Laced With Grace

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” ~ Philippians 4:6 (ESV)

May I ask you a question this morning? How often have you prayed over an issue in your life, but gave up? Gave up because you felt that no matter how long, how hard you prayed, you didn’t seem to get an answer? That your prayer hit the sealing, bouncing right back at you?

Let me tell you…DON’T give up. Storm the throne room with your prayers. Continue to pray for the salvation of a loved one; a friend who needs a job; healing over a child/friend/mother/father/spouse. God hears you. I just need to tell you that He will answer in HIS time, not ours.

Several weeks ago my morning prayer time was different. My heart was heavy with some issues, so I prayed before my first cup of coffee. What happened next was the first for me…I know that many have had this happened before (maybe even you); I felt a presence in the room — twice it moved right before me. Sure I have felt peace before, but never ever a real presence. I was a little startled about it to say the least. I even emailed a friend afterward asking ‘if I never prayed ‘right‘ before…

Why am I sharing this with you? Because I believe that the presence was real, encouraging me to not stop praying over certain issues (which I had in the past). You see, just recently one of my two-year-old prayer was answered. I also started my prayer journal (once again). I want to make sure that I will not forget a prayer, even if I have to pray it over the next 10 or 20 years…

“Lord of Heaven and Earth. Thank You for Your encouragement not to give up on prayer. Help me to never give up because I feel that my prayer does not work. You have shown me that morning that You hear every single prayer and that You will answer it in YOUR time. I am trusting in Your mercy. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen”

I don’t know about you, but my tomorrow is looking pretty full. The things that I should have accomplished today just got moved to tomorrow. There are lots of reasons why we don’t accomplish everything we should in a day … change of plans, unexpected crisis, lack of time, lack of energy or just a simple thing called PROCRASTINATION.

Procrastination is one of those things that is easily justified. We’ll get to it later. We’ll do it tomorrow. But unfortunately, some of the things that we put off to tomorrow – God intended for us to accomplish today!

The habit of procrastination takes a two-fold toll on its victims…first of all, important work goes unfinished and secondly, valuable energy is wasted when we have to work twice as hard to do what should already of been done.

Do you know what happens to me when I put things off ? I am thrown into a senseless cycle…1. delay (followed by) 2. worry (followed by) 3. a panicked state of mind to “catch up.”! Putting things off until tomorrow is not only a vicious cycle of trouble, worry and stress but many times I think we miss out on a blessing from God.

He has given us each the same amount of time in a day. Tomorrow, He may have a plan for me to go visit someone who is sick, or stop at the store to engage in conversation with a salesclerk that will bring encouragement to them ….however …. in order to accomplish what He has in store me, I have to be obedient. And many times I do not recognize the signs, or the quest for obedience because I am so busy trying to catch up doing things today that I should have accomplished yesterday.

ECCLESIASTES 5:4 “If you make a promise to God, don’t be slow to keep it. God is not happy with fools, so give God what you promised.”

E. Stanley Jones summed up procrastination pretty well ~ “Every time you refuse to face up to life and its problems, you weaken your character.”

A christian who possesses procrastinating habits in the small things may just be passing up a blessing in the big things. Don’t let your tomorrows be so full that you miss out on what God has for you. Today is the day that the Lord has made!

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)

Picture Of My Beautiful Mother

I awoke late Thursday morning with plans to write my devotion for today’s Laced With Grace Blog along with some much needed household chores. Instead, the dishes from Wednesday night are still in the sink, the bills I was going to pay are not paid, and my chores are still not done. Guess what? I really don’t care! Does that sound crass?

Yes, Thursday I had plans but the Lord had other plans. Around noon I received a phone call from my mother. As I answered the phone, my mom replied, “Michele, what are you doing? (now without a break waiting for my response she continued), I was out this morning for my foot doctor appointment and the sun was shining and as I came home I thought to myself, ‘Oh, I have bookshelves that need dusting, but they will be there tomorrow but at 87 years old I might not, so I will call Michele and we can take a ride and eat dinner at Cracker Barrel’. So Michele, what do you think, can you be ready in 30 minutes and I will pick you up?”

I thought to myself, ‘Oh she is so good! How can I say no to her after that?’ So I told her to give me an hour because I’m not dressed yet. We had such a lovely drive and afternoon together. Mom shared how she and Chris (my step-father) used to take a drive in the country and then eat out together. When my husband called me after school to tell me that he is coming home, mom interrupted and said, “Tell Jim to meet us at Cracker Barrel and I will treat you two to dinner.” Oh mother now I know why you choose the Cracker Barrel near Jim’s school!

I could have stayed on course with my plans for the day and told my mother another time would be best; but I chose to allow the Lord to determine my steps (Proverbs 16:9); I chose to honor my mother today (Ephesians 6:1-3) and store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21); I chose something better (Luke 10:41-42). I chose to make an old woman happy and lay up memories that will last a lifetime.

This is not the devotion I had planned to write today, but it is what the Lord had planned!