Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Lamentations 3:26 It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD
Psalm 130:5,6 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
I don’t wait well. I am impatient, and want things done yesterday if not today. Over the years, I have learned patience, gained it over the times of WAITING, and realizing that my complaining about how long it was taking was exactly like when I whined about being grounded. The more I complained and whined about the punishment, the more time would continue. However, my brother, grounded for the same issue, was let off on early “probation.”
‘What’s going on with this? Because he’s the boy, he gets off?’ Whine, whine….my parents would just suggest I quietly close the door to my room so they did not have to listen to me. ROOOOAAAAARRR. That would just make my anger and impatience and bratty-ness worse.
Finally my brother came to me (Yes, the one who was getting off early for the same offenses, also younger and much wiser….)and said, “If you take your punishment quietly, go read, study, do whatever yu want in your room without complaining, you’ll get off sooner also.”
Really? Could this be so? I mulled it over and realized that yes, he never argued, he took his punishment silently, quietly, stoically almost like one of the hero in a novel. Hmmmm, maybe he was right.
So I started doing the same. When punished, go to room, read. Reading is my favorite pastime. I love learning about different people, places and cultures. Easy.
And yes, it worked. I am not always so acquiescent now with God. I do not rage, but I do ask IF my prayer will be answered. Or am I praying for the wrong thing, God? And I am more patient than in the past. I have moaned and groaned and complained and whined….without an answer.
Then, of course I get confronted with many verses urging me to wait; be patient; and so I sigh, apologize for questioning, and wait. I am more patient, and have learned that all things we pray for are not good for us, and certainly may not be the right time for us, and may not be God’s will for us. God made what I frequently see as a flawed and sinful being, but he also equipped me to see I have improved with age and getting to know Him deeper and deeper.
I want to serve and I am so blessed with all He has given and entrusted me with. That is my prime desire now. I have learned to take one day at a time, and give me to Him daily as He needs me. And that is working. It is not that I still don’t desire, but I know He gives at the right time, if it is the best thing for me and according to His will. I wonder if I would have learned that if my brother had not opened my eyes to ‘waiting the punishment’ with quietness and acquiescence.
Thank You for all my family and friend blessings. They have each been one of Your gifts to me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Colossians 3: 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.
Luke 6:37 Forgive and you shall be forgiven
“Getting even with someone means putting yourself on their level.” Marquee Messages, Shirley Jones Garmon, 2000
It used to be forgiveness could be difficult for me sometimes. My mother was an open and tolerant person, and she taught that I never had a clue what someone else was going through, whether illness, hurt marriage, dysfunctional family, and who knew, but because of that I should not have an attitude that a person intentionally hurt me. I had to give them latitude. It helped hearing that and recognizing that she might be right. Fortunately, I have carried that view most of the way through life.
I also learned while in nursing school, that it is thought many illnesses can develop because of a held on hurt or anger. Much of heart disease, high blood pressure, and many others are worsened with people holding grudges. If one holds a grudge and does not forgive, the hurt is to the person who holds it.
God wants us to forgive as He forgave us a myriad of sins, and continues to as we go about life, and commit sin. We do, it’s part of being human. When the Holy Spirit brings a sin to mind, it is time to recognize it, confess it, and ask for forgiveness. Now you have an awareness of an area of sinfulness, so hopefully you can correct the behavior before the actual sin occurs. But we ALL sin, and God forgives ALL if they are truly repentant.
We certainly, as humans will NEVER be on a par with God, so how can we feel entitled to hold onto a grudge? And again, holding tightly to that hurts you. So forgiving frees you, lightens your burden, and is very pleasing to God.
It does not always feel good to forgive right away, and you may wonder if you have just said the words, since you may still have some hurt, anger, or whatever. But it is the committed act of forgiving and the feeling of freedom and forgiveness will come, and after a bit of time, you will realize you feel free from that bitterness, anger, etc.
It does work. Take the steps and the weight of anger and bitterness will lift, and then you have freedom to not be angry and resentful, and possibly cause yourself some grave illness.
You have been forgiven throughout your life, by maybe parents, siblings, and friends. You know how you felt being forgiven. Others feel the same. But to me, it is so freeing, and to know God can forgive ALL my sins….I’m all in to forgive others.
So I am thankful God gave me an example like my mother, and the knowledge to recognize how freeing it is to forgive for me. It’s part of the reason for the positive thoughts of “mybellaviews.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh…
Psalm 20:1-4 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob defend you; may He send you help from the sanctuary, and strengthen you out of Zion; may He remember all your offerings, and accept your burnt sacrifice.
John 14:1 Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and trust also in me.
