That’s our family’s motto, and our testimony to the world, that God has been faithful. No matter the storms we may go through, God directs us through to the other side BETTER, STRONGER AND WITH EVEN MORE CONFIDENCE IN HIM. Heehaw!!!
Like a situation that had us a little bit worried recently, I got a positive email yesterday about it. I was in the US and my husband was in Nigeria discussing it with me, extremely upset, by the way. I did the respectful wife thing and I listened. Then an idea came to mind to call someone. Hubby agreed. We hadn’t spoken to this gentleman in years, but that idea just came to mind to call him. He answered and said, “I can’t help you, but here is what you can do.” I did what he said and it worked.
That was again God coming to our rescue. It was again one of His solutions that came to mind to make that phone call. He has even been the one teaching me to be calm and respectful, even when hubs is upset. The person that I had called said that he would look into the matter and I know it was God’s favor at work in the background helping us to have things go our way. And even when they don’t go our way, we trust that God knows what He is doing with us.
So don’t miss out on a life close to God. We don’t have to handle problems on our own- God dey! I just want us honoring God with our lives by striving to be the best versions of ourselves, all for His glory. Let’s bring God into our work life, our family life and every aspect of life by listening to God’s moment by moment guidance through our gut/instincts/Holy Spirit. Get to know His voice!!! I promise you that when you do this, His love, kindness, mercy, and favor will chase you down!!! IN GOD WE TRUST, BABY!!!
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
We get to walk through life with God as our Life Partner and Companion! This is where I want us, looking to God as our personal INVISIBLE Guide, Advisor, Friend, Planner, Strategist, Protector, Counselor, and Father. No matter what we’re facing, we can keep our eyes FIXED on God, KNOWING His invisible Presence is always with us.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
It’s up to us to include Him in our lives by seeking His will and being obedient to Him, or we can pretend He doesn’t exist and that we can do life on our own. I highly recommend including God!!! Even though it is tough following His direction sometimes, but this is how He guides us on the best paths:
“He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.” – Psalm 23:3
That was my message to our manager yesterday, saying we should rethink a decision and ask if we’re honoring God. Not that we’re perfect, but we try to do our best and leave the rest with God. And we find that as we do this, God seems to join in with us, surprising us with His favor and help. Woohoo! In the final analysis, everything is between God and us, not between us and anyone else, like Mother Teresa taught me.
I was up working late, and I got a chance to listen to Dr. Wayne Dyer, and he gave some great advice about forgiveness. Ram Dass had asked him about forgiving his father, “Who do you think you are to be forgiving anybody for anything? Is that up to you?” Dr. Dyer further explained that we should only have love in our hearts for other people. Our job is not to forgive anyone; our job is to love them.
That’s the hard part with walking with God I’m talking about. He requires us to even love our enemies and leave the judging to Him.
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” – Micah 6:8
That was me looking to Him as to how to respond to a question my husband had asked. Trust me, I had LOTS to say, but with one glimpse in God’s direction, I knew He would have me to hold back those words and be kind. Nik, say anything you want to me, but to others, practice silence.
This morning, when I asked Him about it again, like God, why can’t I address this issue, I feel He had this to say:
“DO NOT EXPECT to be treated fairly in this life. People will say and hurtful things to you don’t deserve. When someone mistreats you, try to view it as an opportunity to grow in grace. See how quickly you can forgive the one who has wounded you. DON’T BE CONCERNED ABOUT SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT. Instead of obsessing about other people’s opinions of you, KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON ME. Ultimately, it is my view of you that counts…
When others treat you unfairly, remember that My ways with you are much better than fair. My ways are Peace and Love, which I have poured out into your heart by My Spirit.” – Jesus Calling
And this husband who EXCEEDS my expectations deserves all the love, respect, and kindness from me. I told him this morning, “This was why God told me, “MARRY HIM!!!” when we first met. When I say God gives me more than I can imagine or expect, my husband is a prime example. Like I always say, “We ain’t perfect, but we’re damn close!”
