Day 41

As I woke up on Day 41 of  The Red Shoe Project I wiggled my toes, painted RUBY RED, and tuned in to my favorite internet preacher... Bishop T. D. Jakes at the Potter's House.  He delivered an anointed message based on Matthew 25:14-28, The Parable of the Talents. 

Here I was on a Sunday, sitting on a bed in my Mom's guest room, having church. LOL. I must admit that this is rarely my 1st choice, but God delivered BIG time.  I love that about The Red Shoe Project... it's noticing God's Power and Presence WHEREVER you are!

The Bishop's message was on the gifts God has given us... along with the opportunity we have to make the most out of them.  It's funny, because right before I "tuned in" for church, I was writing in my journal about Excellence... and the idea of "Pouring oneself out as a drink offering unto the Lord."  I've always admired people who under the anointing of God, extend their unique gifts into the realm of the Divine.  To watch that is more than moving... It's Awesome!

Listening to Bishop Jakes was no disappointment.  As He operated in His own unique and anointed gift, I was challenged to take a look at where I stand before God in regards to the gifts He's given me and what I'm doing with them.  There was one thing, in particular that The Bishop said that really struck me:

"You are burying what you should be exposing 

and exposing what you should be burying."

Over a year ago, God had basically said this very same thing to me.  He told me that I was clothing myself in a way that I thought was palatable to the people around me. In other words... I was presenting myself as a watered down Christian so as not to offend anyone.  But... God then told me that there were people who needed to hear my message... They were looking for me, and they couldn't find me because I was all covered up.  It's time to "Get naked!" and Be who I really am in Christ!

It's taken God a good year to unwind me and unwrap me.  I am now reflecting who I am in Christ more authentically than ever before.  There's still more work to be done... but I'm well on my way.  

As to my gifts... Since I gave my heart to the Lord in 1983,  I've always had a strong connection with Christ, an ability to hear his voice, and a passion to talk about what He's doing in my life. Finally, I am working those opportunities for His Glory by Blogging, Writing, Speaking, Facilitating and Teaching... specifically about Him.  

As I continue to move forward on this Yellow Brick Road, it's my hope and prayer that lives will be touched by Him... that those seeking a Divine Connection with God will find it... that those looking to live an abundant life for Christ, without all the entanglements of religiosity, will see how it's done and join me.  Literal RED SHOES are optional, of course!

What about you?  Do you know your specific purpose in life?  What are your unique gifts? Are you using them for God?  I don't ask those questions lightly.  The process of discovering the answers to those questions can take years... But we all need to start that journey sometime. I'm not sure we'll ever be truly happy until we are living in our true purpose.

Who would have ever thought that mine happens to be in RED SHOES!

Gail

Day 40

Day 40 of  The Red Shoe Project  found me calling a tow truck, close to 75 miles away from home.           Anticipated? -- Never.   Inconvenient? -- Always.   Frustrated? -- Not really.  Here's where the rubber meets the road. It's time to be TESTED on all the things I'm writing each day. 

  

Let me just say this:

  ALWAYS expect to be tested 

on what you've learned, when it comes to God.  

Especially if you have been talking about it!

There hasn't been one thing, ever, that I've spoken about God, or for God, that I haven't been personally put to the test on.  That's just the way it is.  You can TALK about God and The Bible all you want... but does what you say really work? You'll never know unless you're tested on it.  

But don't you want to know for sure...  that it works?   I know, I do.  But do we want to be tested?  Ahhhh!  That's often a different story.  We are so afraid... to fail.  And it shouldn't be that way! 

It's funny because it's not so much that we're testing God to see if He'll come through for us.  But instead, it's usually that WE are the ones being put to the test by God, Himself.  Will we hang in there... to the end... to see if God will come through? ...to see if God's Word is true?  So often, we drop out long before God even shows His hand.   That's a sad thing... 

More often than not, 

it's our lack of faith that stops everything.   

(Hmmmm.  That's something to really think about.) 

One thing we can be glad about is this:  God allows us to re-test!  
Mistakes should not be so frowned upon.  They merely show us where we stand on the matter at hand.  So, for example...take Faith.  Just when you start thinking, "I'm strong in my faith!"  Something will come along, and you'll realize that you're bailing out pretty quick.  You think, "How did that happen? I thought I was so strong in my faith."

So, here's the benefit:  Now you know exactly how weak you are and what muscles you need to strengthen, so that you'll do better on the next test.  

Many tests have to be taken many times. But before you know it,  your failing grade becomes a passing grade. Then you are going from a passing grade to a better grade, a B... then a B+...  then an A... and eventually you are passing with flying colors... you're a Superstar!

With that, I have decided to spend a few more days with Mom, while my car sits at the Dealership waiting for Monday morning to roll around.  As I look at my RED SHOES sitting by her front door, instead of being anxious and uncomfortable, I am enjoying my time with her, praising God that my car had problems in her driveway, and not out in the middle of nowhere. I'm believing that God has a plan... and it's working out exactly the way He wants it to.

Gail

Day 39

This 39th Day of  The Red Shoe Project  finds me traveling.  I'm visiting my Mom, (she's the one that knits me all the handmade RED socks), and today she insisted on buying me a pair of casual and comfortable, glittery RED shoes.  THANKS MOM!

