Brand New Day

Happy brand new day to you!
Whether you are reading this bright & early or late into the night, I wanted to share with you some thoughts I have had over the past 2 days.

Today is a brand new day.
Yesterday happened. Yes.
We lived our lives, the world kept spinning, and tomorrow is coming. Yes.
But today doesn't have to be the same as yesterday. Or the day before. Or the day before that. Or the week, month, year, decade before that!

Tuesday I got some pretty hard news for me to swallow. It wasn't life changing, soul shattering, or devastating. It was the kind of thing that happens when you totally thought it wouldn't. I was frustrated, disappointed, mad, and confused. At a system...not a person. Yet. It is done. That was yesterday (or technically, the day before yesterday).

Today (actually all of this started yesterday, but I didn't have a chance to blog...so just go with me) I choose to not be a slave to my yesterdays. I will not allow one company's decision alter how I view my tomorrow, how I treat those around me today, or even have the ability to alter my attitude. What is done is done.

Sounds simple, right? My deal with the insurance company may sound trivial to what you may be going through or have gone through. I know. I get it. Yet I am sure that the premise remains the same. Are you going to let your past die so that you can truly live? Are you going to be a slave to your yesterday/yesteryear? Or are you going to recognize that what is done is done. Let's deal with the now so that our later can be amazing!

Last night I had the opportunity to go to a Beth Moore Bible Study, Believing God. I had done this study some years ago, but it is the kind of thing that you can never tire of...at least I can't. She said something I shared with my husband after I got home. It hit me like a ton of bricks. Maybe this is only for me. So, if this doesn't resonate with you, no worries. Just think of this as me talking to myself right now. :)

"Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him. For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills." Deuteronomy 8:6-9 
Now. As you look at these verses you may be wondering what in the world I could find great meaning in. Well here is the deal. You and I, as Christ followers, will receive our "Promised Land". There is a "good land" that the Lord has in store for you. Just as the Children of God walked into a literal "promised land" on earth, so does God have a promised land for you. We must cooperate with Him, believe in faith, and stay obedient to walk in the goodness God has for us here. But, the key thing is, He has good for you!!!

The part that can be hard for us, humans, to swallow is that God's definition of "good" for you may look entirely different than the "good" you may be thinking about. Go with me here. I would not have EVER dreamed that over the past year, I would have had to be out of work 6 out of the 12 months due to a sickness that I have no control over. I would not have thought that the first year of my married life, that I waited 31 years to enjoy, would have been spent stuck in my home, basically immobile. These are not the kinds of "good" things that I initially desire for my life. Let's be honest.

However, as I look back and from my current view, I can see goodness everywhere! I can see how I have seen the true character of my family tested and they have been the most supportive, loving, encouraging, nurturing people ever. I can see that my relationship with Jesus has been taken to a new level as I have been put through the fire and tested. (**note that I don't pass every "test" with flying colors. I get selfish, lose my temper, whine, complain, and resist, yet my heart is consistently set on identifying with Jesus and not relying on my own self to get through each day) I can see how my husband and I have really gotten control of spending and managing money as we went from 2 incomes to 1 overnight. I have seen the power of prayer as I never might have seen before. These are just a few of the "good"s I have seen.

Please know, that walking in faith is not going to be easy. Just yesterday, my husband and I had a serious talk about the what the future looks like and you could almost hear the panic starting to swell up in our minds and hearts. We had to stop, take those thoughts captive and replace them with truth. The truth is, God is not going to bring you so far in your life to then say "oh well, I'm done with you. Good luck!" That is not the God we serve. He is faithful. He will remain faithful. God doesn't change...we change.

Today I choose to change for the better. I am praying you will too. No matter what our yesterday or yesteryear, there is a tomorrow and a later that God has stored up just for you. A place where you walk in His goodness and blessing. This is not reserved for heaven, but meant to be enjoyed on earth. Praying that, together, we can walk day by day in the knowledge that He has GOOD for us! Love you so much!!!