Day 15

Day 15 of  The Red Shoe Project was a day of "Pressing in."

Pressing in = continuing to apply even pressure, without easing up, in order to get closer.

Have you ever been in a crowded lobby of a concert hall, where everyone is shoulder to shoulder, waiting for the doors to open?  Everyone wants to get into the theater and find the best possible seat -- right in front of the stage. The doors finally open, and all the people in the lobby slowly, "press in" with a steady determination, and they move themselves forward, funneling through the open door.

That's kind of what it was like in prayer today.  I just had to get into "that place." - Right in front of the Master, Himself.  (I'm tired of sitting in the balcony and having to use someone's binoculars to see what's going on). LOL!

Seriously... I just wanted to go deeper... deeper in prayer.  My heart is hungry for a good seat.  A seat that's close to God.  Press -- Press -- Press.

I had to push through all sorts of things.  Every so often these random thoughts would pop up in my mind like,

1. "Ok... that's enough... Let's go watch t.v. now." or
2. "Isn't it time to stop and do some work?"
3. "I wonder what's to eat in the refrigerator?"
4. "What's on my calendar for tomorrow?"
5. "Is that the sound of someone texting me?"

I had to shut the voices off - too distracting! I had to FOCUS if I was going to get there.

It took TIME.   We're not talking McDonald's Drive Thru here!

It was 15 minutes before the first barrier presented itself.  It was so obvious... I just shook it off!  Then just when I really started entering into worship (to a CD I had playing), along came distraction #2.   I pushed that aside...made some good headway... and #1 returned for an encore. I shook that off again, and pressed in closer... still not close enough for me, though.  Along came #3, accompanied by growls from my stomach.  Didn't I just eat, not that long ago? I closed my eyes, changed my position, and pushed in further.  Oh no! The big one... #4 "What's on my calendar for tomorrow?"  Ok... let's just focus on the here and now, and move into His Presence.  There's #1 again.  I shook it off, totally annoyed. 

I'd like to tell you that it ended at #5.  But no... the list of obstacles went on and on.  But I was determined. I stayed focused on pushing through.... only to find that when I got through the door... I still needed to press through to get to the front of the stage (sort a speak).  

Needless to say... my flesh presented numerous distractions, but I didn't give up.  I fought them off.  I kept praying.  I kept singing. When my mind filled up with pictures of people I knew, I presented them to The Lord in my prayers.  I prayed in the Spirit. 

At one point I cried, "I want to go deeper, Lord!" 

and He responded, "This is how you go deeper!" 

So I continued.

I've come to find that keeping my eyes shut, shuts out a lot of distractions. But even still, here and there my eyes would check the clock and I'd think...  Just 15 minutes more...   O.k., just til the hour is up...   Maybe just a little longer...   I can't stop now, I'm in the middle of something...   This is really good, surely a few more minutes will be ok?...   What time is it now?  Really?  Where did the time go?...   O.k., just a minute or two longer...   Just one more song...  Alright.  I guess it's a good time to take a break... if I have to. 

A few hours had gone by.  (Deep breath).

Who would have thought that these RED SHOES would get me in -- front and center?

Tell me your "Pressing In" experience.

Gail

Day 14

Day 14 finishes off Week 2 of The Red Shoe Project.  For 2 whole weeks, I have been adorning my feet with RED SHOES ONLY, to remind me of the consistent Power & Presence of God in my life.

So, tonight I was talking with a great friend and brother in the Lord about how one of "God's Ways" (as opposed to "Man's Ways") is to JUST ASK HIM for what we need.

Just ask him.  Hmmmm... Just ask? Why is that so hard for us to wrap our arms around? I have to admit, there have been some serious times that I've gone to God in crisis and asked, and yes... He did deliver. But what about the times I asked and He didn't? Or what about all the times that I knew He knew what I needed, but He didn't take care of it?  What's with that?

Well, first of all, let me just say that God's Way is to ASK.

"Ask and it will be given to you...

For everyone who asks receives..."

Matthew 7:7,8

So if you don't ask... there's a really good chance that you won't receive. And just because we THINK ABOUT IT, and we know that God knows what we're thinking about... we shouldn't assume that He'll jump in and do something. That's not His way. That's man's way.  His way is that He responds when we ask.

So what about the times I asked for things and God didn't seem to answer?

This Red Shoe Project, as you well know, has got me focusing my attention on "God with me". The RED SHOES are there to remind ME that God is there... or, well, HERE, with me, NOW and ALWAYS... every moment of every day.  So with that, I've been making a greater effort to spend time with Him... walking and talking with Him... praising Him... reading His Word.

Two weeks of this has got me to thinking... What was I doing for the last 30 years?  If I wasn't focusing on Him, like I am now, just what was I focusing on? And when it came to asking... was I like one of those so-called friends that only comes around when they need something from you?

Have you ever had a "friend" that only talks to you when they want you to do something for them? Or worse... have you ever been one of those friends that talks to someone only when you want something from them? (Ouch!)  What about with God? Do you only go to Him when you need something?(Yikes!)  That's just something to ponder!

It takes TIME for a Relationship to develop into a powerful Friendship.  Time invested TOGETHER.... Communicating,  Listening,  Sharing,  Laughing,  Crying,  Dancing... Going through the great times as well as the difficult times.  It's about being there for one another over and over again... consistently and faithfully. It's two-sided. That means both parties give and receive. It can't be all one way, ya know?

When there is a relationship... a loving relationship, each party is more than happy to go above and beyond to help the other with what they need.