I love visiting my Mom!  We have a wonderful time together and it's always a time of rest and relaxation for me.  Today, it got me to thinking about the old time hymn, "It is well with my soul."

I guess if there's any place that one should feel secure, calm, protected, loved, and at ease, it should be at home with their Mom and Dad.  But as we all know, Life can bring some pretty devastating storms our way... sometimes when they're least expected... and they can really throw you for a loop!

I remember a time, (right before my divorce), when it literally felt like waves crashing all around me.  I was getting knocked down from every direction.  For a moment there, I didn't seem to know if I was coming or going.  The ground seemed to be crumbling under my feet.

 I'd love to tell you that evenso I was able to hold my head high and shout... "Yes! but it's well with my soul!" But no... that's not how the story goes.

 In reality, I was standing in a church and they began to sing this old hymn, and as I lifted up my hands towards heaven, I thought to myself, "No! It is not well with my soul!"  I was so broken. I felt like everything was falling apart! Maybe that's not what you want to hear, but that's what happened.  I do remember falling to my knees before the end of the night, and God pouring out His unlimited Peace  upon me, in a way that I can't event begin to explain.

 That's why this song means so much to me.  Since then, there's not a day that's gone by, that it isn't well with my soul. And the contrast of how it feels is night and day.  I'm very thankful for the Peace that comes in having a Divine Connection with Christ! - A peace about eternity, as well as a peace for my everyday life, here and now, in calm weather, and in crashing storms.

"And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 Philippians 4:7

And now, having removed my RED SHOES from my feet, I lay my head down to rest, thanking God for His peaceful presence, in my heart, my mind, and in my soul!

Gail

Day 38

It's Day 38 of  The Red Shoe Project  and even though some parts of the country are getting ready for  snow, I was found running about town, (in Sarasota, Florida), in my RED flip flops.  It was a gorgeous day!  And just as these bold, RED SHOES are meant to bring focus to The Power and Presence of God in my life, I have always found it wise to pay close attention to any idea or concept that is presented to me, boldly, 3 times, over a very short period of time. So today my thoughts are all centering around the word, "MAGNETIC"

When something is "MAGNETIC" it has an extraordinary power 

or ability to attract something to it.

My first MAGNETIC experience was when I was a little girl. The Coca Cola Bottling Company had a contest going on where you had to collect all the Coke Bottle Caps you could.  Inside each cap was the picture of a Red Sox baseball player.  When you collected the pictures of the entire team, you could trade them in for a special prize... like a Red Sox baseball hat or bat or glove.   With all that in mind, my Dad took a magnet and attached a long wire to it. Every day I would go up to the corner store and ask if I could collect the bottle caps from their soda pop machine.  There I was, feeding the wire down into the machine where the bottle caps were.  The bottle caps would connect themselves to the magnet, and I would pull the wire back up slowly, and look diligently inside the caps to see if there were any new pictures of players that I didn't already have in my collection. Even doubles were good, because you could trade them with someone else for a player you didn't have.

Fast forward several decades.  Today I was thinking about when I first was writing my book, The Yellow Brick Road:  A Woman's Journey to the Edge and Back, I went downtown to meet up with a business associate.  I found her, in the shoe store, next door to her business. She shouted for me to come in and join her -- There was a Sale going on!  This was a very high end shoe store... a little more than I was accustomed to spending on footwear.  I stepped just inside the door (to be polite) and the owner called out to me, 

"Come in! Come in! Can I interest you in some shoes?  

Everything is on sale!" 

I smiled sheepishly and responded, 

"Not unless you have some RUBY SLIPPERS."

"As a matter of fact, I do" she said.  "What size do you wear?"

"8 1/2."

"Let me check in the back."

A few minutes later, she returned from the back room with a large shoe box.  She took off the top of the box, unwrapped the paper, and there emerged the most beautiful pair of RED shoes I'd ever seen in my entire life! They were RED Satin with Swarovski Crystal Hearts. 

"Would you like to try them on?"

"O.K." I nodded, thinking  "What's the harm? 

I'm just trying them on." 

As my foot neared the shoe, I felt like they sucked my foot right into place.  

Yes... they were MAGNETIC.  Unbelievable! you may think,  But true!

 I hesitantly asked "How much are they?" and couldn't believe her response.  This was truly a magnificent sale! ( I think they were like 70% off! ) 

"SOLD!!!" I responded with a smile.

Eventually, these RUBY SLIPPERS would become the shoes on the front cover of my book. And I'm usually seen wearing them when I am speaking at special events.

This very week, I met with several Discussion Groups where we are talking about God -- Does He really exist? Can we have a relationship with Him?  Many people are searching and seeking for answers.  A few have even mentioned sensing that... like a magnet, they feel like they are  being drawn to this church... to this discussion group... to The Bible...  to God.

"No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him".  

John 6:44

Interesting, isn't it? 

 Finally, today makes 38 Days in my pursuit for a closer walk with God.  My daily activity has included a significant increase in Worship & Praise, Bible Reading and Prayer... for these things tend to draw me most into His Presence.  I am noticing that at the beginning, it was hard to get into that habit.  But now, like a magnet, I am drawn in quite easily and carried along into these Divine Disciplines. 

Yes... God is MAGNETIC and I often find myself taking off my RED shoes 

in His Presence.

Gail