Wow, so much has happened this month! How did we go from a plan of hope and growth to this crazy life of quarantine and feeling like life and growth have been put on hold? Well, as we wrap up our study this month on growth, and see how I've been forced to grow through this whole experience, I can't help but stand in awe at God's incredible wisdom and plan. I think he knew that we all needed to slow down in order to speed up our growth. Let's look at this weeks scripture to see how this all fits into what God promises in his word.
This week's Scripture Focus: Psalm 104: 33-34
"I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. "
Amidst the hustle and bustle of life many of us are barely able to keep our head above water. We wake up everyday knowing that it's just another day to try to survive what life throws at us. We spend our days doing mundane routines that get us little to nothing in return other than stress and pressure. I know as a business owner there is little time to stop and meditate on anything, but the truth is that what we focus on is what we see.
Have you ever thought about buying a new car and once you decide what kind you wanted you suddenly begin to see them everywhere. It's like all of a sudden everyone had the same idea as you and bought the same car. The truth is that there aren't any more of that kind of car on the road than before, but because your mind is focused on it, you notice it more. Life is the same way. If we focus on the things that stress us out and take our eyes off of God, then we see more of that. In contrast, if we meditate on the things that bring peace and hope into our lives, then we will notice more of those things. By being intentional with our focus, we can begin to train our minds to meditate on good things and things that help us to bring encouragement and hope into, not only our lives but also the lives of others, and I can't help but think that pleases God.
Now I know you are thinking, what does this have to do with a pandemic and the world being at a standstill, but just bear with me for one more moment. It's very easy in the midst of all that is happening to focus on fear and worry. The "what ifs" that take us into a dark place. "What if my business doesn't survive this?" "What if I get sick?" What if I can't pay my bills?" So many unknowns are circling around us right now, but God says don't focus on that. He tells us to focus on the things that are pleasing to him. In order for us to grow in our faith, he has given us the gift of slowing down life just enough for us to stop and see the things we may have been missing. Things that if we focus on them will bring encouragement, joy and peace to our hearts instead of fear and anxiety. For me it's things like my grandson's laugh. Seriously, yesterday he was out in the yard saying, "Gaga let's blow bubbles," and I kept telling him I didn't have any and he ran over to a dandelion and plucked it and blew on it. As all of the soft petals blew through the air he giggled and said, "bubbles!" I can't even tell you how much my heart exploded. Without this slow pace of life I would have not experienced that moment. It's also things like my daughter's extremely innovative mind and her ideas to expand and grow our currently closed business. Her vision is so inspiring. Another thing I've gotten to focus on is my husband's commitment to making sure we always have everything we need. He hasn't complained once about going to work while I'm stuck at home and has rejoiced continually in being blessed with a job that's considered "essential."
Often times we are so busy that we don't stop to see the beauty that is all around us in the people God gave us. So now, during this time, we are forced to take time to either see the silver lining and smile at the things we may not have noticed before, or we can focus on the things we don't have or that we might lose or that we can't control and miss the miracles that he is trying to show us. What are you focusing on this week? Do you need to adjust your focus a little or are you taking full advantage of the beauty of slowing down? It is my prayer that we all enjoy a slower pace this week.
Application:
1. Write down 5 things that you've never noticed about the people closest to you.
2. What are you afraid of losing during this time of uncertainty?
3. Talk to God about that fear.
4. Write down 5 things you've been putting off because you don't have time.
5. Start working on those 5 things.
6. Take time this week to thank God for slowing us down so we can focus more on him and his amazing blessings.
Until next time, keep striving to be the amazing woman of God he created you to be.
PS. Next month I had planned on doing our study on dealing with the storms of life since we are going into our April rainy season here in Texas, but with everything that has happened I have decided to focus on becoming the storm instead. You aren't gonna want to miss any of our upcoming blogs. Be sure to check my facebook page for our daily scripture readings for the month of April.