Monday, January 23, 2023

New Monday posts...

This year I am starting something new every Monday morning - sharing thoughts from God's Word or a devotional, with hope that it will encourage and grow us deeper into our walk with the Lord. 

Today I was impressed to share a short personal testimony of how God can sharpen our character by revealing things we may not see in ourselves until His mirror is placed before us. 

“We all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image.” 

2 Corinthians 3:18 


Many people will write about their ‘word for the year’ and in the past I have done that a few times, but in the last few years God has given me more of an instructive life-lesson to pursue each January, and by His grace those lessons have led me through valleys and up the mountainside with each passing month.

This year His still small voice came to me in the deep darkness of a sleepless late December night, “Jennifer, stop striving”, and as my old Pop would say, He hit the nail on the head. Friends, when God puts a mirror before you, and shows you what He sees in your life that needs to change, you really want to take notice, and ask for the Holy Spirit to deepen your own awareness of those corrections and how to bring them about. Ask for His guiding hand to lead you day by day through the months ahead until you have shaken free of those chains which bound you for too long, the chains you felt, yet did not know, were there by your own making.

I was reading My Utmost For His Highest this morning (January 23rd) and found this to be another of the Holy Spirit's lessons with regards to the Lord’s directive to stop striving…

 “The most important rule for us is to concentrate on keeping our lives open to God. Let everything else including work, clothes, and food be set aside. The busyness of things (my striving) obscures our concentration on God…never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him. This is an easy thing to allow, but we must guard against it.” 

Oswald Chambers

I can tell you that this will be a life changing year for me, just as the years before have been, and already three weeks in, His instruction resonates repeatedly as I go about my tasks, almost pulling me back time and again. Slowing down, not just in mind, but in all that I do; for example - no longer rushing to chop all those vegetables as quickly as possible so I can fit more tasks into the day. In fact, the Father has reminded me of a lovely homeschooling mum whom I gave the nickname of "tomato lady" to make His point clearer.

When I first met Caroline, a minister's wife, the thing which stood out that day was how slowly she cut the tomatoes. In 2003 our family had moved to a new town, and once we'd connected with the local homeschool group, Caroline invited us to lunch. When the children and I arrived, all the kids went off to play and Caroline made us both a cup of tea. She pulled a bar stool up to the kitchen bench for me to sit while she went ahead and prepared the lunch. Over the next hour I watched her slice, mix, fold, pour, wash, simmer and bake...slowly, intentionally, the whole time consciously lifting her eyes to look at mine as she spoke, pausing from her meal-making tasks, unhurried and calm. That first lunch with her was twenty years ago and yet today, so clear in my memory, it could have been yesterday. Even the setting of the table, the meal itself, the conversation, the clean up...all unhurried. During the two years we lived in that town and fellowshipped with Caroline, her husband and children, never once did I see her flustered or rushed. She was always open to the Lord's lead in her day to day life, never lazy, assured that consistently doing one task at a time, and not rushing to or being distracted by another, would be what He required of her each day. Consistent, faithful, trusting in His example, that was Caroline.

Revisiting those years, pondering the many memories and their significance to my need to "stop striving" - they are lessons from long ago which the Lord is bringing forth this year that I should learn from and gather in with other lessons and corrections He will be teaching me. 

From experience I know that lessons from more recent years have already borne good fruit, the kind that doesn't leave you but becomes a very real part of your character...

Back in 2019, the Lord told me to "Use what you already have", and now, four years later, His words still echo in my mind at least once a day. That lesson completely changed my life, and is still changing it.

In 2022, His lesson was to "Be content with what you have", and I think over the past decade this has been the most profound change made in any year, a change which, once again, I am reminded of each day. 

Is there a life-lesson God has you addressing this year? I am praying we all find our lives more deeply hidden in Christ through 2023, that the change will be noticeable to others, and that when God places a character-mirror before us again in December, we will feel His pleasure because the evidence will be obvious. 

Bless you heaps!


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18 comments:

Shelley said...

Jennifer, I love when you minister to us women , here on your blog. Today, your post was an answer to my recent prayers asking God, "how do I do this? I need help" . And, voila, he sends help and how thru you ❤ Praise the Lord!

Emma Christian said...

Such a lovely post. You reminded me of a very dear friend who I have always noticed the same about. She never seems flustered and is very intentional about what she does and how she does it. She is also endlessly patient and I have often thought that the two are linked. She focuses on the task at hand, not letting her thoughts drift to a million places causing unnecessary stress and distraction.

This year, if I were to have a word it would be consistent. To approach all tasks with a consistent attitude, pace and level of dedication. xx

Anonymous said...

Thank you. I need to remind myself to stop the world and open myself to Gods purpose.

Lin said...

Thank you. xx

Anonymous said...

Thank you Jennifer for beginning these Monday posts. A while ago a friend mentioned the phrase “Be Gracious Always”.
These words kept coming back to me and I felt they were words I should really think about. I have just completed stitching a cross stitch and have included this little saying on it. Its a sweet reminder to not get flustered or upset by another’s words or actions, as you don’t really know what’s behind another’s angst. Blessings Gail.

