A New Start

This morning I woke in a slightly better frame of mind than I have for some time.

I have been struggling over the last 12 months or so with issues. It’s hard to pin point anything in particular but lots of things; family (at home and afar), health (both mine and family), work for Harry and myself, personal aspects of my life and just general demands on my time.

I realised that everything has sort of got out-of-control by being pulled in all directions and not being strong to myself. I have made attempts at speaking out or putting things back to the way they were but it didn’t seem to work or others didn’t appreciate me thinking of myself.

I know from the past, a few years ago now, that if I wasn’t able to look after myself I would suffer and so in time those around me too. If I didn’t take steps for self-preservation I would crumble. I needed to take control of who I am and what was happening in my life.

I will admit I had let things ‘fall’ down. I wasn’t sticking to my routines, reading my bible daily, exercising or eating, sleeping and even thinking right. Nearly everything was suffering and it was either because I had time stealers in my life, or depression and/or laziness had crept it. It seemed the more I noticed things weren’t being done or done well, the more I seemed to give up. 

This morning I woke with time to think and realised I needed to get back to what I knew.

I often see a new… day, month, year whatever, is like an opportunity to start again and leave the past behind and although we are already into the month of August I though “New month - start afresh”.

I follow an adapted version of Fly lady and one of her slogans is “you’re not behind, jump in right where you are”.

I opened my bible and started on the new readings from the new Word for Today booklet from Radio Rhema.

As usual it spoke to me, not just today's but yesterdays too. This often happens whenever I am searching. Let me share.

 

1^st August said

...it's not just the opportunity - it's often the attitude that meets the opportunity that determines the outcome. God will give you chances to win, but it's your commitment that determines the size of your victory.

'Is your heart in what you're doing? Are you giving it your all?'

2^nd August was titled

Maximise This Day                                                The reading was taken from Psalm 118

God determines the number of your days, but you determine how they are spent. Yesterday is a cancelled cheque, tomorrow is a promissory note, today is all you've got.

And you can begin your life over today, if you live by these words:

'Today I will delete from my diary two days - yesterday and tomorrow.

Yesterday was for learning; tomorrow will be a consequence of what I do today.

Today I will face life with the conviction that this day will never return, that it may be the last opportunity I'll have to contribute because there's no guarantee I'll see tomorrow.

Today I will be courageous enough not to let opportunity pass me by; my only alternative will be to succeed.

Today I will invest my most valuable resource, my time, into my most important possession, the life God has given me.

I'll spend each minute purposefully, making today a unique opportunity.

I'll tackle each obstacle knowing that with God's help I can overcome it.

Today I will resist doubt and pessimism and warm my world with a smile.

I'll maintain a strong faith, expect nothing but the best, take time to be happy, see every task as an opportunity to honour the Lord, and endeavour to leave His footprints on the hearts of those I meet.'

'Time is your life - nothing more, nothing less. The way you spend your hours and your days, is the way you spend your life.'- John Boykin

Talk about having God tell me He knew exactly where I was and what I needed.

So I prayed that God would order my day and allow what needs to be done to get done.

I knew I had to get back into what I knew worked for me and instead of jumping out of bed to dive into everything I thought “I know it doesn’t work when I am down whether it be not feeling well or being depressed or lazy, I have to work at ‘coming back’ slowly so it doesn’t overwhelmed me.”

I have different routines I have put into place for me. One is a daily morning routine and also a bedtime routine; another is jobs in the house done weekly but only certain jobs each day; and still another is setting aside time each day for me to either read, knit, garden, bake or whatever as well as do some exercise. If I tried to start all over with all of these I know I would fail as so much has lapsed and left undone. 

So being gentle I have given myself a week for each group to be put back into place.

I am also entitled to some holiday from work and as I can choose as to when these are I will ‘sort’ things out so that when the holiday is taken I can have it for myself and not running around trying to catch up. 

It gives me a sense of excitement to work towards too.

 

Psalm 118   Parts that spoke to me

5 In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free.

6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper.  I will look in triumph on my enemies.

14 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.

29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

All scripture is from the New International Version 1984