Rummikub and a Good Friend

Today I was playing Rummikub with my elderly friend, Ilene, and God gave me a neat revelation! To give you a quick, general idea of the game…

http://www.rummikub.com/Themes/rummikub/info/Rummikub_Static_Pages/rules.aspx

I was thinking that I needed a red 12, but when I drew a tile, I saw that it was a red 9! Until I drew the red 9 tile, I had completely forgotten that I could also use this tile to make the set I wanted to lay down. When I relate this to spiritual life, I noticed how this is similar to the way it is with God. We pray and fast for a certain thing to happen, yet often are blinded to other possibilities that are just as good, if not better for us!

I found this so cool, because I was limited in my thinking, yet I was reminded of the Truth that God knows all and is not limited by our mortal minds and bodies. It was like He was telling me to stop putting Him in a box and telling Him what I needed. To put it more simply, I realized I needed to let God be God. :)

So often I find myself trying to plan my life, that I fail to let God orchestrate the details. I was recently telling a friend that I have my life pretty much planned out with what I’d like to do after I graduate. This is great in that I have a plan, however, I am realizing now how closed-minded I am being. Because I am so set on “my plans,” I have not opened myself enough to let God dictate my life where He wants it to go.

It’s really crazy to think about, because, personally, I’ve thought to myself, “Of course this is God’s plan for me!! By going on to a Christian graduate school or a seminary school I will be learning about the Bible and how that relates to the career I am interested in pursuing. And then once I get my Master’s the ‘plan’ is to become a Christian Marriage and Family Therapist so I’d be serving families and helping couples have marriages centered on God and honor the Lord.” At first glance, this plan may seem great…but the key word is “seem!” Proverbs 3:5,6 reminds us, however, to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” In my understanding, this is a good plan, but when I get the Lord’s perspective, I notice how closed off I am being to other possibilities He may orchestrate in my life - whether that be devoting my life to missions oversees or another field such as engineering! Ha I highly doubt the engineering part, but you get the idea. :)

To sum this devotional up, all I’m saying is that we can be DOING all the right, Godly things in life, but if we are not BEING the right, Godly man or woman He has created us to be, than it is all worthless and we have missed the mark. Let us live up to the standard He has for us!

I pray this devotional encourages us all to become the men and women God says we are and to let Him do the work He was meant to do.

In Christ,
Shannon

“Beautiful Things” by Gungor
http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=fc6e11f3dfffa8ba02d5
God makes beautiful things out of us :)