Hubby is the one teaching me how to love, and God has asked me to share these love (sometimes very messy) lessons with you guys. God is love. Point. Blank. Period. And we should be about enacting His love in the world. So, when God told me to SHHHH, be kind, Nik, I knew right away that this was the loving, high road, and best way to go. Nobody’s perfect! I want us to reflect the God is love character in all our relationships!!! KK?!? Where God is, there is peace, joy and love. Let’s stay in His Presence.
I have lots of work with a big ball I have in the air now, but even with that, I KNOW GOD HAS MY BACK. I’m sticking with this verse:
“These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world, you have tribulation but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
Those were the words from my little ten-year-old spiritual son, Joshie, that I’m sticking with, baby! Yes, some things don’t always work out the way we plan or hope for, but it’s still a great life. Like my brother, Kevin, put it the other day, we’re here for a half a minute, and then we’re gone. I want us sucking up, savoring, and enjoying every moment KNOWING that we’re never alone, God’s invisible Presence is always with us, helping us deal with anything that comes our way. Heehaw!!!
And He shows me such tender love. Like yesterday I spent the day beating myself up because I’ve not been the person I strive to be. What is wrong with you, Nikki!!! Chatting with one of my sisters late last night, we both complained of being on these emotional roller coasters, and I said to her that it’s all apart of the human journey and that we should lighten up, laugh at ourselves more often and not take life so seriously. We both agreed to keep focusing on essential goals and becoming the best versions of ourselves. “Everything is perfect. God has a reason for everything,” I wrote to her.
Then, I go to bed, and of all podcasts on iTunes that I could have listened to, God found the perfect one for me. It was Dr. Wayne Dyer podcast with him helping a lady who was complaining about some frustrations from a divorce, who faced one challenge after another:
“When things are not going well in our lives, we have a tendency to want them to be different from the way they are. But things are the way they are because they’re supposed to be the way they are because there is something bigger than all of us and our personalities handling all of this. The trees that don’t ever complain about the moss growing on them, even though it’s discoloring them, and so on. It’s just this allowing and this acceptance of the universe the way it is.
And I think one of the hardest lessons is to reach a state of inspiration. You talked about being in spirit and looking for inspiration, it is to figure out a way to be in a state of gratitude for the things that our minds are telling us shouldn’t be happening…so filled with anger towards whatever the universe is doing to us instead of being grateful for it because ultimately you know that as you look back on your life the things that while you were going through them that seemed so awful and difficult years ago, now from a new point of looking at them, with more clarity and seeing them more clearly now, you realize that you had to go through them to get to the other side.
And being in that continuous state of gratitude, even for the really really really hard things it’s like to get down on our knees and be thankful not just when things are going right and when everybody smells good, and the money comes in, and so on but to be in that state of gratitude for…everything coming at you is just part of the perfection of what your curriculum is. That is called your life… It’s all perfect (Wink! Wink!).”
That “It’s all perfect” showing up shortly after that conversation with my sister telling her that everything is perfect, was another one of my God winks, where everything lines up a little bit too perfect to be some ordinary coincidence. It was God most tenderly helping me to change my mindset from one of constant judgment, worry, and frustration to one of continual gratitude for everything.
I can really look back and see clearly now that everything that had me upset, anxious, and angry in the past, were the very things that had me running to God every minute for an appointment with Him. And those alone times were where God just would figure out the sweetest ways to let me know that His invisible Presence is always with me. Wow, the pain, problems, disappointments all threw me directly into the arms of God! Thank you, problems, and pain!!! I woke up today so happy with this new mindset of gratitude instead of frustration. We can truly count it all joy! Life is a celebration with God, my Joshie! We can bravely, courageously, manly, yet LOVINGLY take on anything with Him as our Life Partner and Guide. The sweet life with God continues! This time, much happier, thanking God for everything that has led me to a life close to Him (HUGE SMILE).
