Help & help!

 I’m overwhelmed, even as I pray to be grateful for each step of faith & progress. And there’s a skunk under the farm house that seems to spray every day w/out provocation. I’m so tired of this odor! Today had many very enjoyable moments. Tonight, I’m tired & somewhat frustrated. I’m feeling effects of trying to do too much & not prioritizing self-care & recovery tools I need to use daily. It’s the last day of November. Dec. 1 is first day of Advent. I’m not ready & there’s nothing I can do about it right now. Let go & trust God, as I am also trying to do re sports team disappointment; eating more than ideal; prayers for Wes; whether to fish tomorrow afternoon. It’s almost midnight so I really must turn off phone. Let go whatever I didn’t do. Ask for forgiveness & help to do better. And keep praising God in all things. 

Breakfast: I’m grateful for each step of faith & progress. Got up & went to help w/ decorating at Whaley. Came home, walked, then washed hair. Will go to Muenster parade in a bit & then to Mom’s to watch Aggies game w/her & Amy & Gene. Sure would like Ags to win. Not sure I expect it. I pray to increase my focus on & faith in God as I am very distracted today. God please help me not get distracted by what to wear & who wins games. Help me to be an instrument of Your love & peace & grace & joy & help to those in need, to Your glory. I called Donna & she didn’t answer. I continue to pray for his healing, including for him to revive from the coma. Praising & trusting God. I also pray for God’s help w/my food. Help me be willing to make choices or seek support to not get lost in food instead of focus on people & acts of love & care. To God’s glory. 

Sleep (7ish): In bed about midnight. TP, small poo 4:30ish. Awake 7:11. Start writing 8:03. Want to go help at Whaley. I think Gene is pulling me to stay here. Sigh. I pray to know what God would have me do. I don’t want to be ruled by FOMO. Praying also still for Wes, fully believing God will restore him in a beautiful way on this earth. Lord’s Prayer. Serenity. Scripture. 

“In your relationships w/one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality w/God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

If you had access to all the luxuries you could dream of, would you voluntarily give them up? If you had riches beyond your wildest imagination, would you lay them all down for someone you love? That’s what Jesus did.

“He gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave & was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God & died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT

Jesus gave up His divine privileges, temporarily, so that He could be w/His people: so He could pay their debt & redeem them back to Himself. Because of that, God “elevated him to the place of highest honor & gave him the name above all other names.” (Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬ NLT‬‬)

If I consider myself a follower of Jesus, I am naturally called to follow Him; to reflect His love; to, daily, die to myself.

Tho the call to die to oneself can be literal in some cases, more often, it's symbolic. It means giving up what we want in favor of something that can have an eternal impact.

Maybe, instead of bingeing a TV show or scrolling social media, you visit someone in the hospital, take a meal to someone who’s hurting, or help a single parent.

Maybe, instead of rushing to get everything on your busy schedule finished, you take the time to read the Bible w/a child, befriend someone who’s lonely, or be present w/the people around you.

Maybe, instead of waiting for God to send opportunities my way, I seek out those who are desperate for Him—& help them see why He occupies the place of highest honor in my life.

The great news is, I’ve been empowered to do what Jesus did.