OPPORTUNITY

                Oh it feels so good to be back! We had an amazing vacation. Although, I think when you're a mommy you don't really get vacations, because your work just happens to follow you no matter where you go! We had a great time none-the-less. I did have a vacation on cooking and doing dishes which is more than I could have hoped for. In the ten days we were gone we spent a week at family camp in Forest Home. A place that is dear to my husbands heart, and now mine as well. It's a Christian camp that he grew up going to every summer with his family. I loved it the minute we got there two years ago and I would love, God willing, to go every summer. I think it allows me to chill out for a whole week and listen to what God's been trying to tell me all year long. Don't get me wrong, this place as much as I would like it, is not magical. It's not as if this is the only place you can go to hear God. I just know that it is a place where you leave all of the worldly distractions behind and therefore God can really speak to you. I think that you can find the same thing if you were to give yourself that time of solitude any place you are, but for most of us folks, the world just gets in the way. Here is one of the messages that I received this marvelous week

              When we got to forest home on a Sunday evening, I was waiting to all of the sudden feel all warm inside and have all these wonderful, magical feelings surge through my body. I thought it was going to be a week full of no conflict and no mean spirits. What I got instead was a nice fight with Doug about the organization of our teeny-tinny little room that we had to call home for the next six days. I wanted to put everything in its place before doing anything so I wouldn't go crazy and Doug wanted to go to the pool (both very valid points). So I took longer in my organization than Doug would have wanted and we started quarreling. Then Madelyn got diarrhea and we had to change her diaper like ten times in a matter of two hours, OK a bit of exaggeration never hurt anyone! AND THEN, Maddy got a mad rash and she was just miserable. What happened to my perfect week!? I was beginning to think that God wasn't going to make as big as an impact this week as he had two years ago when Doug and I visited Forest Home with out a baby. Well let me tell you what else went wrong, Doug got supper supper sick, he had violent throw up and we had to miss out on a whole day of fun activities (including the night zip-lining. I know, I know!) Then my asthma was making me miserable. Then I went on a run while Maddy and Doug were napping and when I came back two hours latter (in my defense I didn't have a watch) I was totally busted for being out for so long. And then, and then, and then, and then, and then! So many "crummy" things were happening to us, how in the world were we supposed to enjoy our vacation!? Well, here is when I heard God's message loud and clear. (This is God talking in my head, imagine it being said with a voice so deep and so powerful) "Libier, get outside of yourself and look at all the blessings you DO have, adjust your attitude and take all these "crummy" situations as opportunities to get closer to ME, and to allow me to do some work in you, because I know you need it." Shazzam! Ok, I guess I have been pretty petty in thinking that the world needs to slow down completely and that I can't go through any turbulations in order to be in love with God and to find blessings even in the crap things of life. What I realized is that, there will never be a moment of our lives where something wrong can't happen. But there could always be a greater submission of ourselves to God and letting  him lead us through the terrible things in life. He doesn't create these bad circumstances but He always filters them, and promises us that if we choose to let Him, he will always find blessings in any "bad" situations. All of the sudden, I kept thinking of all our hiccups as little opportunities to give up my control and let God lead. I noticed that it is more exhausting trying to do things on my own and trying to fix my life myself, than to allow an Almighty God  to.

                After realizing the great opportunity, I had an amazing time, in-spite all that happened through out the week. I can't say that I just willed it to be done and I was able to maintain this grateful attitude every time something would go wrong. I was always challenged, but coming to God every single time and being conscious of the choice I was making helped me get through the crappy things that I was experiencing. I hope you allow God to help you with what you need the most. The world is so full of things that can rob our time and efforts and sometimes it feels as though we are being fulfilled by our subscription to Netflix, or our super expensive car we just bought, alcohol/drugs, yummy food, sex, or our "hobby" we spend thousands of dollars on, or what ever other possessions you can think of. But for me, realizing that the only thing that could ever fulfill my heart in such a way that I am not OF the world is God, has been one of the most amazing things that has brought complete peace in my heart. Nothing else can satisfy me, that is why when I try to feel full from any worldly THINGS, I just feel so let down. Only God can satisfy my yearning, and only He can help me through the crap of life. I will take bad situations as opportunities to show me that I can do all things in He who strengthens me.

IF you liked this post, please do me a favor and pass it on to someone you love. Thank you! Stay blessed and stay saucy!