The Valley of The Unknown

31 Friday Dec 2010

Posted by Seeking Peace in covenant prayer, John Wesley, New Year

Happy birthday to me! Nope, it’s not today but I’ve got a great bunch of friends who have supported by effort to raise $500 for Charity:Water during this birthday month. Not only did they help me reach my goal – they doubled it! $1,004 is going to Charity:Water to dig water wells and provide clean drinking water for people who are literally dying for it. I’m pumped and can’t thank those who participated enough.

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In a few hours we will send out 2010 and step into 2011. For some of us, 2010 won’t be missed but, unfortunately, we cannot run away from the hurts and pains this year brought our way. Not only that, we are going into the unknown. Who knows what 2011 will be? Are we usually hopeful for a better year? Yes, of course. Then again, I was hopeful for 2010 to be a great year…and it wasn’t.

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Here are my 2011 resolutions:
1. Write better. I go back and re-read some of my blogs and crack up where I can tell I combined two thoughts into one sentence without taking grammar into consideration. We’ll see how it goes.
2. To make no more resolutions. I’m not sure I can resolve to not resolve but I’m done making plans, goals and resolutions in a life I have little, if any, control of. I just want God to open my eyes to what He places in front of me and seize the opportunities He gives me. I want to live in His plans which will be far superior to mine.

Please don’t think I’m advocating that for everyone…it’s for me. I’m not going to workout or eat better or read more and be kinder just because I said it’s something I want to do on January 1st. Heck, I’ve been wanting to do all that for years and where is “wanting to” getting me? I either will or I won’t but I don’t want to get bogged down in all that; only in what God has in store for me.

I want to share John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer with you again. I posted it on September 21 and I’m trying again to speak it with conviction each morning. I leave it with you as a thought for how to live out 2011. Wesley’s Covenant Prayer

Happy New Year and may it be filled with grace and peace for you.

That Week That Is

21 Tuesday Sep 2010

Posted by Seeking Peace in covenant prayer, suffering, Wesley

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This is a week that could take a lot out of me emotionally so I set myself up to be filled up with the Spirit and things of God. Oddly enough, I’m being filled with talk about suffering and how I can find light in my suffering.

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A dear friend told me once, “I don’t trust anyone who hasn’t suffered.” I may be paraphrasing a bit but that’s the idea I got from what was said and a thought I have hung onto because I find myself in the same place. People who want to offer advice and suggestions who haven’t yet walked a difficult road seem to have empty words for me but people who have suffered greatly, many much more than me, often say little verbally yet speak volumes spiritually and emotionally.

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Today I was introduced to John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer. My hope is to say this prayer every morning for the next 3 weeks and see what God wants to share with me. It’s not an easy prayer but a challenging prayer. I hope it speaks to you like it has spoken to me.

I am no longer my own, but yours.

Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will;

put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed for you or laid aside by you,

enabled for you or brought low by you.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things

to your pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

you are mine and I am yours. So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

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Grace and peace to you.
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