Day 154

It's Day 154 of  The Red Shoe Project and I slept til 10 a.m.  Twelve whole hours!  Wow, I must have been really tired.  My body must have needed it.  Hopefully this means that I am fully back on Sarasota time and ready for whatever God has in store for me from here on out.

As I got caught up with household matters that needed my attention, I thought it best to have a little chat with God on some needs that will be arising.  His response rather surprised me...

"Do you have everything 

that you need for today?"

Well, yes but...

As I puttered around my house in my RED slippers,  doing little things, here and there, God found it a perfect opportunity to chat with me on how He handles arising needs.

"Your way is to do things well in advance."

 He proclaimed.

"My way is to do things right on time!"

Am I supposed to find that amusing?  Because I don't.  It's just another ripe opportunity for my flesh to cringe and cry out...
I hate waiting to the last minute! 
But, I must admit, all feelings aside,  "the last minute"  is just another way of saying, "right on time!"  It's not early, and it's not late.  So I guess I have nothing to complain about.

One time when I was setting up my home office, I was in need of purchasing an office printer.  I talked with the Lord and insisted that I had to have the money to get that printer that day.  I don't think He specifically provided for that, but somehow, I maneuvered this and switched that around, and managed to find the money to get that printer right away, regardless.  Once I had it in my possession, I brought it home and it sat, in the box, for several weeks, unpacked.

Shortly after that, I was asking God about a property that He had promised me.  "God, do you think I could move into that property soon?  I need that space now!  It's perfect for what I want to do with my business!" 

"Like the printer?" He commented.  "You needed that NOW and it's still sitting in the box, untouched.  The property will be available when it's the right time... not one minute sooner, not one minute late!"

If you've been a Christian for any length of time, you've heard the saying, 

"God is never late,

He's seldom early,

He's always on right on time!"  

That's his  "M.O."   Modus Operandi   or  Method of Operation. 

Tonight I attended a presentation given by a friend entitled, "How Creation Points to a Divine Creator."  All sorts of facts were presented regarding the importance of specific measurements.  For example, if the gravitational pull was any stronger or any weaker than what it is, we'd have some serious problems existing.  Or if the rotation of the earth was any faster or slower, things wouldn't be as they are.  If the sun was any closer or farther away, the result is no life on earth.  The examples of God's precision seemed endless.

"Precision" refers to exact & accurate measurements, calculations, specifications and details. 

All this made me realize that God wasn't right on time just for the fun of it.  He's right on time because that's critically important to the working of His plan for my life.  A little early or a little late could change everything, throw things off,  create undesired results. I'm getting the feeling that God's got a reason for everything.  He just doesn't always share that with me.

So as I check off another day of The Red Shoe Project, I head off to bed, my head spinning, as I am reminded that God's ways aren't my ways for a reason.

Still getting adjusted to God's time clock,

Gail

Day 153

Day 153 of  The Red Shoe Project is a day of resting in RED shoes.  To be honest, the RED shoes have been on and off throughout the day.  On to walk the dog.   Off while doing a few things around the house.   On to go to church.  Off to lounge around and relax.  I'm taking this day to allow my body to get caught up with the rest of me.  Mind, Body and Spirit... I need them all to be in proper alignment, with me and with one another.

In my rest, I've come to notice that God has been speaking something to me over and over again these past few days.  Evidently it's something that's important enough that it keeps coming to my attention, ever so briefly, here and there.  I think the busyness of getting back into the swing of things, has taken precedence, but now this "word"  is  finding it's way to the top of my priority list.

Isn't it funny that God can be speaking something to us and it somehow it gets jumbled about in our thought lives before we actually get a grasp of it?  It's like when you throw a pair of sneakers into the dryer.  The load looks just as it always does... a big pile of wet clothes.  It all blends together.  You think nothing of it.  But as the dryer bin goes around and around, you can hear them clunking away.  You're reminded that this dryer load is a little different than usual.  There's footwear in there that needs your special attention.

So what is this matter that needs my attention?

 It's direction from God regarding my prayer life.  He is asking me to... 

Pray about everything 

that crosses my mind.  

"In everything, through prayer and petition, 

with thanksgiving, make your requests known unto God..."

Philippians 4:6

So often, things cross my mind, and I think, "I should pray about that." Sometimes I do,  but most of the time,  I just think about it for a while.  I figure I will pray about it later -- when I'm praying.  I hate to admit it, but sometimes I do pray about it later, and many times it's just forgotten about.  Does that ever happen to you?

I've come to realize that THINKING about something and PRAYING about something are two entirely different things.  Thinking about something involves me, alone.  I review the thought in my mind.  I analyze it from different angles.  I explore my options and opinions.  Maybe I even decide to do something about it.  When it comes to praying, however, two are involved:  Me and God.   I am speaking...  and God is listening.  I am making a request known to God...  and He is receiving it.

