Things...

I've never been a person that enjoyed reading the Bible. I know that sounds sacrilegious in someway, but I don't mean it like that.

I like learning about Jesus. I just like doing that through books. I know a lot of Bible stories, and I know a lot of scripture; maybe I'm just a little more ADD than I realized.

However today, I felt led (once again). This time I felt led to read Job. That seemed appropriate and I was stuck on an airplane anyway, so I thought I would give it a shot.

Wow!

God showed me two things while I was reading, but first a little "Reader's Digest" background of Job:

Job was faithful.

Satan says: "of course, he's faithful. He's healthy; he's wealthy; he has a great family; it's easy to be faithful when your life is like Job's."

God says: "ok. You can take his wealth and his family, but don't harm him."

So Satan does.

Thing #1 that stood out:

After Satan took Job's children, servants, and animals (wealth) this is what scripture says about Job.

Job 1:20: Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and fell to the ground AND WORSHIPED.

WORSHIPED! wHaT??? I L.O.V.E. that!

Then...

If you got the text that said "We lost. I can't talk" thank you for honoring that. To be honest, I felt a little guilty. You all had been so supportive of us, and now I don't want to talk to you?

Once again to Job and even more background.

Scripture says that Job was faithful after Satan took his wealth, his servants, his animals, and his children.

Satan says: "Of course, he's faithful. He still has his health."

God says: "You can take his health, but spare his life."

Scripture says that Satan then struck Job with painful boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Job's three friends heard about this and came to him.

Job 2:13 So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

Now thing #2:

I can trust God AND grieve. I don't have to trust God OR grieve.

Of course, I know that, but in that moment, I had forgotten. I think God knew I had forgotten, so He gave me Job 2:13.

AND He, also, gave me friends that will come to me and sit with me, without speaking a word, and see me. I mean REALLY see me. and sit with me, REALLY sit with me.

Even when I say....I Can't Talk.

My Toenail Hurts

Have I ever said on this blog, or in any avenue of communication, how much I LOVE my Dad.

I'm stating RIGHT UP FRONT that this post does not diminish that love for him in ANY WAY!

When I was, hmmm, maybe fourteen, my Mom took me to the doctor with an ingrown toenail. The doctor said "it needs to come off" so Mom made the appointment. When we got home, my Dad had a different thought.

Mom/Me -" The toenail has to come off."

Dad - "No. That really hurts. If she doesn't want it to come off, she doesn't have too."

Me - "I don't want to do anything that hurts. (yay, Dad)"

Mom - "Okay, I'll cancel the appointment."

NOW, leap forward 37 years....

I laid on a massage table yesterday and could hardly stand to have my foot on the sheets because my toenail is ingrown and IT HURTS.

Every time I get a pedicure, the sweet pedicure person has to dig out my toenail while I wince and grab whoever is sitting in the chair next to me.

Lesson - have your toenail removed when the doctor says.

True Lesson - doing what's best for you sometimes hurts, but it will hurt a lot less in the long run.

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God has told me for some time now to block out one hour of prayer time a day. Have I done it? No, because it "hurts" my sleep time, my Facebook time, my Words with Friends time. The list could go on and on.

I have had the desire to try to do a Triathlon for YEARS, but I won't even get up to walk on the treadmill. Why? Because it hurts!

*************

I picked up an old book today, Prayerwalking, and found these lines interesting...

Oh, that d word: discipline. I've never liked it personally. We have met on occasions - with diets, short walks on exercise programs, and a prayer journal attempt or two. But life interfered with our acquaintance, and routines always fell by the wayside. Discipline simply stifles my spontaneity. Why if I were committed to various routines of discipline, I couldn't visit a friend or take my daughter shopping or watch the ducks flying the wrong way.

Just two years ago, I bit my fingernails to their nubs (oh by the way, I was biting my nails, as I read the book) my weight was taxing my back and my knees were giving way as I walked down stairs. I knew what I needed. I needed to exercise to get my strength back again. I also needed to pray - at length.

So she prayerwalks.

I like it, conceptually, of course.

For some reason, I bet the author's Dad didn't make her have her ingrown toenail removed either.