WHERE IS HOME, ANYWAY?
by Sharon Siddens
It's been about 34 years since we moved to Missouri and I
love living here, but Missouri is not where I was born and
raised. Meridian, Idaho was my home for many years; even after
Bill and I were married, we lived in Idaho.
As a "good wife", I knew I was to go where my husband felt
it was best for us. At one point we moved to Wisconsin, but only
for a short time. Then Bill was offered a position at the
Publishing House in Meridian, Idaho, so back we came.
I really love the Lord, and I thought I was doing the right
thing. But, I had told my loving Father that whatever He had in
mind for me and my husband would be fine but that I did not want
to live in Missouri. I had my reasons and I thought they were
well founded. Boy was I in for a shock!
On a trip to visit Bill's family and to attend the Midwest
Campmeeting, I learned what the Scripture means when God says,
"He opened their eyes". He certainly opened mine. He showed me
that it wasn't supposed to be me in charge, but Him. When God
makes you aware of something He wants you to do, He doesn't rest
and He doesn't let you rest either. In less than a year we were
relocated in Marceline, Missouri. And of course as they say, "the
rest is all history".
Would it really have made a difference if we had not come to
Missouri? Of course! It is so foolish to think that I should know
better than the Father. He sees the future, and He only wants the
best for me.
I recently put a 550 piece puzzle together, it was a
difficult puzzle and it reminded me of our lives. Some pieces go
together rather easily, while others seem like the pieces are not
even there. The problem is that when we try to run our own lives,
it's like putting a puzzle together that has no picture. Many
people just try to force the pieces together because they have no
clue what else to do. A Christian has a distinct advantage. When
we truly turn our lives over to the leadership of a loving Lord,
we have the advantage of having Him know what the picture is
supposed to look like. When we act on our own and try to place
our'residency puzzle piece' where we want it to be, then God
lovingly moves our hands to pick up the proper piece and place it
where it needs to be. If we're not really listening, then God can
only wait until we throw up our hands in frustration. Then, when
we ask, He will do what is best with the situation we have
allowed in our lives.
Often we find ourselves seeking the will of the Father while
at the same time we are spending a lot of energy and time trying
to limit what the response of the Father is for us. It is as if
we know the answer and we are trying to tell God what to do. We
seem to have a hard time yielding to His will. We are too busy
thinking we know what is best. How many times have we missed the
opportunity to be of service to the Father, just because we
refused to listen?
Young people are looking for just the right college, the
best job, the perfect mate, and many other things. As adults we
think we already have it all together and that we know how to
make wise decisions. The Father is trying to get our attention so
we will see the pieces of our life that He has been planning.
But, we are so blind by our limitations that we don't see
what He wants us to see. We pick up that piece and try to force
it into the puzzle of our life and spend a lot of time and effort
trying to make it fit. God is saying "I have something or someone
so much better for you, if you will only listen and be patient.
My timing and My choices are the best."
Of course, there are the dark pieces in our life where
illness, death, heartaches, and any number of things, cause us to
wonder if the Father has left us, or maybe He doesn't really know
what He is doing. But, it takes both the bright and the dark
colors to make the picture complete. The picture is composed of
both, in just the right combinations, to create the masterpiece
the Father knows is best.
Isn't it time for you to let the True Artist take over
arranging your life? Perhaps He will tell you as He did me, "I
have something better for you than what you have planned. Trust
Me." What blessings will you miss because you forced the wrong
piece into the picture? Some of you know you have done that just
by looking at your past. It is obvious where you made mistakes
and now your picture seems out of kilter. Still, the Father very
lovingly tries to help you make the best of what is left of your
life.
We can't undo the past but the future is a choice still to
be made. The masterpiece is still a possibility. It is in your
hands, who will be the artist? Will your picture of life be the
glorious one the Father intended or will it look like the back of
the puzzle, no picture, just there? God is waiting; will you
relinquish the pallet to the Master?
Dear sisters in Christ, I pray that your eyes and my own will be
opened to God's leading, that your joy might be full; and that we
might be ready for the work He has for us.
................
From ACTS Magazine - March/april 2007 - a publication of the
General Council of the Churches of God, Meridian, ID,USA
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