So now what?

OK - so while the "journey of my life" has certainly not ended and the journey of Larry and me getting settled in this new land together has certainly not ended, the part that was defined by my getting a job has ended and I find that I have landed in a place of peace.

Now what.

I really don't think I've ever been here before. I've known plenty of happy times in my life. This is not that. I've known times of peace, usually right before another upheaval, so being aware of the reality of unexpected upheavals, this time it's a quieter peace mixed with more realism. I don't really think it's just one of those times of rest that God gives us. No, this is something else.

As I continue my blog I do want it to be lifegiving to whoever might read it AND I want it to be lifegiving to me. I do feel that I have more to say about negotiating a journey and dealing with the pain that is found there so I want to continue to bring those things out. I've usually brought those things out in the context of something that's happening. But that kind of pain is not happening right now. I'm dealing with a couple of very personal things that won't go in here but even that does not carry with it the despair I have so often felt in the past. Despair is terrible pain.

Now I'm here at the foot of the bridge, just kind of sitting, looking around me and saying "Now what". Where to go.

So, I was sitting on Shan's front porch this morning, trying to keep the Eastern sun out of my eyes and went back to Phil. 4:4-6 because that's the verses God gave me at the beginning of my journey and the first thing was to pray some forgiveness into the situation that is still hurting my heart. I add this here because I believe that to hear from the Lord the BEST you have to first clean your heart out so even if the Lord doesn't prompt me there are things that I will repent of and it makes an amazing difference when I put things out of my way under the blood. Then I can hear. Forgiveness and Repentance - housecleaning tools that are always on the cutting edge .

He brought to my mind three words that he had made real to me many years ago - when Larry Lea produced his teaching called Could You Not Tarry One Hour, a teaching on how to pray the Lord's prayer. I still recommend this teaching. It impacted my prayer life greatly. But it was those three words, "Lord, teach us", that have stayed with me and grown larger and larger over the years and found their way into pretty much every situation of my life.

Lord, teach me. Teach me how to live in the place of peace. Teach me how to live in a different state of normal. Teach me how to search out the treasures that are mine to find. Teach me how to communicate from a different inner place.

I've prayed those three words many times and I can think of some places that it would have been good if I HAD prayed them but didn't. What is it that you need to know how to do. I recommend these words to be placed in front of whatever challenge your life is placing before you. It's there to do you good and not harm but to walk through it the Lord's way we have to let him teach us what that way is. And then understand that the class may be short but it may also be long possibly taking years for the understanding to come. And trust that the teacher knows his student and how best to teach you.