1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries to Him because He cares for you
As a child, I used to get very anxious in the Fall. September was a good month, I was excited about school, and seeing classmates again, but once October and the rest of the winter months came, I was anxious, an underlying nervousness. My mother was great about talking things out with me, and trying to determine why. But we never found a particular cause, although we touched on many. Leaves falling off the trees after showing off such vibrant colors and art, then leaving the area, dark, daunting, naked, and stark; the sunset early, about 4:30 pm in New England, and the mornings were darker and bringing forth the lighter, but much of my day was spent in grayness of early mornings or pending evenings. And it was cold.
It got worse as I got older. I felt frustrated not being able to pinpoint a cause and thus eliminated the nonsense of being anxious and stressed to something “invisible.” Was it Halloween? Was it the starkness of the leaves down, the gray skies, and it felt like a long time until the promise of brightness, Spring, flowers and loveliness again?
It suddenly dawned on me, that yes, although I did not like the cold and duskiness, grayness f impending snow, early evenings and later sunrises, I also had suffered a life changing event that caused me t have an increase anxiety. My father suffered a severe stroke when he was just 33 years old, and I was 11 years old. I happened mid October with the leaves fallen, the coldness rapidly coming, our family doctor would come to the house each evening in his black Lincoln, wearing his black suit and carrying his black bag, and asking in his deep, somber voice if I was doing ok while I sat outside until his visit was finished. Although I answered yes, my insides screamed “NO.” He’d pat my shoulder and go into the house.
My father had worked evening shift for most of my memory, which meant he left before we got home from school, and slept until after we left for school. He was home on weekends, and he was a very present Dad. He’d throw a foot ball or soft ball for us; he’d help us learn to hit the ball with a bat, and he helped me learn to ride a two wheel bicycle, he bandaged wounds as needed, and was wonderful.
And suddenly he was different. He laid in their bed, the house was kept dark with shades pulled all the time in that room, we were frequently reminded to keep our voices lowered so “Dad can rest,” and when we did see him, we could tell he recognized us, but he called us by the wrong names. Suddenly, I was Kitty—that was an older aunt, my brother was John, not Jim—John was his brother, and my mother was Mam, not “hon” or Mom (which he would call her when talking to us about her). This was scary.
I wasn’t sure my world would be righted again. He was kept at home for about a week, and then sent to the hospital. We were too young to visit, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to if he didn’t really know who I was. But the uncertainty lingered. Would he get better? Would things be okay, normal? (As I write of that time, I am reminded how remarkable different it is now in the treatment of stroke victims. Get them to hospital a.s.a.p., and give a clot dissolving med….).
When he returned home, it was very rare for him to not get a name correct. He spent hours and hours and days practicing walking up and down our hallway because he listed off to the right, and he was determined to walk correctly. He practiced all the areas he felt were weak, including applying weights to strengthen his leg muscles, squeezing a soft rubber ball, probably a racquet ball to strengthen his hands and arms, he lifted weights, light, then heavier. He worked so hard to regain all he had lost. I remember admiring that tenacity and determination.
Anyway, I was about 26-27 when I finally put my Fall apprehensions in full light. I had had all the pieces, I just couldn’t’ see the full shape of the puzzle. Along with leaves falling, early dusk, later dawn, was the memory of the Fall when I felt so scared, unsure, and confused. Once the realization that he’d had that life changing stroke hit me, I was able to decrease the anxious feelings that Fall would bring. I still don’t like the winter, but I do fine with Fall and the fact that I live here and not in New England is a great huge benefit for me.
I know God finally opened my eyes to why I dreaded that time of year so badly. Once the realization struck, then the verses of have no fear, do not worry, all meant more. I feared the unknown. I know I have issues with SADD, but living in eastern NC where we get one extra half hour of daylight seems to help a lot. It is also warmer, more temperate, and I can go out without usually complaining too much!
What a relief when God answered my prayer as to WHAT was causing my unrealistic anxiety. If you have worries, concerns, anxieties, ask Him to open your eyes. We have only to ask….
Thank You, God, that You have helped me beat back feelings of SADD, opened my eyes, and continue to steer me and ‘mybellaviews.’
1 Corinthians 3:16, 17 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.
Ephesians 2:22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Do you realize your body is a gift from God? It is also His temple if you have chosen to make Him your creator, your God, and to honor and worship Him. Part of that honoring means to not abuse your body with poisons, such as booze, cigarettes, overeating, sugars and so forth. We are to give it exercise, spend time laughing and sharing.
