Lovely foggy day...

I loved the summer I spent in England when I was in college.  It was foggy every morning until it would burn off around 9:30.  Everything just seemed greener and cleaner.  This morning, I awoke to fog thick enough to make everything wet outside.  Ah...

I was really enjoying the fog until I found muddy little dog prints from the back door, through the living room, into our bedroom on the carpet and on the tile in our bathroom up to the trash can by the toilet.  Grrr!

Sure enough, I looked out the back door and saw the garden gate wide open.  Those same muddy prints came out of the garden and up the sidewalk up to the back door.  I closed the gate because I didn't want to spend all day cleaning muddy prints off the floors and carpet. 

Sometimes I experience sin "prints" on my heart and mind because I ignore the need to close a gate to temptation or selfishness.  I've learned that it's much easier to close those "gates" as soon as I discover them.  And I am very grateful that I have an Abba Father who loves me and helps me clean up the mess. 

Now that the gate is closed, my little dog can go outside and not bring the mess inside.  And I can enjoy the lovely foggy day.

Subtle idols...

I have a confession to make.  I was in a foul mood yesterday (gasp).  But, I couldn't figure out why...until this morning when I had my quiet time.  A church handout with sermon notes from January 2011 fell out of my Bible when I opened it to read.  More on that in a minute...

We have been blessed in the last two months to spend a chunk of time with each of our grandchildren and their parents.  We also had a great time visiting my honey's mom, sisters and their families this last weekend as we celebrated my mother-in-law's 75th birthday.  As we drove home on Monday, I was quiet and my honey asked how I was doing.  I told him that I was fine and that I was getting used to leaving our loved ones.  But, later, I began to complain to God that I missed being around family that loves us and loves Him.  I know He listened to my whining, but I didn't hear anything from Him - no surprise there, we've been down this road before.  I'm grateful He's so patient...

Then the sermon notes caught my attention.  The title was Vintage: Idle Idols and the idol that smacked my heart was the Idol of Comfort, especially when I read the first point under this idol.  Serving this idol means that I don't have to worry about being stretched and challenged.   Oh...ouch.

I am very comfortable around my girls, their husbands, my grands and other family members.  It's chaotic fun and I love all the creativity, singing and hugs.  And we have fabulous discussions about Christianity and what that should look like in our lives.  Such great times!

Here's the kicker - God has not called my honey and me to be comfortable.  He has called my honey to be excellent at his job and has called me to be an excellent helpmate to my honey and to write what God puts on my heart.  God has also called us as a couple to be marriage mentors. 

Do these callings stretch and challenge us?  Yes!  Is it sometimes uncomfortable?  Yes!  Is it God's will for us?  Yes!  Does He give us what we need to be obedient to His will?  Do we experience rewards?  Yes, and yes! 

So, I will look forward to heaven where I will experience the ultimate comfort and enjoy the times of comfort I get while I'm still on this earth; considering them times of encouragement and refreshment to go and work out the calling God has given me.