Hiking The Canyon

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Today, Ann Voskamp  has us posting about being Christ-centric in her Walk With Him Wednesdays.


Ouch.

How do OTHERS see Jesus in me? DO they see Jesus in me?

My hope is that they do but...

I'm not perfect. I don't always have the words to say. I lose my temper. I want my own way. I wish things were different. I complain. Not very Jesus-like, huh?

Words like FAILURE, MISTAKE, and UNWORTHY come to mind. I wear them around my neck, like ID tags. Don't you recognize me? I'm the one that is unworthy to bear the name of Christ. The woman that stumbles under the weight of her own perceptions.

How many times have I used the excuse that I am having a "bad day" to gripe at my husband, snip at my kids, or yell at the dog? I begrudgingly vacuum the rugs, clean the toilets, wash the clothes and fix the evening meal. I clean messes that I didn't make, say things I didn't mean, and make it my mission, on certain days, to not be joyful.  Thoughts run through my mind like a broken tape recorder.  On some days I feel the bitterness creep in... don't I deserve more than this?

The fissure in a soul can break wide open and leave a canyon between what is known and what is done.

Be more like Christ...   "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32 NAS

Just as Christ has forgiven me. The words echo deep in the canyon... bouncing off the walls of my heart. Forgive them.

Be more like Christ...  "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."  Philippians 4:8  NAS

Dwell on these things. Even the deepness of a canyon can be beautiful, when the sun shines on rough rock. It is difficult to complain if I am concentrating on lovely things. I can make that choice.

Be more like Christ...  "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalm 145:8  ESV

Showing grace and mercy, the anger drains from me. Let it go!  Anger and bitterness kill the spirit of the one that holds on to them, and I can die from thirst if I can't find my way off the canyon floor, to the life giving water.

Being more Christ like is not easy...but, Jesus Himself said it would be worth it. So, I continue hiking out of the canyon.

Related articles

• Good to go: Marrakech, Grand Canyon, Ibiza (independent.co.uk)


• Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon (arizonaroadtrip.wordpress.com)


• Sunrise at the Grand Canyon - Grand Canyon National Park, AZ (travelpod.com)


• Somewhere between the heavenly and the hellish . . . (hopeofglory.typepad.com)


• Grand Canyon day & night - Grand Canyon Village, AZ (travelpod.com)


• Blessed "Be" attitudes :: Be Merciful (thepauls.wordpress.com)


• Why is it necessary to pray for 'forgiveness of our sins' if Jesus took all our sins away from us (wiki.answers.com)


• A New Creation (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• A Word for the Weary (traskman.wordpress.com)

Hiking The Canyon

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]

Today, Ann Voskamp  has us posting about being Christ-centric in her Walk With Him Wednesdays.


Ouch.

How do OTHERS see Jesus in me? DO they see Jesus in me?

My hope is that they do but...

I'm not perfect. I don't always have the words to say. I lose my temper. I want my own way. I wish things were different. I complain. Not very Jesus-like, huh?

Words like FAILURE, MISTAKE, and UNWORTHY come to mind. I wear them around my neck, like ID tags. Don't you recognize me? I'm the one that is unworthy to bear the name of Christ. The woman that stumbles under the weight of her own perceptions.

How many times have I used the excuse that I am having a "bad day" to gripe at my husband, snip at my kids, or yell at the dog? I begrudgingly vacuum the rugs, clean the toilets, wash the clothes and fix the evening meal. I clean messes that I didn't make, say things I didn't mean, and make it my mission, on certain days, to not be joyful.  Thoughts run through my mind like a broken tape recorder.  On some days I feel the bitterness creep in... don't I deserve more than this?

The fissure in a soul can break wide open and leave a canyon between what is known and what is done.

Be more like Christ...   "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32 NAS

Just as Christ has forgiven me. The words echo deep in the canyon... bouncing off the walls of my heart. Forgive them.

Be more like Christ...  "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."  Philippians 4:8  NAS

Dwell on these things. Even the deepness of a canyon can be beautiful, when the sun shines on rough rock. It is difficult to complain if I am concentrating on lovely things. I can make that choice.

Be more like Christ...  "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalm 145:8  ESV

Showing grace and mercy, the anger drains from me. Let it go!  Anger and bitterness kill the spirit of the one that holds on to them, and I can die from thirst if I can't find my way off the canyon floor, to the life giving water.

