I've been thinking...

Borrowed ::

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7a (KJV)

The day started off just fine, but ended with confusion and tears. As a timid middle-schooler, I climbed the steps of my school bus eager to get home after a long afternoon.

Sitting quietly in my seat, all of a sudden I got this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Although my surroundings appeared to be the same, something was not right.

The bus was the normal sunshine yellow. The seats were standard black vinyl, displaying rips and tears from years of students. The floor was littered with the usual misplaced pencils, erasers and wadded-up papers. Yet, I felt out of place.

That's when I realized I did not know any of the kids sitting around me. And I had never seen the bus driver before. Frantically, I searched for anything familiar. My cheeks grew hot and my heart raced with panic as I realized I was on the wrong bus.

Although I WAS headed somewhere, it was NOT where I wanted to go.

I'd been distracted by conversations with friends, thoughts of sleepovers, and how much homework I had. My thoughts were not focused on where I was going. The actions that followed caused me to end up somewhere I did not want to be.

Thinking back on that day, I've considered how our thoughts determine a lot about the direction of our lives. Like my school bus, our thoughts will always take us somewhere, but it may not be somewhere we want to end up.

If we spend time thinking about how our boss does not appreciate us, our thoughts will take us straight to a bad attitude at work and possibly poor performance.

If we focus on how much we do for others and how little we feel appreciated, our thoughts will take us to a place of resentment, with lack of patience and love.

If we spend an entire day fuming over something our husband or kids did, and mentally practice the harsh words we plan to say to them, those thoughts will lead us into a place of arguments, hurt feelings and damaged relationships.

If we dwell on why God has allowed certain problems in our lives, we will transport ourselves into a state of insecurity and unhappiness as we stop trusting God.

If we focus our thoughts on money, career, success and pleasure, we will find ourselves in the land of the lost—feeling frustrated and discontent.

Our thoughts are powerful and need our navigation. If we allow them to run rampant in negative directions, focusing on things that lead us away from God's perspective, we will eventually end up stressed out - from the inside out.

In today's key verse, God shows us why we should choose carefully what we think about, because our thoughts determine who we are and how we live.

Reacting to stressful situations by becoming a chronically negative thinker will eventually increase our stress and possibly take us to a destination we would never choose.

My childhood memory reminds me to consistently ask God to help me keep my mind on Him and on the thoughts He has for me. That way I can live according to His plans and with His perspective, seeking to be acutely aware of where my thoughts may lead me.

Our thoughts really do have wheels. Where are your thoughts taking you today?

Times are rough sometimes, aren't they?

As I was talking to God last night, my mind kept wandering to friends of mine who are struggling.   As I'm asking God for His presence and peace in the life of one, I was reminded of the life of another who is facing a different struggle.  And again.  And again and again. Do you know what these different circumstances have in common?  I don't either.  My heart simply sees that my friends are hurting, and Satan is reveling in their pain.  It's an opportunity for him to plant doubt, worry and all sorts of questions in the minds of Godly women.

I realize that I have not walked the same path as each of them (or you), that I have not been faced with the same circumstances.  For many things that they are struggling with, I can not honestly say that "I've been there".  

What I CAN tell you - without hesitation or doubt of any kind - is that God is with you.  He loves you.  He sees your struggle.  And He is near.

No matter what you are facing - depression, doubt, the end of a relationship, the stress of career or debt, the loss of someone dear to  you, failure of any kind - doesn't matter.  I'm begging you to NOT lose hope.  Do NOT lose sight of God who loves you.  Do NOT turn away from Him. 

For in Him are all your needs.

Love you all.