The story...
I prefer a day: waking up at a consistent time thankfully with prayer; planning for & doing good; being honest within reality; loving me & others; exercising my body & mind - strengthening each; saying yes more than no; meditating without thinking about the clock; dispatching potentially obsessive thinking within five minutes; tuning into my virtual spiritual radio - albeit the station's "staticy;" giving - being kind & receiving kindness; feeding my body & soul; seeking to understand before being understood; walking forward on my pilgrimage alongside close friends; and being the person God created and wills me to be. Yet, my free will chooses to do differently each day. Why?
My noble motives for behaving differently, even in the opposite direction, include my: need to be safe from harm; personal protection boundaries; scarcity of resources; American dream of the good life; acceptance by others; need to fix, manage, and control other people towards my vision of "our" good; avoiding fears from the past, present, and future; desire to receive good grades from the judge(s); escape from unfavorable circumstances; pain avoidance; telling of my good life story; loyalty to my family; and justifications for the way things are - "justified."
I expect that the first paragraph is about being rightly related to God and the second paragraph is about self protection and promotion. The first paragraph was possible because my unholy self nature was judged, found wanting, yet redeemed and reconciled with God, sin debt paid for, by God Himself in Christ - "I'm with Him." My part was believing on God and His great redemptive work in Christ.
The second paragraph characterizes me working out life by me and for me. Thankfully, my conscience and the Spirit of God convicts me of this wrong way of being before I cause too much harm. He restores me daily in a loving way. My life seems to be a continuing cycles of restoration that're heading in a good direction - like we might expect a loving Father to do for those who are His.
The only church in town will learn and know that they can respond to His calling and be His. They'll find fellow pilgrims to walk together with through life's circumstances. Yes, a continuing series of restorative cycles that strengthen our need for receiving love from our heavenly Father - that kind of love is infectious - It can't stay still. Love spreads far and wide - shining Light everywhere.
Just for today...
"Half an hour's meditation is essential except when you are very busy. Then a full hour is necessary." Francis de Sales
"First I need to develop a relationship with God . . . Next, I learn to become at peace with myself . . . I can't be that person when I'm overly controlled by guilt, fear, and resentment and negligibly aware of my gifts and talents . . . Lastly, I start acting responsibly toward others." Hope for Today (p. 326)
"...conflicting views become merely different views, so our problems can be solved with tolerant understanding and mutual respect." One Day at a Time (p. 326)
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