There are just so many precious parts to this body of ours. There are the complex system of brain and nerves, with instinct and warning mixed in to the complexity of them. Then, and also in conjunction with our brain, we have eyes that see, they can dart to and fro, registering most of what they see; there are ears which hear the soft mewling of a newborn, the singing of many birds, the ebb and flow of waves coming to shore, the angry turbulence of high waves and dangerous water. We hear the playing and chattering of children, the barking of dogs, the meowing of cats, the roar of jungle cats, and so much more. And of course, we can appreciate our arms and legs which can flee at the sense of danger and trouble, or cuddle with a child or pet. Our skin feels touch, can recognize, caring or hostility, warm/hot versus cold. And of course, with little to no conscious thought, we have hearts that beat and pump life giving blood to all cells and tissues. Our bodies are very incredible, very impressive. They fight invaders such as viruses and bacteria, and work to keep us healthy and in balance, not in dis-ease. We have marvelous bodies He created
How do we care for these marvelous human machines our God has created, to be in His image? There are so many ways we misuse and abuse our bodies. Some drink a lot of alcohol, some are smokers, some overeat, some overeat on sweets, and other poisons. There are others who hate exercise or feel unable to make time for exercise. Certainly in our society now, we have many conveniences that help us expend even less energy than say 50 years ago. When I was growing up, you had to walk to the phone and lift the receiver to chat. Now we have a mobile device lying beside us, we don’t have to get out of the chair!
Most have dryers and we are no longer hanging clothes on the line to dry, and then having to go out and retrieve and fold them. There are multiple microwave dishes so often times there is no cooking, and those may tout many healthy sounding things like low carb, high protein, but have you glanced at the content? They contain high salt, maybe high cholesterol, sugars, carbs. They can certainly be tasty, but at what price to our body over time?
God created us to be active. He wants us to walk and get exercise, socialize while traveling from place to place. He wants us to eat well, and drink well. Yes, wine is frequently mentioned in the bible, but I think moderation was present to the intake.
Most of the people during the time of Jesus, folks had to work hard and had physically taxing jobs. Women beat rugs, beat clothes and rubbed them against the rocks, carrying them to a stream to get them cleaned. Food was prepared and cooked, and fires made. It was not that you turned a knob and got your electric or gas stove to light. They had to go to wells and retrieve water; they did not have the luxury of turning a faucet and getting either hot or cold water, depending on preference.
Men had oxen to help till and prepare soil for planting. It’s a chore to yoke oxen and then run them in the direction you want. These people lived far more active lives then we do. Because of that, they were able to keep their “temples” cleaner and healthier.
Yes, many medical issues plagued the people of the time. The 20th century brought a myriad of improvements in that sphere, but I think in many ways they were a hardier group, and less likely to abuse substances.
We need to be very thankful and appreciative of our bodies, His temple. They are fine and incredible instruments that serve us very well. He created us in His image, and wants us to respect that and care for it, so good health will follow.
He loves us so very much. How humbling that it is to me. He took the time to create me, and although I may complain of flaws here or there, He loves and values me and only wants me to take care of myself (avoid sugar and junk), and serve Him.
Thank You, Father for creating me and this healthy body and helping write for “mybellaviews.”
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 4:5-7 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
Job 28:28 And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, an d to depart from evil is understanding.’”
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Do you feel like you’re wise? Are you confident you have wisdom? I think we all have a manner of wisdom. We know if we don’t pay our bills, wisdom dictates, that someone will come and remove us from the item, whether it be a home, a vehicle. May you learned that through experience, or perhaps listening to parents and learning the responsibility of taking care of yourself.
We need wisdom and it helps us stay safer. For instance, wisdom has shown us if we put a hand in a fire or something hot, we will get burned and it will be unpleasant for a while. There are a lot of reasons to gain wisdom, and we seem to gain more with age, thankfully.
But when Solomon was promoted from son to king, he asked God for wisdom to lead the people and to interact with others—all others. He wanted to treat other royals and leaders with respect and wisdom, to discern if they were deceiving him and perhaps leading the kingdom into danger. Certainly with the two women arguing over the one child left after the other died, his decision to have the child divided into two, revealed the child’s true mother. In fact, it was Solomon who penned the initial proverbs, writing, “to know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion—a wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles.” Proverbs 1: 2-6
He asked for wisdom and God gave him wisdom, and I believe he used and ruled with wisdom initially. But he began to slide further and further from God and the commandments. He thought he was as wise as God, and “entitled” to all he wanted. Solomon became haughty, arrogant, and more and more sinful.
I seek wisdom and guidance from God’s word. Sometimes, I have to search repeatedly before I see the answer, but it is there, just as it promises. ‘Seek and you will find.’ We need to seek God’s wisdom so we don’t make dumb mistakes. He will guide us but we need to search for His answer in our life. That is developing wisdom.
It’s a process growing wisdom, and I am glad I am on this path for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Hi, I'm Kathy. Welcome to my website!