Push Forward or Stand Still

Dear readers I have a resolve to share with you. I’m pushing forward through anxiety I’m not going to let it stop me. Why do I push forward? Because I know what it’s like to just stand still. It gets you nowhere. I push forward because I have hope in Christ. I know there’s a victory on the other side of this. How do I know this because I’ve had victories in my life and those victories happened when I was pushing forward not standing still.

If you look at David when he fought the giant, Goliath, he knew there was victory because of his relationship with the Lord. He had seen the Lord bring victories in his past. For instance, his sheep were attacked by a bear and a lion and God delivered David’s sheep out of the mouth of predators. Therefore, David knew God would deliver him from Goliath. David didn’t stand still he faced Goliath with a sling and a stone in his hand he knocked down the giant and removed his head with his own sword. David took action.

Let’s look at Joshua. He knew what it was to stand still. He was one of the 12 spies that sought out the promised land to see if the occupants could be defeated. 10 of the spies gave a bad report saying they would lose the battle. Joshua and Caleb said the Lord would deliver them from their enemies. Because of the bad report the people didn’t go into the land. They figuratively stood still for 40 years. Joshua knew what it was to stand still in the area of disbelief. He was the victim of others disbelief causing all the people to have to stand still. Have you ever stood in disbelief? I have. But no more. I’m striving forward. Joshua also had his pushing forward moment when he crossed the Jordan river into the promised land. The people who thought their enemies would defeat them were all dead. Their generation died in the wilderness because of disbelief. Because of standing still. When it was time to step into the promised land God told Joshua,

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9

Why can we push forward? The Lord is with us so we do not need to be afraid.

I don’t want to stand still. Do you? Don’t you want to step into the promised land that the Lord has for you? I promise you it’s better than where you are right now. If you’re stuck in the same pattern of standing still I encourage you to do what Paul did.

Brethern, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those thing which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

This is how we push forward. Forget the past. Cling to Jesus. Stop standing still and put one foot in front of the other. There is victory on the other side of your circumstance. There is hope in Christ. He will never leave us nor forsake us; therefore, we will be victorious.

The Distance Between Us

Who came up with the term “social distancing”? Did they know the weight of it? Did they know the burden it would bear? Did they know what we would lose? Did it far outweigh what we gained?

                Our loss is tangible. What’s missing? The touch of a mother’s hand across her child’s cheek. The beauty of a smile now hidden underneath. A handshake when meeting someone for the first time. A hug between two well met friends. The embrace of a loved one. A greeting hello. The silence is deafening. People don’t talk to each other now. They avoid eye contact as if we could catch the virus with our eyes. Fear runs rampant in the streets. Toilet paper flies off the shelves and it leaves us wondering how did we get here and when are we going to get back what we lost? We can’t. Life will never be the same. I don’t know what will be different but it will never be the same. I will never be the same. Who I am today is not who I was two months ago when this all started. I thought the virus was something far away from me and before I knew it my workplace was closed to the public. Before I knew it masks had to be worn everywhere you went and I didn’t even know what COVID19 was. Now everything I do is marred by antibacterial soap, hand sanitizer, hand washing, masks everything that is supposed to keep me safe is locking people out of my life. Fear runs rampant but there’s also the careful balance of love and good deeds. Not only have we lost there are things we’ve gained. Kindness is also running rampant. People are meeting in cars in the parking lots of hospitals praying for the staff. People are doing car dance parties to provide some entertainment in the monotony of staying inside. Children are making pizzas and delivering them for first responders. Loved ones and teachers of high school graduates are bringing signs of congratulations and staying outside encouraging their grads. (Insert here) the acts of kindness you’ve witnessed. There’s the careful balance of the good and the bad.

It’s given me an appreciation for so much in my life. One thing I am most grateful for is my relationship with God. He loves me so much and he’s protecting me from the virus. I bet you’re wondering where is God in all this? Consider the following scripture.

 

And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch? Luke 6:39

Study note in my bible, This parable is a warning about following the wrong person. Spiritually blind leaders mislead disciples (Holman KJV Study Bible 2012).

God is the one leading us but so often we turn to others and follow their ways. Are we the blind during this virus? I think we are blind to what God is trying to do in us during this time. He’s working so many things out of my heart. I have a new found appreciation for my employer and my staff. I appreciate where I’m at in my walk with God. I have battled anxiety for years and I’m at the finish line of anxiety; I can see the end of it. It used to be a mountain in front of me and now it’s a pebble in my shoe, something so small I can kick it out of the way as I run the race. I’m working in a different department during this time helping with clerical work. It has me doing filing mostly and it is pretty easy. I feel like it’s a nice break from being in charge because I’m the boss where I normally work. However, I love what I do. I feel it is a calling on my life and I can’t wait to get back to being in charge again because God called me to be a leader. But during this time I’m taking a step back and listening more than I speak. I want to see what can I hear when I let go of the distraction of my ego.

