Car Talk

Kelly: Today Holly and I were talking about this past week and what has gone on. These conversations occurred driving home from church as we headed out to dog sit for a couple from church who were out of town this weekend. Anyway, this past week has had a few bumps for me. On Tuesday as I was heading out the door to church choir, I received a phone call I was not expecting. To make a long story short, because of some nursing skills I had failed to not complete yet (the day I originally intended to complete them I was sick. Boo), I was pulled out of clinicals until I completed them. (I'm completing them this week and will be returning on site this Thursday.) Anyway, this news upset me. I became angry, threw my phone, said a few choice words, cried a little, but still went to church choir like nothing happened. Prayed a lot to God that night, cried myself to sleep that night, was questioning why this was happening. I woke up Wednesday morning, eyes sore and not ready to face what was coming. But by the end of the day, my mindset had completely changed. Funny how that works, isn't it?

As I continue my walk with the Lord, one of my hang-ups I'm still trying to work on is control. I tend to let myself get out of control when things...don't really go as planned. I was talking to Holly about this regarding what happened Tuesday evening. I told her now that that has happened I realized that now I acted and said things that did not reflect that God is in control. Yet I have the audacity to claim that I follow a God who controls my life and everything about it, yet I let myself go out of control when something I wasn't expecting happens. Then I think....well I shouldn't have done that or said what I did. Smack. But as we continued to talk, we both came to a realization. These things happen. A few bumps are going to happen. God allows these things to happen and it's up to us to figure out what to do. He gives us the freedom to choose whether or not to scream, cry, throw things or to lift up our hands and say "God, take it. I'm giving it to you because I don't want to depend on anyone but you." I'll admit; sometimes it's hard to make that choice because I think in the moment we WANT to be angry, hurt, frustrated, upset, or sad. And I'm not saying that's bad. But I think that if we continue to let those feelings grow and hold them in, then that becomes bad.

I'll close with this; today Pastor Kevin talked about the two greatest commandments in the Bible (Matthew 22:37-40 for an FYI). We are to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. Something that he said....just put everything into a new lens to look at. "You can fail at your education. You can fail at your business. You can fail at your financial goals. But if you love God with all that you are and love your neighbor as yourself, then you have done what you have been called on Earth to do." Or something close to that. All I can say is sometimes things happen that we don't expect. But if we claim to carry the name Christ, we can't let the love and joy He's given us ruin that! It's something I'm trying to work on. Challenge accepted.

Holly: One of the big questions that was asked was "Do you ever feel like a failure?"  I think,  without even hesitating, Kelly and I answered "Yes".  Because, from the outside looking in, I'm not accomplishing much with my life.  I'm almost a year out of graduating from Berea.  The longest I've held a job (to date) is six months.  Since losing that job I have yet to find another job that has anything to do with my major (Biology, for those of you living under a rock).  That was in November of 2012.  It is now almost March of 2013.  So what am I doing now? I work at Old Navy.  I'm lucky to get three shifts a week.  Yep, this Biology major graduate from Berea College is working in retail.  Folks, I have to admit that in more instances than I care to admit, sometimes I drive up and I wonder aloud "What in the WORLD am I doing?  Why am I doing this with my life?  How has my life ended up in this way?"

But there is so much more to life than this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And today reminded me of that.

Honestly, my life have gone in directions that I couldn't have even anticipated, and yet, I finally feel like things are coming together.  I sincerely do my best to share love with others; be accepting instead of refuting, laughing with my co-workers who come from such different walks of life than I do, offering a smile to a stranger.  And God has been way too good to me to not love Him!  It's God.  It's all God!  And I'm doing my best to have faith in Him and to trust in Him despite my circumstances.  I'm not saying that all days are cake, but it definitely does change my perspective on the way I view hardships and things that come my way.

I know some of you out there are questioning as to whether your life has meaning, purpose.  Let me close with this: Toward the end of the message this morning, Kevin said that you are either good soil or bad soil; meaning: Has your walk with Christ changed because of someone you know, and vice versa?  Please know that I GUARANTEE that you have influenced my life in one way or another, and I just wanted to say thank you.  I sincerely pray that I will influence someone's life just by me being in it.  It's time for our society to be selfLESS, not selfISH.  :)