When I was a little girl, I believed in fairy tales... that fantasy of what life would be. White dress, a prince charming who would carry me away to a castle on a hill. I would lie in bed at night and close my eyes and had complete and utter faith. Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Prince Charming, they were so close I could taste them, but one day the fairy tale disappeared. It's hard to let go of that fairy tale entirely because we all have that smallest bit of hope, of faith, that one day we will open our eyes and it will come true. Then one day you realize that the fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. This life, with all of its complexities, may be the fairy tale after all, because the journey is the best part. It's Happily Ever After...right now.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

The Rest of the Story

I was feeling pretty smug after writing that last blog- somewhere between Ernest Hemingway and Sigmund Freud.  I had single handedly figured out that whole relationship thing.  The crux of everything was simply my willingness to step outside of my mundane mindset and enjoy life.  Easy enough.  And completely inaccurate...

At a workplace chapel this morning of all places, the Lord gave me that fatherly, "Really Rhonda???" look.  You know, the one where you look back, shoulders shrugged, hands out, palms up, and say "What Dad?  It made sense at the time!"  The topic was having a Joshua spirit:  becoming men and women who will not only act immediately in obedience to God but then who also determine to act fearlessly in the face of what seem like insurmountable odds.

My blog was about letting go.
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing.  Isaiah 43:18

The part I didn't recognize was the letting God. 
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5
 
The speaker this morning challenged the way we handle fork-in-the-road types of decisions.  She said that when the issue is boiled down to its most basic reasoning, there is usually a component of fear or intimidation surrounding one of the choices.  Perhaps, she added, it is the enemy putting that spirit of fear into the situation to keep us from choosing the very thing that the Lord wants for us.  As a result we may miss the opportunity to fully engage in the Lord's plan. The gift. The happily ever after.

I still feel that stretching and thinking outside of my norms is a good thing.  The process of pushing myself to be more spontaneous has been fun.  Relationally, the issue wasn't about spontenaity at all.  It was about letting go of my natural bent to fear and question, in order to trust the Lord enough to embrace what he's already put in front of me.  It's about knowing that I deserve God's best.  I am an incredibly blessed woman, with wonderful things in my life.  Remembering that it's all part of His design makes it all the sweeter.  And now, I can't wait to see what's next...

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you,
Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

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