"A Door"

Stepping out in RED shoes!

- Day 16 -

I'm not sure this was THE door,

but it was definitely A door

and I found myself walking through it,

in RED shoes.

Family relationships can be challenging at times.  Birth order, personalities, temperments... the list goes on and on.  Sometimes those things seems to drive us.  Even though I may have a pre-determined plan in mind, whenever I get in a particular family member's presence, it's like auto pilot takes over!

This morning something really interesting happened.  It was a "God-thing."  My sister texted me to let me know she was in town and that she wanted to take me to lunch.  Okay.  Keep in mind, we love each other,  but she's not a Believer and she doesn't agree with my life.  My spiritual lifestyle -- specifically living by faith and writing for a living -- is in direct opposition to how she lives her life.  I get that.  Until she's born again, there's no way she'll ever understand.

Here's what happened though.  It's her birthday.  Between my spiritual mentor and the Holy Spirit, I'm overly sensitive to situations that require a gift.  At first glance, you'd think that could be a challenge for the woman living by faith, but NO! -- the Holy Spirit continually brings things to the surface that I am able to give that don't require a purchase.

My sister has everything -- or so it seems.  What does one give someone like that?


One of my pet peeves is giving a gift because it's expected.  A random gift is bought and given -- out of obligation.  It has no real meaning or heart behind it, thus making it valueless.  I hate that it doesn't fit the person or the situation, and it almost always ends up being re-gifted, shoved in the back of a closet somewhere, or put in the pile for the Goodwill.  I just can't get myself to participate in such a thing!


Contrast that to one of my favorite things which is giving someone the "perfect" gift.   That's when you give someone something because it's so uniquely suited for them that it screams their name. It doesn't matter if it's their birthday, Christmas or whatever.  You give it to them, on the spot, for no reason at all.  They're just meant to have it!  --  Kind of like last year's "Golden Pear."   (The Red Shoe Project - Day 351)

As I was getting myself ready this morning, to meet my sister, I admit I was somewhat disappointed I didn't have a gift to bring.  Quite by chance, I happened to open a drawer in my office and noticed a greeting card that I'd bought years ago and had forgotten about.  As I took a closer look, the Holy Spirit began speaking to my heart.  "Why don't you take that card and adjust it slightly."   He suggested.
Great... now I'm going to be scribbling some words on a card?  How lame is that?

It was an endearing birthday card to a "friend"  stating how they had always been there for each other. True, we have gone through life together, but more often than not, it's my big sister helping me out,  as opposed to me, helping her out.  In her eyes, she has everything and I have nothing -- at least nothing she wants or needs.  Perhaps this would be another reminder of that.  Isn't that like throwing salt on a wound?

 

"Just add the words,  NOT JUST MY SISTER BUT,

 in front of the words,  MY FRIEND."   He said.  

I picked up my pen to see what it would look like.  Hey, if it didn't look good, I would throw away the card and no one would know the difference.  But that's not what happened.

(not just my sister, but)

You are  ^  my friend.

 As I put a little arrow between You are  AND  my friend,   and wrote the words, "not just my sister, but"  the Holy Spirit miraculously pulled down some sort of wall in my heart that I didn't even know existed.  Then He proceeded to flood my heart with His love.  WOW!

"God's love has been 

poured out into our hearts 

by the Holy Spirit, 

who has been given to us."

Romans 5:5b

What just happened?  All this time I have been operating in the way things were, instead of how they are meant to be -- how I hoped they would be.  In that moment of enlightenment,  I could hear God calling to me...

"Come on!  Step through the door!"

Glory to God! 

That's exactly what it does...

 It brings Glory to God when we 

step out in faith like that!  

when we operate in the realm 

of what we're hoping for!  

What's so amazing about all this is that it all felt so right!  I wasn't allowing myself to be restricted by this natural realm I live in.  Can you see the power in that?  I'm doing it!  I'm doing it!  I'm walking by faith at a new level.  My actions are beginning to coincide with what I know to be true in my heart, not what is currently true in the physical world.

"Faith is the assurance that 

what we hope for will come about

and the certainty that what we cannot see exists."

Hebrews 11:1,  (International Standard Version)

The real power comes when we, not only believe this verse, 

but when we walk it out!

Today I took a GIANT step -- through a door --  in RED shoes!  

I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds.

Gail