"Jehovah Sneaky?"

Stepping Out in RED Shoes!

-Day 160 –

Sometimes I think God only

tells us what we need to know.

For example, a year and a half ago, I started this RED Shoe Project, taking one step at a time, one day at a time.  Every morning, I got up, put on my RED shoes, looked and listened for God, and blogged about it before going to bed.  What a great job!

A couple months into this project -- while on my three mile prayer walk -- I discovered  that God had miraculously healed my broken heart.  I didn’t ask Him to do that.  In fact, if you had asked me if my heart needed healing, I would have said no.  I assumed that the years of therapy after my divorce, along with the writing of my book, had accomplished that. 

At the time, I had determined I would never marry again.  I figured I was safe just walking with God.  I didn’t need another husband.  I didn’t want to take another chance.  Too risky!

I know that sounds admirable.  I thought so, myself.  But God doesn’t want us to limit our lives -- playing it safe.   That decision was made out of fear.  Are you kidding me?  Jesus came that we might have life and have it to the fullest.  (John 10:10b)  

The abundant life is not a life of reservations,

but a life of risk taking adventure!

Little did I know that walking and talking everyday with Jesus would heal my heart so completely!  When you hang out continuously with LOVE, Himself, it has a miraculous effect on you.  

1 John 4:8b says…

“God is love.”

Your wounds can be cleansed, anointed, and healed in no time, without you even realizing He’s at work.  That’s what happened to me!  As I basked in His presence everyday,  His love -- with all it’s medicinal qualities -- secretly dissolved the painful abrasions of my heart leaving behind a renewed potential to love again fully.

When I told all this to my friend Kelly, she noted that God can be that way.   “Jehovah Sneaky”  she called Him.   “How true!”   I laughed.  I know all too well that if He had told me He was going to heal my heart, I probably would never have stepped out in RED shoes on Day 1.   I know myself too well.  -- I would have panicked and run the other way!  Why?  I don’t know, but the whole thing sounds painful, doesn’t it? 

Sometimes you don’t want anyone 
to touch your wounds.
OUCH!

Do you remember your mom cleaning you up, as a child, after a fall from running on the pavement?   She’d examine that skinned knee, wash it ever so gently with soapy water,  spray some sort of antiseptic on it, and cover it with a band-aid.  That little kiss on your knee at the end never made it feel better.  Truth be told, it stung like heck for a long time!  Maybe that’s what I subconsciously perceived would happen with my heart?

Recently, God brought something to my attention.  He told me He doesn’t like it when I respond as if He’s going to trick me.  He says that we’ve been friends a long time and that I should know better.  Yikes!  He called me on the carpet.  He confronted me straight out.

He’s right, you know.  I’ve caught myself doing that on a number of occasions.  I cringe, wondering how God’s going to do something, figuring I’m just going to have to suck it up and deal with it. 

I assume that somehow, someday,

it will all work together for my good,

but in the meantime, it will be like some

sort of awful medicine that I just have to swallow.

That’s absurd!  I’ve taken one or two incidences and made them the rule on how it’s always going to be.   How crazy is that?   Where did all that stem from?  I’ll tell you where.  It started from that saying…

“Be careful what you pray for!”

You’ve heard that statement before.  People pray for greater patience because they know it’s a godly quality.  Then when God brings trials their way -- to work their patience to greater capacity -- they complain about it.   They want God to just wave a magic wand and make them patient.   Romans 5:3 and James 1:3  teach us to embrace trials and tribulations that work patience in us.  That said, we really shouldn’t say  “Be careful what you pray for!”

Here’s another thing people often say:    

“Don’t ever say “NEVER”  cause that’s what God will do!”    

"Don’t say,   'I’ll never go on the mission field, or  I’ll never pastor a church, or  I’ll never __________.”  (Fill in the blank.)   Without a doubt, God will bring it to pass!'”

With a statement like that at the forefront of your mind, you start being extra sensitive about what you say, because you’re afraid God will do it to you.  You’ll be stuck in some faraway land or ministry, forever, doing something you absolutely hate.   How dreadful! 

Come on!  It doesn’t work that way!

God’s not here to pressure you

 into a miserable life!

I know it’s a stretch, but over thirty-one years -- with a little help from the enemy -- those little sayings develop into  the erroneous thinking that holds us back from all that God has to offer.  They show up in crazy, offensive statements, riddled with fear, that chip away at our trust in God’s character. 

“God’s gonna get ya!” 

“Watch out!  He’ll trick you, when you’re not looking!”

“It’s your turn to get the short end of the stick!”

“Sorry Charlie!”

It all seems so lame, as I write it out.  This isn’t God!  If anything, it’s got the DNA of Satan and his cohorts all over it.  How could I even think such things?  God is not only my God, He’s my best friend!   I am the apple of His eye!  (Zechariah 2:8) He’s called me to be the head and not the tail.  (Deuteronomy 28:13)  He is for me not against me!  (Romans 8:31).

Yes – I repented of my sin quickly!  I’m here to love the LORD with all my heart, mind, soul and strength, not be a part of the devil’s defaming campaign of Him. 

God is so gracious.  He let that go for a long time.  It was not the most important lesson on my list to be learned, but now we’re fine-tuning.  The stuff that was on the back burner has come to the forefront.  It’s time to correct those things.

From this day forward, I’m training myself not to default to that old way of thinking.  I’m  focusing on God’s character and making sure I give Him the proper credit where credit is due and not haphazardly speaking untruths about Him that are incorrect.  I’m shutting down the lies of the enemy once and for all!

In RED shoes,

Gail