Being more Christ like is not easy...but, Jesus Himself said it would be worth it. So, I continue hiking out of the canyon.

Related articles

• Good to go: Marrakech, Grand Canyon, Ibiza (independent.co.uk)


• Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon (arizonaroadtrip.wordpress.com)


• Sunrise at the Grand Canyon - Grand Canyon National Park, AZ (travelpod.com)


• Somewhere between the heavenly and the hellish . . . (hopeofglory.typepad.com)


• Grand Canyon day & night - Grand Canyon Village, AZ (travelpod.com)


• Blessed "Be" attitudes :: Be Merciful (thepauls.wordpress.com)


• Why is it necessary to pray for 'forgiveness of our sins' if Jesus took all our sins away from us (wiki.answers.com)


• A New Creation (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• A Word for the Weary (traskman.wordpress.com)

Letting Go Of Expectations

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Have you ever read something and realized it was YOU the writer was talking about? Okay, well maybe not really you, but it may as well have been. The words hit so close to home that you look over your shoulder to see if anyone is watching you, as you read...

I've finished One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I'm reading it again. It's that good. On pages 168-169, Ann discusses "expectations". During book club it was discussed that expectations are premeditated resentments.

Ouch.

How many times have I let my expectations, ruin the moment? How many times have I expected something, only to see that others can't meet that bar? How many times have I expected perfection in the moment, only to be sorely disappointed? I struggle with the way I think things "should be". When things don't turn out the way I had hoped, I am left frazzled, irritated, and resentful.

Resentment. I know it well. I wish I didn't.

That insidious word, feeling, has stolen my joy on numerous occasions.

It builds up inside of me, until it blinds me to all else. I can no longer see the joy of the moment because resentment has me standing in darkness.

I bite the words as they come out of my mouth. Hard and bitter.

I need to let the expectations go.

Do I want to enjoy the moment that God gave me, or do I want to "be right"?

"Expectations, kill relationships", Ann surmises. I tend to agree.

I'm a work in progress.

Joy is in the moment.

I'm learning to "let go" so I can enjoy the moments God has given me. The lessons are not simple, nor easy.

All of life is learning.

It's hard to stay resentful... if I'm giving thanks. The two don't mix well. I will continue with eucharisteo.

Amen.

We are discussing "letting go" this week at A Holy Experience. If you would like to read more, click on my Walk With Him Wednesdays graphic on my right side bar.

Related Articles

• Forgiveness, Part 3 (caregiving.com)


• The Power of Releasing Resentments: A Holiday and New Year's Gift to Yourself and Others (psychologytoday.com)


• All stressed out and nowhere to vent (simplyconnectingdots.wordpress.com)


• Forgiveness (tmlloyd.wordpress.com)


• Letting Go (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• Letting go (karunamettacat.wordpress.com)

So Many Times, I Am A Brick

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If you noticed my post from yesterday, you saw that I was frustrated and angry over losing my hard work. I was not enjoying my lap top. At all.

I look back at the incident and have to laugh. My post from yesterday was going to be on perspective. Isn't that funny? I thought I could write something worthwhile on perspective, and when I lost my post to cyberspace... I lost my temper. Not a very good perspective, huh?

I have a feeling I am not the only one that has those type of moments.

I wish I had it all together. Oh, how I wish! But...I don't. I admit it.

I am trying to work on perspective. Two steps forward and one step back. That is the way it always seems to work out. Life is all about the lessons, isn't it? What does God want me to learn today? Am I malleable in the Potter's hand? Or am I stubborn and hard like a brick? Can he gently smooth  my rough edges, or does He need to hammer away at me, until I soften?

Sigh. So many times I am a brick.

I am so grateful that God is patient with me. He is compassionate to me and forgives me, my human frailties.

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new EVERY morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

 

Related Articles

• Lord, it's Tough to Make Bricks Without Straw - Exodus 6-9 (dianneguthmuller.com)


• Rolling-stone Christians (eardstapa.wordpress.com)


• Brick Lane, after hours (eastlondonwatch.wordpress.com)


• Bricks, and Arguments (philothing.wordpress.com)


• Today I am angry... (babymamasblog.wordpress.com)