moore, if I'm not mistaken) did the same thing. I wasn't alone. I wasn't the only one who couldn't figure stuff out. But, when I began to change my priorities, I began to "see" better. I traded music for sermons and tv shows for reading (thank God for the wisdom that is modern technology-DVR). This is a process, I still have things I need to work on (can you say Facebook/Instagram??!!) but I can see more clearly because I actually READ the book...

How? 

BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. [Rom. 13:8-10; Gal. 3:1-29; II Tim. 3:16.] And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]. [Jer. 17:7, 8.] (Psalm 1:1-3 AMP)

Be Slow To Speak- There’s Power In The Pause

I was once on a conference call with Dr. Deborah Pegues. She is a known author of a book called “30 Days To Taming Your Emotions” (among others).  On the call we were encouraged to go on a 24 hour negative talking fast, I think. I was sure that it wouldn’t be difficult, but y’all know me.. It was HARD!!!  One thing she said on the call stuck out to me, she said, “There is power in the pause”. What she meant was that we need to think before we speak.

Fast forward to this morning. I HAVE A STORY!!! I can’t change names and situations, because, for one, I am the main character in the story and also, I would have to think hard to keep what details I changed straight.. But hey… It’s a life lesson right???

Big daughter, Kennedy- 18 years old- just got her drivers license whoo hoo! Now she can run errands. I have to be all correct and “do right”, so I put her on my car insurance (plus I have had my car barely 6 months, I ain't crazy). It hopped up $200!!! I was like Oh Lord Jesus! But hey, I gotta do what I gotta do and I made a note to research other companies besides the lizard before the 15^th so I could pay less if I found a cheaper rate. So, for the past couple weeks I planned and thought, and though and planned. I got a quote from another “reputable company” (u know flo right?). This quote was over $100 cheaper (yes I compared like for like coverage. Yes they pulled our forreal driving record).

So, I PURCHASED this new insurance, called my current company to cancel and she did her fact-finding and told me to check about that “business” part. I almost got irritated; because I was like “I TOLD THEM I conduct some business. I DID my planning.. It’s 8 am, lady just cancel my policy so I’m not charged!” But I didn’t..well, I didn’t say it, I just thought it.. So, I called Flo back and ask them about “some business.” Come to find out, although the lizard uses a percentage to determine if they would cover business on a personal policy the other company told me that any business would require me to have a business policy. So that meant that Nate and Kennedy would likely have to have a separate policy with me as an additional driver and I would have a business policy with them as additional drivers (do you see the numbers spinning around in my head??). so when I told Flo that I wanted to cancel, she said ok, your payment will still go through, then we will hold it for 15 days then process your refund. (crickets...)  Did you see my head spinning??  So I’m going to have you holding a payment, the other insurance company taking a payment. Oh no. I have a senior, I gotta pay for all this stuff, I got stuff to do this week, blah blah blah.. (This is all in MY HEAD mind you).

I called my bank, stopped the payment. The nice lady even waived the fee.  In the meantime Flo calls me and tells me that she caught my payment in accounting, that it was canceled, and it wouldn’t hit my bank.

It all worked out, I still will be researching, but I have a little more time..

But Samele, why does this matter and what does it have to do with pausing?

James 1:9 (NLT) says “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” (emphasis mine)

Yep, James is talking about being angry (or not to be angry, or to take your time before getting angry), but this should have been my guiding principal today (and every day) quick to listen, I should have been. SLOW TO SPEAK (or get on the phone) I should have been.  Even though I planned and planned, I didn’t pray and pray. I just knew that that savings of over $100 was a good thing and why even ask?

A fruit of the spirit is patience. I should have exercised that.  This time it all worked out, but can you IMAGINE if I had all that money tied up?? I ain’t rich? I can’t handle that..

I should have paused.  How often do we rush out ahead of God and do something before He tells us to, or before we even ask? Then, we scramble around trying to fix our mess.. OR, worse, blame God for all the things that could have gone wrong (in this case canceled policies, possible bank account situations, ohh I don’t even want to think about it) . EVERYTHING requires checking with God. This is part of a RELATIONSHIP. He will guide us if we ask.

Why The Kitchen?

First, the obvious answer… I am a pastry chef!!!

Next, the less obvious, deeper, more meaningful reasoning behind titling my attempt at a blog “Life Lessons From My Kitchen”:

The kitchen is the place where all of the cooking happens. When (hopefully before) you are cooking, you have to do a couple of things. 1. PLAN what you are going to prepare. 2.  You have to make sure the area is SUITABLE FOR food PREPARATION and 3. You have to set up your work area for the most EFFICIENT WORK FLOW.

A long time ago, much of family living took place in the kitchen. People even slept in the kitchen! And, you can best believe, that if a house didn’t have a formal dining room, they certainly had a kitchen.

For me, my brain is like my kitchen…

I am a planner. I plan so much, that I will generally think about something so long that I talk myself out of whatever it is I am planning. 

As for making sure my “work area” is suitable for preparation, My work area is MY LIFE, everything about me, from what I say when I open my mouth, to what I DON’T say when I open my mouth. Anyone that knows me, knows that I wear my emotions on my sleeve and you can pretty much tell how I am feeling by my posture, or even my eyes (my besties say I blink lots when I am upset- I’m working on that!).  It’s no secret that I am a Christ follower. My preparation comes from the Bible. I am trying to live my life according to the standards that are given in the Bible. This isn’t easy, and I can’t do it in my own strength. But, it says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV) “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” So, I will be boasting on my weaknesses as I share life lessons from my “kitchen”.  Every post won’t be “hidey high and Sunday morning”. Hopefully, my lessons will serve as lessons to someone else. If not, I’ve heard that I tell a good story!

My work area (brain) set up? For the most efficient workflow? Hmmmmm. Well, I look for a lesson in EVERYTHING. I guess that’s why I tell such good stories (besides that, I love to read.. Steven King, Dean Koontz, Danielle Steele used to be some of my favorites). I love to talk to my kids about what they could learn from something (Hopefully I show them just as much as I tell them). I even had a life lesson from the taco truck once. I wish I could remember what the lesson was, but I wasn’t blogging, and didn’t write it down!

Anyway, I digress. The visual condition of your path does not indicate what the destination will look like.  I read TODAY on Kimberly Jones-Pothier’s Facebook page  “Don’t confuse your path with your destination, just because it’s stormy now, doesn’t mean you aren’t headed for sunshine.”

My “path” hasn’t been the prettiest. It hasn’t been the most straightforward. I used to feel like I had lost so much time because of the life choices I have made.  But, as long as I am living, I have the opportunity to continue to learn lessons. As I meditate on 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT), I know that I can be transformed. While I haven't always been set up for the most "efficient workflow" that is being changed....

"So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image."