Deliberate Decisions

I have become painfully aware these days, that I have had to make slow deliberate decisions concerning things that up to a couple of years ago, were everyday thoughts, words or actions that I would regularly make without as much of a second thought.  With the absence of my wife and the life that we had forged together, I find that many, if not most, of the traditional things that I depended on for comfort and stability are suddenly needing to be re-evaluated… and in many cases… totally re-established!

Today I oftentimes find myself facing new situations and circumstances that seem to be shook by regular reminders of my past.  Take yesterday for example… I went to our nearby Bass Pro Outdoors Shop to get some get some new summer wear.  Just walking into this particular store brings back many fond memories as Piper and I frequented the store during our initial stay in Oklahoma some ten years ago. 

The grandness of the store is an adventure all to itself and Piper and I spent more than a few Friday nights walking through the store as a part of our date nights!  We also went every few months to buy me new boots as the concrete floors at my job at Home Depot tended to wear down my shoes quite rapidly.  So, needless to say, I have positive memories of us holding hands as we oohed and ahhed over the displays, the wall hanging, waterfall and other outdoor scenes, clothing and equipment.

Then, as I was minding my own business, standing in line waiting for the next available cashier, I glanced over to the display of salt water taffy to my left and couldn’t help but break out into laughter.  I was instantly transported in time, remembering Piper’s and my visit to a local salt water taffy store (in a pink and white striped trailer) in Bodega Bay, California during our 25^th anniversary holiday together.  In particular, I recalled the bag of candy we purchased and how enthralled Piper was at the display of ceramic lighthouses that was on display in a corner of the small store that was packed with merchandise… and customers!

Then I snapped back into reality when I noticed that the young family ahead of me was looking at me like I’d lost a marble or two!  Thankfully I was saved when a cashier yelled out “I can help whoever is next” and the line moved forward.  Things like that example happen quite often as almost everything reminds me in some way, shape or form of Piper and or things we did together or as a family.

So, now I find that I have to think things through and then make deliberate decisions concerning the way I think about a particular event that’s unfolding before me, the words I am going to respond with and/or the actions that I am going to take.  I still awake most mornings having to rethink my scheduled activities in the light that Piper is no longer lying next to me and that we will not be sharing the day’s events together.

As I sat on the edge of the bed this morning confessing some verses of scripture over my day, I found myself meditating on a familiar verse in John 10:10 that I mentioned in our last blog post.  The King James Version has Jesus saying in red, “The thief (ie; the devil) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”   The thought that caught my attention was that Jesus made the point to say “might” two times in the same sentence.  That caused me to consider what He meant by that.

The Passion Translation makes it a little clearer with its modern rendition of the verse by declaring, “A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!”  It seems to me that Jesus is making a strong contrast between the job requirements of the devil and Himself in direct relationship to you and me!

He plainly states that the devil’s one job responsibility is to steal, kill and destroy us… while Jesus was resurrected on Easter Sunday and is now seated at the right hand of God with the responsibility of giving us an abundance of life… BUT… there is a caveat to Jesus’ ability to give us an abundance in life… and that is... that it is UP TO YOU AND ME TO WANT IT AND THEN RECEIVE IT!

I believe that is exactly why Jesus makes the double point in stating “that they MIGHT have life, and that they MIGHT have it more abundantly.”  The MIGHT means that it is totally up to us to receive what Jesus is offering us!  The Passion Translation puts it in terms that are very familiar to me… and to the readers of this blog!  This translation says that we can have an abundance of life that is “MORE THAN WE EXPECT.”  Simply said, if we EXPECT nothing… then we receive nothing.  If we EXPECT little… then we receive little… but if we expand our faith and EXPECT much… then we are able to receive much!

The Apostle Paul confirms this truth in Ephesians 3:20 where he stated that God is able to “achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination!” (The Passion Translation)  Paul in agreement with Jesus is encouraging us to make great requests of God, to dream unbelievable dreams and be free to imagine wildly big things... so that God can meet and achieve infinitely more than what we are believing for!  Let’s face it folks… WE CAN NEVER OUT-DO GOD!

So, what is my point?  Well… just as I have had to make DELIBERATE DECSIONS concerning many of the things that I do on a daily basis… I believe that God in His Word is also encouraging us to make the DELIBERATE DECISION to believe His Word, to EXPECT the promises within the pages of our Bibles to come true for us and to feel free to EXPECT infinitely more, to ask for big things, to dream what some people might consider to be impossible dreams and to let the wild places of our imaginations become the norm in our lives… KNOWING... that God loves us so much that He wants the best for us!

That’s the God that I serve… HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have a terrific weekend, and as you do… keep EXPECTING God’s best to be the norm in your life!