Day 9

My adventure in Red Shoes today took me over 100 miles from home, to participate in what's becoming an annual get-together of  "The Sisters"... me and my 3 former sister-in-laws, one of whom is my best friend in the whole world! This will be the 3rd year that we've all met together in sunny Florida, in early January, for a few days of total relaxation and girl time. It's not one of those vacation get-togethers where you're on the run all the time, trying to see all the local attractions, restaurants, etc.  That's too much work.  We meet to enjoy one another's company and get caught up with what's going on in each of our lives... which of course, since we're all moms, means getting brought up to speed on what's going on in all our adult children's lives... and for some, even grandchildren's lives.

We often sit around the kitchen table and play games for hours while we chat.  One of our favorite games is Boggle.  The boggle board is a small square board separated into 4 rows and 4 columns.  There's 16 small cubes that have a letter on each panel.  You shake them all up and drop them onto the board, so that one letter on each cube is facing up, and the players have to look at the board and find all the words that are displayed by connecting letters. (You get the picture).

Everyone has a set time to write down all the words they see.  When the time is up, each person reads off the words they found.  If more than one person has the same word, you scratch it off your list.  You only get points for the words no one else has.

What never ceases to amaze me is how many words are seen by the other players that I totally miss! And it's not a word or two. More often than not, it's a lot of words. How can we all take one minute to look at 16 letters on a board and see totally different things?

For example, in one game, after the 4 of us, scratched off all the words we had in common with one another, (and there were many), I still had 5 words that no one else had. And one of the other sisters had 8 words no one else had. Another had 6 words none of us saw. And still another had 9 words that no one caught.  How can that be?  How can we miss so much of what's right there in front of us?

"PERSPECTIVE"   

is what each person sees from their particular vantage point.  

With The Red Shoe Project, one of the things I never want to be blind to is the working of God in my life and in the lives of the people around me. God's handiwork is GREAT and I don't want to miss any of it! Many people consider themselves lucky to witness a miracle in their life, but honestly... I've seen hundreds, perhaps more!  Why?

  Because I'm always looking for what God's doing.

I once heard someone tell a story about perspective that basically said this:  In any given situation where God is moving, there are 3 types of people:

1. Those who are in the middle of what's happening.
2. Those who are watching it happen. 
3. Those who are totally unaware that something's happening. 

It's amazing how much God is at work, and so many of us "miss it".  I know from experience that a greater awareness to what God's doing around you starts with a simple prayer:  

"Lord,  Please open my eyes".  

It's a glorious thing!  Just like the game, it will "boggle" your mind as to what you've been missing!

Keeping my eyes wide open,

Gail  

Day 8

Tuesday mornings I attend a Bible Study at the local Christian bookstore. One of the things I love about this particular study is that my dear friend, Bonnie, who heads it up, spends much time, in advance,  praying and asking The Holy Spirit to direct our course of action.  So when the group comes together, instead of a fully, pre-determined lesson plan, she will start off with a topic or thought that God has laid upon her heart, and together we all dig into the Bible to see what the Scriptures have to say on the matter.

As always, today's study was an excellent one.  I arrived, in my comfy, RED ballet flats,  just as our theme was being presented:  "2013 - a Year of Release".  It all came together, much like an artist painting a picture before us.  In the end, all of the scriptures, stories, and personal experiences presented a divine display of our topic. Everyone contributed... including The Holy Spirit.

What was really interesting was how it ended. We were getting ready to wrap up our event and close in prayer, when all of a sudden,  I felt so strongly that I needed to share the importance of dealing with our personal issues at hand, so that we might feel a "release" to move on to the next level of our walk with God. Normally, I would have just let Bonnie close, but it was as if I had this thought or concept that filled my mind, and I just had to empty it onto the table before the group. Following me, another gal bore witness to what was said by sharing that she, too, had been thinking exactly the same thing.

Was The Holy Spirit trying to say something to us?  

Bonnie slowly looked around the circle, waiting to see if there was anything else before closing.  (WAITING... that seems to be the key). I found myself raising my hand like a little school girl.  "I'm sorry, but I just can't help myself," I cried out.  (My heart was beating hard within me - a faithful sign that I've come to recognize, over the years,  when God is prompting me to speak on His behalf). What proceeded from my mouth was a confident and urgent prodding to people's hearts that God was trying to speak to someone... and they didn't even realize it. I could sense, so powerfully within me,  that God was trying to get someone's attention, and that NOW was the time for them to get their own personal release from an issue that they've been harboring, that was hindering them from moving forward.

Understand me when I say that I wasn't trying to get someone to do anything. If it were up to me... I would have thought it a nice time to close, and move into the cafe for lunch. BUT something inside me - no...  someone inside me -- The Holy Spirit -- He had something to say, and He just happened to use my mouth to speak it.

Once that message was delivered, Bonnie moved into a closing time of prayer. I looked around the circle as we all proceeded to bow our heads. Everyone was composed and good. I remember thinking to myself, "That's ok... God will reveal to whoever that person is, that it's them, before they rest their head on their pillow tonight, and they can pray it out in the privacy of their own home".

Suddenly... God triggered something in one woman's heart.  In a moment's time, she totally broke, and out gushed a stream of confession and prayer to God.  It was awesome!  We all lovingly huddled around her and agreed with her in prayer. Wow! The Holy Spirit just met her in that place of "RELEASE".  It was such a Living Illustration of our entire study. Man... when the Holy Ghost decides to participate, it just brings things to an entirely different place... a Divine Dimension. How can we settle for anything less after that?

Afterward, the woman described that right up until the last moment, she remembered thinking, " I wonder who it is? It's not me." and then as she bowed her head, God revealed to her that it was her, and she just let go, and let God have His way! What a breakthrough it was for her!

