With a couple of weeks, a couple of days, a few hours, a matter of minutes and seconds into the new year (making it not brand new anymore - just new), I actually have a few thoughts to share with my grand herd of .25 readers each week. Thank you for reading by the way!
1) This revelation may sound strange, but here at 26 years of age, I have come to a place where I can look back on the life I have lived and can see different chapters. (If you have not reached this point yet, it is a weird sensation!)
When you can see chapters, you can see beginnings, climaxes and even conclusions. Trends, cause and effect, character faults and attributes, patterns, dynamics, plot, perspective, genre... are all aspects that now can be pondered.
By no means do I feel that I have full understanding. Many of the subplots have yet to be resolved and the main plot still has many (hopefully!) twists and turns. But I can see my life's story fleshing out and deepening like a good novel.
While I liken life to a story, life also has an aspect of improv theater with the Lord as the director and main character. I am a supporting character, a prop even if you will. While he is in charge, knows how the play will go and how each part is to be acted out, there is an element of free choice, of improvisation. How I respond to him and take his cues influences how the plot moves.
One thing for sure, when you can see chapters and acts, it heightens the suspense and deepens the expectation for the future, for the rest of the story.
Another thing too, seeing chapters and acts shows how following the Lord's lead takes you where you really want to go. The quality of suspense and the satisfaction of the conclusion is so much better when you let the Author write without interruption. The camaraderie of actors, the response of the audience and the depth of the story increases when you listen to the Director's points.
I hope this insight stays with me through this year!
2) This past year has been challenging (I think my last few posts have alluded to that...) and I think know those challenges have played a big part in why I have not blogged.
I dislike whining. I may empathize, but I squirm hearing others complain. I cringe as my own ears recognize phases and statements of negative complaint spoken from my very mouth. Often this past year, during my times of personal writing, I have found myself complaining, and so, I have kept my unhappy writings confined to a personal "diary-document" on my computer.
Many times I sat down with the intention of posting something here. I would peruse the blogs of friends and acquaintances. I would open a new post to publish. Then thoughts would enter my mind and I would give up on a new post.
"I'm not in horse country these days. I don't remember the last time I even smelled a horse."
Log out.
"Heck, I don't even want to think about work and nothing else happened today."
Open Facebook.
"If I write that then people will think I have a terrible job, and it will sound like I'm complaining. Who wants to read a sob story?"
Switch to Yahoo email.
"I don't know what to write that anyone would find interesting."
Check Facebook for the 15th time that day.
3) Praise is an antonym for complain.
One thing I would like to do this year is to get back to blogging - at least once or twice a month.
As you can gather from point (1) above, I do have things for which to be thankful. And praise, thankfulness and a grateful heart are things worth sharing here.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
4) Final thought: If you would like to pray for me, I have two requests.
The first is that I find a new job by the end of February and simultaneously sell two magazine articles. I no longer work for TradeStocksAmerica and now need to find another way to make a living.
The second prayer request is for my family. About five years ago my parents recommitted their lives to ministry. It seems that since then one thing after another has come along to stress out, embarrass, threaten and discourage my family from the work my parents want to do. God is faithful, and I know it is nothing we can not bear. Please pray that my parents will be strengthened and encouraged when things get tough.
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