My daughter got her driver’s permit yesterday. I remember rocking her to sleep in the room she sleeps now on this Saturday. She is a precious young lady whom I adore, not just for her desire to love others, but because she strives to put Jesus at the center of her life. I pray continually for her to be protected from evil, and that our Father will bless the work of her hands.

Marketplace Reflections

As you may or may not know I own and operate my own business. I was out yesterday serving two customers, and during my first stop I had to stop for a coffee break. Proverbs 3.5-6 was not serving my anxious mind, and the other passage I was meditating on while cleaning wasn’t taking the fear away, so I stopped for a cup of coffee in my “office.” My office is my van. I mounted my phone and went live on Instagram, but little did I know that the Holy Spirit was taking me into a cry session of grief. Carey and I went to David’s grave on Memorial Day, and we cried like babies as we sat in front of his tombstone. The grief and the loss is still very fresh as we adjust to his passing. That was one aspect to my fear and anxiety, and there were other aspects I’m not going to elaborate on. I was amazed at the dear ones who plugged into the Instagram live, and I continue to thank them for plugging in. Grief is to be shared, but if someone can’t I can sit in silence with them. I never demand someone do what I think they should do. No two people are the same, and God doesn’t treat us that way either. I open up about my suffering because it helps me draw nearer to the One who created me. I’m expressive in corporate and private worship with my arms and hands lifted high, and sometimes I kneel. That’s me. I don’t demand you do the same thing. God knows our hearts, and he knows keenly how we lament and praise. He knows the best way to lift us out of our despair as we embrace the eternal hope he longs to give every human being. The hope is the common denominator, but the way he imparts it is as different as each human being. That’s what that coffee break was for. There were some truths I shared with my followers, but ultimately what I bore was release from the fear and anxiety I felt. It worked.

During my second stop it was amazing how I was able to focus on my craft even to create thoughts about about the skill it takes to do my craft. There were two small rugs that were very dirty, so I wanted to incorporate the use of my vacuum cleaner to clean them more thoroughly because shaking them out wasn’t going to be enough. Over the years I’ve learned how to use powerful vacuum cleaners to clean these small rugs without sucking the rug up into the vacuum. Like people you don’t treat two rugs the same, but there are principles at play you have to remember. Let’s take the simple door mat I’m thinking about. The vacuum brand I use for upright purposes is a powerful sucking machine. It’s also light in weight, so it handles like a Mini Cooper. As I stood contemplating this rug I was careful in my knowledge that it would be easy to gobble up in the vacuum cleaner. I maneuver the vacuum cleaner with both arms over the rug in one direction as I use one or two feet to anchor it depending on the size of the rug. I also do it from the opposite direction, so the entire rug is cleaned. I suppose I could initially shake the rug outside, and still vacuum it, but it seems to me that would be working harder rather than smarter.

Clearing your mind of obstacles is essential for A+ performance. My coffee break at the first stop was that for me, and it empowered me to focus on those two rugs at my second stop. Learning to stop and be still is essential for everyone in anything we do. Learning by doing is also a close second when we contemplate our callings. No calling is worth more or less than any other calling. We must lean heavily into a singular focus upon our callings. And don’t be in a hurry to rush past what your learning. Every word you read, task you perform, conversation you have is never wasted. I’m going to also say that every television show or movie you consume can be inspiration for God’s calling upon your life. Also know that conversation can include texts and social media. God can speak to us in a plethora of ways, and since he spoke to Moses in a burning bush or to Baalam through a donkey then he most certainly can speak through Twitter or Instagram. He told me the other day he does not work through Facebook. 😉

Holy ground is all around us because God is all around us, and even though great evil has always been at work in the world great good is as well. Obstacles have always been a part of our experience as well, but we can endure through them even when they get the best of us. They are not obstacles to an all powerful God. He’s not wringing his hands wondering what he’s going to do.

He’s already doing it.