The birds

Sometimes I can get so lost in my thoughts.  They meander around and around until I don't know which way is up and which way is down.  I must figure, decide, determine, know, understand, regard. It is exhausting.  It is life-sapping.  It diverts me from purpose, action, and movement....
...and it takes me from the now that is in front of me.

This morning was one of those mornings.  I sat mulling over thoughts and decisions and directions in life...and as I did I became more and more panicked and confused...and in that I realized something....

I don't want my thoughts.
I don't want my figurings...

I want HIS thoughts.

It says in Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.  "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

His thoughts are higher.
His ways are higher.
So why in the world would I want my own?

From the couch on my back porch I watched the birds... flying and chirping, swooping and chasing each other...
and I remember my God's words in Matthew 6, "Look a the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

...and several verses later (vs. 34), "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I especially like how that last section is worded in the Message, "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

The birds are giving their entire attention to what's going on right now, in this exact moment.

May I do the same - and live freely.

Goodness

I cannot escape the Lord's goodness.  No matter how bad my life seems or how blind I am to his blessings.  It is there and it chases me down....raining blessing over me again and again and again.

HE IS GOOD.

He is good.  He is. The longer I walk in this life of faith - the longer I follow Jesus - the more I see it. I'm certain it's been there all the time, but I notice it more now.  I see it clearly.  I recognize his good and I call it out - bringing it into the spoken world.
I tell others.  I beam about what He is doing.  I am annoying for sure as I can't stop telling of his blessings to me.

But I am only given my life, this life, and I must tell others of what He is doing.

It's how I combat the evil one.
It's how I tear down his lies to me - his ugly lies that says God is "holding out on me" or has "forgotten me".

I am not forgotten.

God is not holding out on me.

He is pouring his abundant blessings over me...day in and day out.

And guess what?  You are not forgotten.  He's pouring his blessings over you too.