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2.08.2012

The Benefit of Having A Sister That is Married to an Ex-Seminarian

who is the brother of a Pastor is that, every once in a while I might get an email like this:

Letting Go
"I do not count myself to have apprehended;but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead."
(Philippians 3:13, NKJV)


TODAY'S WORD
We all go through disappointment, setbacks and things that we don't understand.  Maybe you prayed for a loved one, but they did not get well. Or maybe you worked hard for a promotion, but did not get it.  You stood in faith for a relationship, but it did not work out.  One of the best things you can do is release it. Let it go. Don't dwell on it anymore. If you go around wondering why things didn't work out, all that's going to do is lead to bitterness, resentment and self pity. Before long, you'll be blaming others, blaming yourself, or even God.  You may not have understood what happened.  It may not have been fair.  But when you release it, it is an act of faith.  You're saying, 
"God, I trust in You. I know that You are in control. And even though it did not work out my way, You said, 'All things are going to work together for my good.' So I believe You still have something good in my future."
There is power in letting go of the past and the frustration of trying to figure everything out.  When you release your questions, you are saying, "God, You are in control. I trust You."  And when you put your hope in God, that's when He can heal your heart and lead you forward into His path of blessing.

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Getting the email from my sister-married-to-the-almost-priest-brother-of-the-preacher-man last night was
a rather peaceful way to button up what seemed like almost two weeks of challenging moments.
Unbeknownst to her, I had been logging many many hours of chanting my newish mantra:
"Let Go, Let God" (LGLG)
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LGLG is what has helped me through some really uncomfortable situations.
LGLG is what has helped me plow through certain tasks that I do not enjoy.
LGLG is what has helped me look at so many things with a better perspective.
LGLG is what has helped me navigate through the intricacies of the social world.
LGLG is what has given me the strength to keep saying YES and the wisdom to say NO.
LGLG is what has kept me out of my office, except during official nocturnal business between the
hours of 10 pm-7 am.

The thing is, I find that the more I subscribe to the LGLG frame of mind,
The freer I am to make choices and embrace them.
You know my travel phobia? I've been LGLG-ing it.
As a result, I booked a non-refundable roundtrip ticket to Los Angeles.
I will spend a long weekend next month visiting some old friends.
Just typing that puts a smile on my face.

Don't get me wrong, under my LGLG "framework" (yuck word) I can still get cranky worried and batshit crazy--the difference is that now I have been turning to my time and tested tools to survive.

My Survival Tool Kit Contains the Following:
1. The Lord's Prayer (come on, even atheists know this one. very straight forward prayer)
2. Duct tape (for my mouth, To stop myself from saying unkind words to myself or to others)
3. Running Shoes. (As I exercise and physically exert myself, I fill my brain with positive thoughts)
4. My Iphone (clock keeps me on schedule, peaceful tunes without words that distract, texts and email keep me in contact with people that energize me)
5. Water (and other goodies like almonds, avocados, tomatoes and salmon although I advise against actually keeping it in the tool kit lest it starts smelling bad.
6. Candles and Matches ( For meditation purposes and to take care of fishy odors)
7. My hands and arms (to remove the duct tape from my mouth in order to offer help, to hug as needed but also to build barriers around my family to protect against toxic and energy depleting situations.
8. My crocheting needle and lots and lots of yarn.
9. My LGLG mantra that will guide me through discernment exercises.
10. A little bit of vodka.  (self explanatory)

I can not stress to you how much all of this has helped me immensely.
If you need help putting together your own survival tools,  tell me.
I shall start by crocheting you a sturdy tool kit.