Of course, I'm just telling you my perspective on the meeting. I have no doubts that all the gals involved could share their own blessed take-away.

You know... in some ways it's a challenge to let God speak through me.  In other ways, I'm not sure I have a choice.  When He wants to speak, He has a unique way of getting my attention and letting His voice be heard.

Red Shoes.  Ruby Slippers ... They seem so bold and bright. Yet when The Holy Spirit decides to move powerfully in your midst, He outshines everything! Because He's not a pair of magical shoes.  He's God Almighty.

Can't wait for tomorrow brings,

Gail

Day 7

As you can imagine, with the goal of The Red Shoe Project being to:

 FOCUS on THE POWER AND PRESENCE of GOD in MY LIFE, 

I have been spending quite a bit of time in "My Secret Place".  So I've become a little bit of a "house mouse".  My Secret Place with God is primarily my living room.  It's there, that I have privacy to pray, to study the Word of God, to read, to worship... even to dance, should I get a little excited!

Where in the past I've found myself drawn outside the doors of my home for one reason or another, now I am finding myself continually wooed into my living room... to seek him more.

I had an early appointment this morning, so I was up and out the door... wearing my RED shoes, of course. It was about 1:30 before I was finally free, so I stopped by a little diner for a bite to eat.  I pulled up a chair at the lunch bar and pulled out a book I just started reading entitled, "Welcome Holy Spirit".  (How appropriate, don't you think?)

The author uses an example given by Dennis Bennett, an Episcopal priest, who shares a story comparing the Holy Spirit to a Guest who comes to your home:

"While you are in the kitchen preparing refreshments, Bennett said, your guest sits quietly in your living room waiting for you to come and talk with Him.  He doesn't barge into your kitchen and say, "I am waiting for you." Instead, he may wait for hours until you sit down and talk with him.  He is a total Gentleman and does not force Himself on anyone.  The Holy Spirit is just such a Gentelman.  He will not intrude into our lives or force His presence upon us. But He will stay ever so close to those who desire His company".

So I've heard many renditions of that story over my almost 30 years as a Christian. And I've always agreed wholeheartedly with what it has to say. And I've always felt that was exactly what I was doing. But... for some reason, reading it this time, in that little diner, was different. Tears welled up in my eyes. A heaviness rested on my chest. 

How many times did I invite the Holy Spirit to come into my house 

and leave him waiting in the living room of my heart? 

Of course it was always with good intention and great expectation, yet for whatever reason, ( and there are many, I'm sure), I wandered off to the kitchen and forgot to come back.

All this time, I've had Access to HIM, 

and somehow found myself focusing on menial things, 

that now I can't even remember. 

Sound familiar?  Isn't it like Dorothy, who could have gone home on Day 1, but never thought to focus on those Ruby Slippers? to figure them out? to look into them deeper? She went through that entire journey --  And yes, there were great take-aways -- BUT what she was seeking was right there on her feet. And she never stopped to just focus on the SHOES!

 Now I wasn't worried about people seeing the RED shoes on my feet... that was nothing in comparison to the woman at the lunch bar who's heart was exploding with grief. If I rubbed away my tears, my mascara would run and I look like a raccoon. Not to mention that if it turned out to be a never ending waterspout of tears, I'd have a red nose and red eyes to match my red footwear! Somehow I held it together, temporarily, until I got to my car, called a friend, and prayed it all out.

(Am I repenting again, already? And I thought this project was just about a blog!)

You know, I can't change what I did yesterday... 

let alone what I've done in 30 years of yesterdays,

 but I can change Today.

The Bible says, "There's a time for everything". (Ecclesiastes 3:1)  And NOW just happens to be My Time. My time to stop and look down at my feet and inquire about the Red Shoes... To ask, "Just how do these Red Shoes work, anyway"?  And to sit down and examine them.  To turn them around and upside down.  To figure out what I'm missing. To read the directions... over an over, if I have to.

I'm not leaving this place, or this project, until I "get it"...  until I "get Him"!  Until I understand Him so well that I can walk in true partnership with Him.

Thanks for taking this journey with me!

Gail

Day 6

Today was Sunday.  My day of REST. So I jumped out of bed, quickly got dressed, and rushed out of the house in my RED heels, just in time to make it to the 10:30 service.  LOL.  RUSH. RUSH. RUSH. Even on the Sabbath?

Once I returned home, off came my church clothes, along with my fancy RED footwear.  I pulled on some comfy sweats with a cozy pair of Granny's hand-made socks - knitted into a crazy RED striped pattern.

I was tired today.  It's been a GREAT week in RED SHOES! But I was a little drained from it all.  I spent the afternoon listening to some great worshipful music and lounging around the house, whispering here and there quiet words of praise and prayers to The God who lives within me. 

I've come to find that God views our weekly Day of Rest to be of utmost importance.  He wants us to consistently take 1 day out of 7 to relax and restore. That isn't always easy for me. In this world of RUSH, RUSH, RUSH, who has time to REST?

But His Word is True and as I focus on The Holy Spirit, I am learning to understand that there's always a reason for what God does.  Not to mention that He created me, so who knows better what I need to function at my best throughout the week? 

With that, I am trusting and obeying and rearranging... I'm putting His Way in front of  My Way.  Not next month.  Not next week.  Not tomorrow. Today.

Tomorrow starts a new week in RED Shoes, but right now... I'm relaxing in Christ, wearing my striped RED Socks and enjoying this incredible peace that only the Prince of Peace can give.

Gail

PS Check out the short clip below on REST by Bill Johnson, Pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA