311 Be Anxious For Nothing

I have been in a reflective mood this month

As of today it has been

1817 Days

Four years, 11 months, 21 days

Since Larry left this earth for his next great adventure…

I haven’t counted days, months, or years in awhile

but remember when the time was shorter

and the pain seemed unbearable.

The journey was hard and there was no roadmap

I felt lost and mostly alone.

During that time of wandering through grief,

I went down trails that I should not have explored

and forgot my faith.

But throughout the time I was disconnected from my true path

God did not forget me.

In every instance my “gut instinct”, “still-small voice”, “conscience”, whatever word one could use to describe something so indescribably present, was reminding me to

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

• – Proverbs 3:5-6

… “In all your ways acknowledge Him”

what a loaded statement

I still struggle with that.

But I know deep in my heart that

…all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

• – Romans 8:28

This simple verse memorized as a child

and seemingly forgotten when tough times came during adulthood

popped in my head just when I needed to hear it

…a reminder from God that I needed to

slow down

listen

sit with Him

and

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

• -Philippians 4:6-7

So I did.

My requests were met with three distinct answers:

A resounding “Yes”

Many times, “Are you kidding?”

Frequently, “No, but I have something much better planned for you!”

Sometimes, “Do you want to rephrase that request and get back to me?” (not really, but that’s what it seemed like).

But the result was always

Peace!

When I tasted the “peace of God that surpasses all understanding”

I began to crave it.

Full on

11pm at night I need chocolate craving.

Therefore,

anything (and anyone) that/who did not fall in line with peace

was let go.

Today

I ask myself

“Can I Change the Situation?”

If the answer is “No”, I turn it over to God

If the answer is “Yes”, I turn it over to God and ask

“Am I Willing Make the Effort to Change it?”

If the answer is “No”, I turn it over to God

If the answer is “Yes”

I prayerfully consider action steps

and Implement the action steps

while turning it over to God.

My Recipe for Peace

Each step

of

Every decision-making process

in

my

life

is prayerfully considered

with the help, grace, and loving compassion

of my Creator and Redeemer God.

I am grateful for peace in this world of uncertainty.

XO Lisa ❤️