Day 143

Day 143 of  The Red Shoe Project has me in the Guest Cottage of Ashlea Manor and up at the crack of dawn, choosing a pair of RED shoes.  Every day thus far has been an early morning rise for me.  Some mornings 4 a.m. others 4:30.  One day I fell asleep at 8 p.m. and was up at 2 a.m.  That was great until about noontime the next day.  Jet lag?  Probably.  

But God is using it to get me alone with Him.  I must admit,  He is the highlight of my day.  It's at this early morning encounter that He breathes life and strength into my heart.  My spirit is filled with JOY and that's what puts a smile on my face. 


This morning I looked carefully at my small sampling of  RED travel shoes.   I was feeling a little weary and weighed down.  So what is it that I do when I'm like that?
  
I pulled out my BRIGHTEST, BOLDEST, SPARKLIEST, 
RED shoes!  
They remind me of the Goodness of God and that no matter what,  All is well with my soul!

At 8:30 a.m. I headed over to the main house for a real Scottish Breakfast,  hosted by the owners of Ashlea Manor,  John and Ros.  As soon as I walked in the door, John remarked, "Look! You've got RED shoes on like the girl from the Wizard of Oz!"   Yup... I liked him from the moment I met Him!  How could I not?  Ros cooked me up a breakfast fit for a queen!  Scrumptous!   But there was something there that I couldn't quite put my finger on.  Something warm and wonderful!  Something familiar.

As Ros cooked away,  John carried on the most wonderful conversation.  He's very personable and a delight to dine with.  He pointed out pictures of his children and asked me about mine.  On the far end of the dining room there was a baby grande piano.  I inquired about it, only to find that John, not only plays at his church, but he's working with a young soloist, cutting a CD, to help fund a missionary endeavor to Romania.  How delightful it was to find someone who talked my language!  I even managed to get him to play me a few tunes on the piano.  It was wonderful!  He and Ros were a breath of fresh air to my somewhat withered soul.  I was truly thankful for their fellowship and hospitality.

Breakfast was over far too soon.  But I was on a schedule.  There was traveling and visiting to do.  Now I was fueled up and ready for whatever the day had in store.  Thank you Lord.  You surprised me!

The Girl in RED shoes,
Gail

Day 142

It's Day 142 of  The Red Shoe Project and I am indeed wearing my RED shoes, looking diligently for God, in this massive world in which I live.
Earlier this morning, I looked out the garden window and saw a bird, content as could be, showing off the little worm that was dangling from his beak.  He'd found his breakfast bright and early!  On the other hand... if you're the worm, life is over!

Perspective - How things appear from your vantage point.

The other day, I talked about the Spiritual Oppression that I sensed lingering over the city.  Today, my vantage point is different.  I've left the city streets and can now be found amidst the winding country roads.  In the distance are rolling green hills, some of them snow capped.  Surrounding me are fields upon fields of greenery.  There are sheep and cattle everywhere.  Horses graze.  In some places, there are bright yellow fields of flowering rape seed which is used to make cooking oil. The sky is blue, the clouds are white and puffy.  It's truly a beautiful sight to see!

The other night I was watching a bit of television.  A police officer was hanging from the ledge of a window for dear life. The director shouted "Cut!"  and the officer stood up, smiled and walked away.  It was just a movie set.  The actor wasn't in any danger at all. She was merely lying down on a floor that was painted to look like the side of a high building.  It was the camera's perspective that made it appear so dangerously real.

Years ago, I remember meeting a young woman at a birthday party.  She had a Bible with her.  I asked her question after question about God.  After answering each specific inquiry, she would open the Bible and show me where those answers were.  I'll never forget her telling me, "Gail... right now you see the world from where you are standing.  But when you ask God into your life, it's as if He picks you up, and places you on a rock that's on higher ground.  Suddenly you look around at the world and see things that you couldn't see before!  You point and think, where did that come from?  I couldn't see that from where I was standing. And, Oh my gosh!  I didn't know that was behind there!"   Vantage point. 

That birthday party was thirty years ago.  I can remember it like it was yesterday.  Today, I can attest to the fact that she was right!  I just have to remind myself from time to time that my perspective is not  the only option available.  I have to remind myself that my own mind can deceive me.  I have to remind myself to ask God to show me His perspective.

I notice that my RED shoes are glimmering in the sunlight.  I smile.  I remember that as a Christian, I am privileged to have been fitted with spiritual glasses.  The Holy Spirit who lives in me, is able and more than desirous to show me the spiritual perspective of things any time,  if I'll just ask.  Not only that, the Word of God is always there to show me spiritual perspective and relieve me of unnecessary doubt.

When my son was about five or six years old, I took him for an eye test and he was equipped with a set of glasses.  Later that day, we were playing in the backyard and I saw something that I've never forgotten.  It was my boy lifting his glasses off his nose and scanning the world around him. Then, situating his new glasses back in placed, he looked again.  "WOW!" he commented.  All those years, he had been seeing the world blurry, and now his perspective was clear and detailed.

As I'm drawing nearer to the end of my trip, already I am catching myself at wanting to worry about what tomorrow holds.  Home seems so far away.  The state of things there... especially things to come, are a bit of a mystery from today's vantage point.  I remind myself that worrying today about what my mind wants to tell me is a bit like looking at the police officer hanging from the window of the movie set and panicking.  It's simply a waste of time and energy.

As I catch a glimpse of my RED shoes, I turn my head back to the car window and take in the beauty of the land, focusing on where I am right here and now, enjoying God's creation.

Talk soon,
Gail