A RELATIONSHIP IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT TO THE ASKING.

I know that we could say a lot more about this verse... but let's just stop there for today. Let's take a "Selah" and Stop and Ponder that for a while.

Share with me your thoughts,

Gail

Day 13

Day 13... Sunday... Day of Rest.

I sported my RED shoes today at church.  People are checking to make sure that I have them on. Of course I do! And I am loving The One whom they remind me of:  Christ, The Lord.  
In fact, I am spending the entire day with Him as I rest and restore for the busy week ahead.

I found this wonderful scripture on Pinterest, and thought I would share it with you. As I wrote yesterday's blog, it dawned on me how God speaks to me so often, so freely and so clearly. He's done that since the day I asked Him to be the center of my life, leading and guiding me... almost 30 years ago.

For those of you who may not hear His voice, I want to encourage you to just ASK HIM.  Ask Him to speak to you, and keep asking until it happens.  Remember, of course, that you must be listening.  Nobody wants to talk to someone who doesn't listen. 

An old friend and mentor of mine once said, "If someone tells me that they haven't heard from God in a while, I ask them, When was the last time you read your Bible?"

There are many times and ways that God speaks.  Bible Reading and Prayer are great platforms to hear His voice... as are Worshipping God and Listening to The Word of God being Preached.  I have found that prior to any of these...

Asking The Holy Spirit to Open your Heart and Mind

 to what God is saying 

can make all the difference!

For those of us who do know His voice, may we give Him the Glory and Honor by  CONSISTENTLY listening to what He says and following His guidance and direction.

For now - I'm grabbing The Book of Books,  kicking off my RED SHOES,  and Resting in Him on this awesome day!

Gail

Day 12

Ok, so I no sooner posted Day 11 and BOOM... I was put to the test, first thing this morning, Day 12. I woke up bright and early and had my prayer time with the Lord before doing anything else.  It was interesting, because in the middle of it all, I remembered dreaming that night about an old college friend.

You know how sometimes certain things occur during the day that cause thoughts, ideas or memories to manifest in our dreams? Well, I tried to think what could possibly have entered my mind the day before to cause me to dream about this friend.  Nothing.  Absolutely nothing. I couldn't find a connection.

I was about to get up and move on to something else, and God began to speak to me.  So, of course, I remembered what I had just written the night before.  I STOPPED everything, focused my attention on God and listened to what He had to say.

He started off reminding me of a Bible Study I had attended last Tuesday.  We were talking about how the Holy Spirit can direct people very specifically in prayer on who they should minister to.  In my mind, I kept seeing this friend from the dream... And he was holding the hand of a small child.  Maybe a son? or a grandson?  Could God be telling me to pray for that person?  Hmmmm... what a coincidence.

Ok... I can't believe I used that word... "Coincidence".

A coincidence is a chance happening.  Only thing is, if you have one coincidence after another and another and another and another... you can't call it a "chance" happening anymore. And these "happenings of sorts" occur in my life all the time.

Then the Lord put on my heart to pray for the person, especially for the child that was with him,  so I did.  I didn't know anything specific, but somehow I found myself interceding for them both.  After a few minutes, I thought that I might be done, but no... God reminded me of a time when He spoke specifically to me about proclaiming freedom for the captives. Several months ago, He had told me that whenever He reminds me of this, that I am to pray for RELEASE for those who are enslaved to something.  So... I began to proclaim freedom over this young child's life... whoever he was.

While I was praying, God showed me that there were many people in the world whose kid(s) needed to be RELEASED from a bondage of various sorts. It could be a bondage of sickness, or a bondage of addiction,  or a bondage to sinful ways of one sort  or another... to name, but a few.

I saw a picture in my mind of God reaching down into a dark, hazy atmosphere controlled by the enemy of our souls. He scooped out a young man... who was beaten down and abused. The man looked so small, lying there in God's huge, cupped hands.  Then God brought His hands towards His mouth and breathed on the man. With that, the cords that bound him, broke off.  God blew on him again, ever so softly, and the remnants of those binding cords were completely blown away.  Perhaps that is a picture of what RELEASE FROM BONDAGE looks like from God's perspective?

All I could think of was that old chorus, "He brought me out of the miry clay. He set my feet on the Rock to stay!" 

But then I saw, in my mind, the word, "PSALM 41" so I grabbed my Bible and looked it up.

"Blessed is he who has regard for the weak;

 the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.

The Lord will protect him and preserve his life.  

He will bless him in the land and 

not surrender him to the desire of his foes. 

The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed 

and restore him from his bed of illness."

Is that what God just did during my intercession?  Could it be?  He responded to my query by telling me that this is another one of "His" ways.  He responds to people's prayers.  God is forever looking for people to stand in the gap an pray on the behalf of others that He might set them free.

BUT... He continued to direct me to Ezekial 22:30

"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall 

and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land 

so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none".

and then to Isaiah 59:16

"He saw that there was no one,

 he was appalled that there was no one to intervene, 

so his own arm worked salvation for him".

Woe!  I told you that when you STOP and give God your full attention and listen, He often lays out a powerfully, impacting message.  Didn't I?  I just didn't expect Him to act on that so quickly.

Just now, I am remembering that at Tuesday's Bible study, the theme for the year was written on the board... "2013 - a Year of Release". 

When God looks for someone to "Stand in the Gap"... 

May You and I, both, be ready and willing.

After all that, I popped on my RED shoes and began my day!

Gail