Hebrews 11:6 says this...

"For without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for anyone who comes to God (in prayer) must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of him who diligently seeks Him."

When I come to God in prayer,  I am exercising my faith, believing that God will not only hear my prayer, but take some sort of action... that there will be a response, of sorts, on His part...  even if it's not what I think it will be,  I pray EXPECTING results.   Hmmm.  That's quite different than when I just  "think" about it.  Even if there is potential action taken in both cases.  Thoughts involve my response, where prayers involve His response.

It seems to me that "thinking about things"  become MISSED OPPORTUNITIES in which God could have done something, but wasn't given the chance.  Holding onto thoughts and ideas is like me going to the post office and mailing a letter, only it gets unknowingly dropped on the mailroom floor and kicked under a machine.  It's lost and forgotten about.  It's never delivered.  Now there's a fresh revelation of...  "It got lost in the mail!"

Oh my!  That's not good.  I don't want to even think about how many times that's happened.  Am I a postman that's been negligent of her responsibilities?  I didn't even know that I was doing that!   

The other day,  I asked God to open my eyes that I might find something very important... to bring that missing thing to the surface for me to see... but I was talking about something else.  What's this then?   Has God decided, that while He's bringing what I think is so important to the surface - to my attention,  that He'll  make the most of the moment and bring what He thinks is important to light as well?  LOL.

In searching for today's blog pics, I discovered this picture of letters stuffed into a stone wall.  Apparently, the Israeli postal service sorts over two million pieces of mail daily.  Some of these letters come addressed to God.  The unopened letters to God are collected and delivered to God and deposited at the Western wall a few times a year.

I'm ever so mindful of the fact that God is with me 24/7.  He has encouraged me to talk to Him continuously.  I've often wondered how I could possibly come up with so much to say.   Is this His attempt to give me some conversation points?  

* So as people pop into 

my mind and I think 

about them... I should take that moment or minute to ask God to bless them or give them favor or help them with their problem.

* When I drive by a car accident, I should ask God to intervene...  to bring healing and life to a situation that could be deadly... to bring 

comfort, strength and wisdom to all involved.

* When a difficult situation I'm involved in fills my thoughts, I can ask God to help me see it from His perspective... to reveal to me what I'm not seeing... to give me wisdom on how to deal with it. 

* When I hear a news report on the television or radio, I can take a moment to ask God to work out His perfect plan in those matters.  

* When thoughts are flooding my mind, right and left, I can ask God what He wants to do with them and pray in the direction He gives me.  

James 5:16 says...

"The prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective!"

Okay... I think I'm getting the concept here.  I can do this!  I will give it a try.  Instead of thinking about things so much... Instead of holding onto thoughts and ideas... Instead of letting the ball drop with me... I'm going to take whatever pops into my mind and ACTIVATE it through prayer.

  

 I'm going to drop the letters 

into God's mailbox.  

Today I have become a Mail Carrier for God.

In RED shoes, of course.

Gail

Day 152

Day 152 of  The Red Shoe Project has me running around the house in RED shoes, looking on shelves, between books and under papers.  Someone sent me something that's of utmost importance.  It's been confirmed that it was delivered and received. So where is it?  I can't find it anywhere!   I know it's here, somewhere.  It's probably right in front of my nose and I just can't see it. For all I know, I could be sitting on it, and don't even know it.  LOL.  


My friend Tam said the same thing happened
to her just the other day.  She couldn't, for the
life of her, find her glasses.
  Her husband told her,  "They're right on the table."  She looked and looked and couldn't find them.  Finally, she put her contacts in, to find her glasses.  LOL.  Yup, there they were, right on the table where her husband said they were.  She said she looked there several times, but she was blind to them.  They blended right in with the table and she couldn't see them. But now, with her contacts in place,  there they were!

A few months ago, a friend had decided that he, too, needed a visual reminder to look for  God each day.  He didn't have RED shoes, but his dad had given him a beautiful family heirloom - a men's gold ring with a big purple stone in it.  It was more extravagant than his normal, everyday fashion, but all the better.  It would stand out and capture his attention time and time again, to look for God.  Only thing was, after a few days, he lost the ring.  He couldn't find it anywhere.  It was gone.  He was so upset when he told me, but I had this strange feeling.  I told him, " I don't believe you lost it!  I think it's still in your possession.  You just can't see it.  Let's pray that God will bring it to the surface so that you can find it!"   We prayed.  Several weeks went by.  Then one day, when the ring was almost completely  forgotten about , the man noticed something on the floor of his closet.  He bent down to pick it up.  It was the ring!  It had been there all along, but now he could see it.