Lori said...

Thank you for sharing this. I am looking forward to these Monday posts.

Allie said...

Oh I love this idea. The Lord has brought to my attention lately how much like Martha I am, when I would love to be more like Mary. I hurry through things so I can have more "time", and find myself saying every. single. week. that next week will be better, if I can only get through this one. WHAT! How pointless. I need to enjoy this week the Lord has given me, and be obedient in the moment no matter how frenzied it may seem - mostly because I allow myself to get frenzied, lol.
That saying that if satan can't pull you away from God, he'll make you busy - yep, we need to slow down and make sure we're listening for the Lord always. My life has been chaos this whole last year, but our God is not a God of chaos, and I pray He will show me how to so order my life to please Him. Good post, dear heart! Love you!

Joanne said...

Hi Jennifer,
Tomato Lady ! Thanks for sharing :)
I'm sure we all know/knew a Tomato Lady :)
I'll never look at tomatoes the same way again :)
hugs, take care,
Joanne

Lori said...

Hi Jennifer. I loved this post. I love to be mentored by other women. I am trying and putting into practice “slow down and be intentional “. I pray every day go God to help me follow his path for me for the day. Thank you ☺️

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Jennifer. This is exactly what I needed to hear. Your post made me realize that I need to slow down too. I put too much emphasis on the wrong things.

Susan said...

This is wonderful. I know you have mentioned these lessons as you've learned them, but seeing it laid out together is really meaningful. If I had to say what His message to me is for this year, it is "Fear Not". There are so many things we fear, so many things we think we can't do, or can't succeed at doing. It was brought home to me last week as I studied the angel's message to Joseph. "Fear Not. Take Mary to be your wife." A reassurance and the next step to take. Those are the things I'm looking for this year, as I invite Jesus to be part of my daily life. Where will he show up in the details of my life? Which of His many names will I see Him being? I look forward to seeing him in your life each Monday. =)

terricheney said...

I felt strongly this year that I was to slow down and be very intentional with the choices I made. It came about as a result of a simple but surprising question: If you had a few months to live how important would this be compared to...?" and I realized at that moment that I would choose to do things very differently. It's a good reminder as I sit here feeling tension because I made plans for today and someone else is now 3 hours later than I supposed they might be. What I might have done with those three hours instead of stewing...

Bobbie said...

Jennifer, it is always a joy and pleasure to read your posts. I do not often comment but always glean good spiritual advice. Today I wanted you to know that I also was guided by another dear spiritual mentor. Homespun wife posts the sweetest paintings on Facebook with spiritual sayings and hymn verses. She also has a great YouTube channel. On her YouTube she quoted 1 Thes. 4:11-12. I’ll let you read it as I know you will love it. But the beginning talks about minding one’s own business. Boy, that hit me like a ton of bricks as I had had a encounter with my neighbor over her yard which stemmed from something another neighbor said. I wanted to gently tell her the things people were saying about her yard but it didn’t go well. We have since smoothed things over but it damaged our relationship and in hind sight I should have just let it go. I am striving for that simple life of good work and minding my own business. Thanks for your posts and your willingness to share. At 70, I still have much to learn.

Createology said...

Good Morning Jennifer Dear. I am very blessed to open my iPad and read your blog full of wisdom. When I do not take time to slow down I always find I crash and become non-functional for a few days. When I slow down and be mindful of what I am doing I have a lot more functioning days. I am determining I will not be able to ever accomplish everything I want to do or create so this will help me in my purging of more stuff. I need to reduce the amount of STUFF that haunts me everyday. And that my husband nags me about constantly to the point of tears on my side. I shall do my best for me! Blessings and Thank You for sharing your Words of Wisdom.

Kim said...

Thanks for sharing wisdom again. My word/concept for this year, taken from repeated use of the word in my pastor's sermons, is "abide in Me." I want to be more conscious of setting up home and living more intentionally in Jesus.

Linda Badurek said...

Dear Jennifer
Thank you for sharing a most personal and profound message. I agree heartily that we are aiming to please our Heavenly Father as we follow His Son! I like your expression ‘character mirror’ as that IS what we are hoping will be pleasing to Him…. Our improved character based on following our Savior! I am with you in this journey this year and look forward to each message you send.

I do agree that striving too hard can make us miss the mark. It’s only taken me decades to figure that out! I have known Burn Out numerous times in my life! I do know that when we are headed in the direction He wants for us, He puts people in our path whom we can serve without our striving so hard to be serving Him.

I’m grateful to be in your path via these messages. Thank YOU for the blessing YOU are in my life!

Deanie said...

God's timing is perfect! I needed this, thank you Jenny. I love that you're going to do a Monday morning devotionals. :)

Mary-Lou said...

Thank you Jennifer God is so good! I also have that book! By Oswald Chambers. Lovely