January 6

“We need to ‘come to’ ourselves.  To see us as we are.  We cannot begin to explore the deep places until we have allowed the Light of Calvary to shine into the shallow corners first.”  Eugenia Price, Share My Pleasant Stones, 1/7

I came to the realization last night that the only thing we can truly learn from our experiences is more about ourselves or more about God.  I used to look for lessons that would enable me to control my environment better. Years ago after losing my wallet because I’d set it on top of the car while I put the groceries in the car taught me to never put my wallet on top of the car again, which I haven’t.  But that won’t prevent me from losing my wallet in some other absent-minded way.  Instead I should have examined what it was about ME that led to my placing my wallet on top of the car.  Looking back these many years later--and a lifetime of lessons learned--I can see clearly now that it was my constant state of hurry and not living in the present that caused me to forget about my wallet.  It wasn’t the placing it on the top of the car that lost it.  It was my forgetting about it because my mind was already onto the next thing, not fully living in that moment.  I can see now how that behavior has exhibited itself in so many different ways and how it finally exhausted me to the point that now I’m finally being forced to live in the present.  I no longer have the energy to deal with the side-effects of mentally going on to the next thing before I’ve finished what I’m actually living!

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or not.” Exodus 16:4