That reminds me of a time when I was lost...  separated from God.  I was blind to spiritual things.  I didn't think God existed.  I thought God was an idea... something that weak people needed, like a crutch, to help them through life.  I didn't need that!  I didn't need Him!  I was going to make it on my own.  But I kept ending up, time and time again, in these dark, lonely places.  One day, I got tired of the darkeness.  I got tired of being lonely.   So, as a last resort,  I asked the God, (that I didn't believe existed), if He was real.  My spiritual eyes were opened.  I was found!   I was born again.  And to think, here I am thirty years later, wearing RED shoes each day, looking for God, for a living.  LOL!
Truly, God has such a sense of humor.

So many times, I've lost my keys.  It's time to take off to an appointment and  "Ooops, Where's my keys?"  After looking in all the common places and coming up empty,  I've stopped everything, bowed my head, and asked God to help me find my keys.  Next thing I know, I'm distracted by something.  I end up in another room.  I see something out of place and go to move it.  I open a miscellaneous drawer... whatever... there they are,  The Keys!  They're in the most unusual place.  I had forgotten I was even looking for them.  They just surfaced.

God is really good at bringing things to the light.  So once again, I'm praying for Him to bring this most important gift to the surface where I can see it.  I desperately need His help!   Please pray with me!

Looking at my Ruby Reds and believing for a miracle!
Gail

Day 151

Day 151 of  The Red Shoe Project has me in RED flip flops, once again, and pondering the deep things of God.  Have you ever felt like you were in over your head?  LOL.  That's deep!  But God isn't into drowning me.  He's teaching me to float.  He wants me to trust Him... to believe that He'll hold me up in the depths of those circumstances that can seem so deep and scary...  those places where I can't feel my feet touching the ground.  I can sense his arm under me, making sure my head is above water.  Yup! That's my Daddy!

Have you ever caught yourself trying to make something happen?  It's like trying to put a square peg in a round hole.  It just doesn't fit.  It's not working.  It's not coming together.   The door is shut tight, locked and you don't have the key.  What's with that?

Years ago, I applied for a job at a large investment firm.  I was relocating from Rhode Island to Florida.  The company I had been working for for several years had an office in Sarasota.  I was given an interview with the Vice President of that office for an entry level position in their training program.  I had great references.  It was supposed to be a "done deal!"

Usually, I do extremely well in interviews, but this manager wasn't taking to me.  Even though my resume showed that I was a public speaker and has spoken in front of large groups of people, He insisted that the test I took profiled me as an introvert.  In a very nice and professional manner, I challenged him on the matter.  I remember saying to him... "Just the fact that I'm willing to challenge you on this, shows that I'm by no means an introvert!"  But no... he was insistent that this test is never wrong.  He tossed out my glowing references.  He refused to take into consideration my experience.  He had made up his mind.  Then came those infamous words...

"I'm sorry Ms. Sullivan, but I don't think you'll ever be anything more than a secretary!"

Was this really happening?  It seemed ludicrous!  As I tried again and again, I remember God showing me something so clearly in the back of my mind.  It was a picture of a large steal door...  a vault door, like you'd see in a bank.  It closed shut with a bang, and the lever was turned so that it locked tight. This interview wasn't going anywhere.  It was over!  

A week or so later, my husband (at the time) was on an airplane flying north.  He was chatting quietly with a woman sitting in the seat beside him, telling her about himself, and me, and what we do for a living.  Somehow he ended up telling this gal my work experience and mentioned that I was looking for a job.   A minute or so later, this other woman, seated a couple rows in front of him, came by and handed him a paper with a company name and number on it.  She said that she used to work there and that I should give them a call. She was confident that they would hire me. He relayed the information to me.  I followed up and within a couple weeks I was entering their training program to be an investment advisor.  It was all so effortless.  No pushing.  No convincing.  No forcing.  

It's funny, after I was hired, I mentioned to several long timers at the company about the woman on the plane.  No one had ever heard of her.  They said that no one with that description or name ever worked there.  They were dumbfounded!  An angel perhaps?  On a plane?  Come on... that could never happen!  LOL.

As I am stepping out into this new season of "dying to self", God is asking me to rest in the fact that "my steps are ordered by the Lord."  He's calling on me to trust that "He has a plan for me."  Rather than trying to make things happen, or manipulate situations to get the outcome I'm looking for, He wants me to "Believe that All things are possible!"  

So from here on,  as I step out each day in RED shoes,  I'm going to accept that whatever comes my way is God's plan.  I'll stay connected with Him and He'll instruct me on what to do next.
Okay.  Here it goes!
"JESUS!!!"

Gail