Be Still

My family has been in the process of moving from the apartment that we have lived in for the last 12 years, to a new apartment.  So far, this process has taken two and one half months.  We started packing in the middle of July.  We boxed up everything that we wouldn't be needing for the next month, but that we would eventually need.  We all cleaned as we packed, patching nail holes and washing everything from walls to knick-knacks.

Another part of this job was to throw out anything that we couldn't use, because this new apartment is about half the size of our old place, and we just wouldn't have room for everything.  I had to do a lot of serous thinking and planning and when all of that failed, I guessed what we would need in each new room.  I painted the furniture from each room in a different color.  In my room, I decided that we would need two night stands, two dressers, and some shelves.  I painted those things black with gray drawers and then I splashed a little pink, green and yellow across the gray for a bit of bright color.  In the kitchen I decided on light green for a closet and a little table and I added dark green ivy.  And for the living room I picked a bright blue, for a basket that would double as a seat and a big book shelf.  I threw away so much junk that we had accumulated, furniture, books and clothes and so much more.

When we finally got into our new apartment, I started unpacking and found that all of that planning and guessing was not as much of a help as I thought it would be.  We ended up throwing away a lot of stuff that I was sure we would need and kept things that I thought might end up in the dumpster.  How could I have known.  There I was playing fortune teller, and getting it all wrong.

The second night in our new place, I put our son Elijah in charge and we all listened as he told us where to put each thing and what would end up in the trash.

Elijah did a good job, but what the heck was I doing?  Why didn't I just ask God?  Why didn't I stop and listen, I would have been better off.  I was getting very sick of this whole process.  And I can't tell you when things were this bad.  Not only should I have prayed for God's guidance, I should have been still to here God's voice, I could have saved a lot of time and trouble.  I thought I had learned this lesson already, but there I was in the middle of a mess, and trying to solve these problems myself.

Not only did I mess up when it came to what was staying and what was going, I was messing up other things.  An example; we needed internet, cable TV and a working phone.  I called the cable company and I got an appointment for service.  They said that I needed a phone number, that they could get a hold of me when they arrive, I didn't have one (That was what I was trying to get)  So they said that they couldn't come out.  I gave them my moms number, they didn't show up.  I borrowed a phone and I made three more appointments, all failed, they never showed up.

Another example; My son Michael needed to start school, I had filled out all the paper work for him to attend a school program called access.  Everything was fine before the move, but after the move, I could not get a hold of anyone.  There was an answering machine each time I would call and I didn't have a phone for them to call me back!  I left many messages, but they did no good.

After struggling for two and a half months with these problems, I decided that I needed a refresher course.  I looked up Psalm 46, it starts out, "God is our refuge and strength an ever present help in trouble, therefore we will not fear though the earth give way."

Now this scripture talks about some heavy duty problems, like mountains falling into the sea, and nations being in an uproar.  God can certainly take care of my puny problems, if He can end wars and lift mountains.

Psalm 46:10 goes on to say, "Be still and know that I am God."

Psalm 46:11 ends with, "The Lord almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress."

What peace there is in that powerful scripture!  And all I have to do is ask, be still and listen.  Then the biggest thing is to let go of these problems and let God do His work.  Seems so easy, and it could be, but it does take practice.

We have been in our new place for a while now and we are still struggling, the difference being, I don't have to worry about it anymore, I put it in God's hands!

It's Time

I know the time is
   Almost here
When all re-born
   Will disappear
Into the Heavens
   We will meet
With Jesus Christ;
   Good news complete

Quakes round the world
   Are the signs
Of birth pains for
   A dire time
Storms that devastate
   Good lives
Will kill, destroy
   And divide

Seas uproar
   Mountains abate
God only knows 
   Your coming fate
Sickness, pests are
   Running wild
Can be acute
   Can be mild

Infants born
   To evil men
Surrounded by all kinds
   Of sin
Growing up uncertain
   Measure
But for us
   Heaven stores treasure

The book is open
   God will proclaim
The names he's stored
   The burning flame
The Trinity
   The coming wrath
The death the life
   The narrow path

We are the Christians
   We behold
We did the things
   That we were told
Lift up your prayers
   Down on your knees
Open heart and eyes
   And you will see

New Place

We got all moved into our new apartment and it has been a real trial.  I'll fill you in tomorrow with a story that I wrote a few days ago.

Connie