So what’s life after COVID19 going to look like? We will never get back to life the way it was but do we really want to? There are plenty of things I miss but people no longer have the distractions of life weighing them down. People are probably communicating more now than they ever have with all the extra time at home. I don’t know what post COVID19 life looks like. I don’t know how long it’s going to take but I pray that I don’t forget the lessons I’ve learned. I never want to take life for granted ever again.

When this is all over I’m going to hug everyone I know and I’m gonna hold on a little bit longer because I want them to feel the love I have for them. I can’t wait to get back to church and see how my church family is doing. I can’t wait to go to the movies and get some movie popcorn.

What about you dear reader? What do you miss most? What’s the first thing you’re going to do once it’s all over? What have you learned during this time? Please share your thoughts with me.

Genuinely Yours,

Amy Z

The Sword is Mightier than the Pen

Hello dear readers I’m back. It’s been over a year since I posted a blog. I didn’t have internet at my new place and I’ve been on hiatus. So a lot has changed since I’ve written last. For one I moved out of my mom’s place and have my own apartment. I’ve been here since April of 2019 and I absolutely love being out on my own. It’s a great feeling to be able to take ownership and be free to make your own choices. Another thing that has changed is, since the COVID-19 virus, I’ve been redeployed to work at a different department until my place of business opens again. I just started this week and I’m impressed already. This group of people are amazing and very welcoming and helpful. We had a staff meeting and they prayed at the end so I’m surrounded by believers, which it’s so cool that I get to talk about God at work.               

So I’d like to explore a reoccurring issue in my life and it has to do with pens. Pens you might be thinking. What in the world could be an issue involving pens? Well I absolutely love Uniball Signo pens. I’m a writer and I journal a lot so I love having a good pen and these pens are great except for one thing they lose their luster toward the end of their life span. So what I do is I’ll use the pen until it starts to fade and I’ll crack out a new one and use that one before the previous pen has been all used up. Do I throw the previous pen away? No because what if I need a pen and they’re all I have left? So the reoccurring issue is the issue with pens is a manifestation of an inward problem. A heart issue if you will. I have a hard time finishing what I start. I don’t know the root of why I have this problem. I’m hoping to be like an explorer who travels far away and discovers something new at the end of the journey. That’s what I’m hoping this blog will do. My issue won’t go away overnight, which is just like most of our issues. We think that because we want to change that the change will come right away but it doesn’t work like that. It took awhile for the frame of mind to become a habit so it will take some time for it to go away. However, as long as you take a step forward when you can, it will begin to lead you further and further away from your old habit until finally that habit is gone and replaced by a new healthier habit.

This is just like a walk with Christ. God refines and renews us every day to look more like Christ. To have the mind of Christ. To walk in the light of Christ and think more and more like Christ. When we first become a Christian we come with baggage. Sometimes we come with old hurts, unforgiveness, bitterness, pain and sorrow. God has to work these things out of us because it is at odds with the mind of Christ. It is at odds with the Holy Spirit which is within us. Christ is all about love and he wants us to let go of the baggage and takes his hand. So the following is what scripture tells us about becoming a new creation.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

What the scripture doesn’t tell us is that it’s a process. It will happen over time so be patient with yourself. Try your best every day and you will get there day by day. A life with Christ gives us hope. Since we have Christ we have a hope that all the baggage will eventually go away and we will be that new creation. Don’t give up. Keep moving forward. You’re gonna get there.

So now onto the title of this post. The sword is mightier than the pen. What follows is scripture that speaks of the word of God.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

God’s word is like a sword, it pierces our hearts and shows us what we need to change in our live. He does so lovingly because he wants us to be more like Jesus. In order to have a Christ like mind we have to stay in the word of God and continue to seek his face. Is there something in your life that needs changing? Can you look to your Lord and Savior and ask him to change you from the inside out? I encourage you to pray about it. Believe me I will be praying about why I have a hard time finishing what I start. I know one thing that I can start doing to take a step in the right direction and that’s finish using up the ink in one of these pens. I have at least 10 that still have ink. So that’s my small step that will lead to big results.

How about you. What’s your small step? Share it with me and I will pray for you.

God’s word is mightier than any issue we face. For me it’s not finishing what I start for you it might be unforgiveness. Is there someone you need to forgive? I encourage you to do so. One thing this virus is showing me is that we don’t have as much time as we think we do. You don’t know when it will be too late to reconcile with that loved one. I encourage you to call them up and say I’m sorry, I held you hostage in my mind by not forgiving you. I forgive you. It’s not as hard as you think it is. Pray to God to help you forgive and he will be right there as you forgive that person.  

Dear readers Thanks for reading this 2020 blog. I look forward to what the Lord will do for us in the months to come.

Genuinely Yours,

Amy Z