Thursday, September 24, 2015

Get out of Neutral, Back her Up, and Move Forward!



She sat across from me concerned for her future and said, “Mrs. Loyd, I don’t have any money for college. I know I haven’t done my best these last three years, but I really want to make something of my life. Where do I start?”  Sweet, sweet words to this ole gal!

“Get yourself out of neutral, back up and let’s go!” We began to look backwards to go forward. After a few decisions written down to help her see how to get her grade point average up, where to go to register for the next ACT and how to get up early enough before school to meet God for prayer and Bible study, she asked me with a startled face, “But Mrs. Loyd, you never told me how to get some money for college. Four years is a long time. I don’t have any money!”

“How much money do you need?”

“I don’t know and that’s just it!”

“Well, if you don’t know, then what is the next step?” I am now beginning to see more than I wanted to and was somewhat frustrated with her. “Where is your laptop? Go online, look at the college’s website and go from there. Then, I will help you with the rest. Deal?”

“Deal, and then you’ll help me find some money?”

“Right, but YOU are going to do as I say. Understand?”

She stared at me and I said, “All you need is enough money for the first semester and a working plan for the next semester. No one says you have to have all four years paid for up front, and even with that, who said you have to do this in four years?”

Off she went once we cleared up a few other mysteries in her life, made a “to do list” while I scheduled her for another appointment for the following week.  I could have told her more about scholarships, grants, etc. but SHE needed to dig for herself and feel like she was part of the solution.

God holds in His hands EVERYTHING!!! There we are shooting off at the mouth asking Him how in the world will I ever be able to do whatever, with the nothing that I have, and the “no help” that seems to be constant in my life?

Php 2:14 ¶ Do all things without murmurings and disputings,

It is time to take ourselves out of neutral. We get stuck and even as believers we can find ourselves just like this senior girl while the answer is right before us. Moving out of neutral may mean moving backwards to take care of some matters. What baggage is dragging you down? Look behind you and ask God to help you eliminate some of it. He is not going to do it for you. He sees the answer, but YOU and I are responsible to act on what we already know, don’t you agree?

We do things sometimes without a plan. We have all these responsibilities and we can’t just open up our desk drawer and dump them in, close it and move on. I have learned from listening to some good counsel that a positive attitude and good work habits are key essentials in the success of ANYTHING!

Your house is a mess. Clean one room. Just get started. Energy comes many times while cleaning. You know it is the truth. Before you go to bed, do a mental sweep through the house and then pick up “stuff”, put away “stuff” doing the best you can to be ready for breakfast the next morning. It is a rule in my house that nothing is to be left on the dining room table. Difficult to do, but not impossible….. Get out of neutral, back up and get her going!

I just can’t make it to Sunday night church services. I’m too tired. Isn’t it funny how we find time to go to a ball game, travel out of state, take care of grandchildren, leave early on Friday to be gone all day Saturday, but when Sunday nights arrive, we are too tired. I think it hurts our God when other things take precedence over church attendance.  Change the attitude and thank God out loud that you actually have a church that is open on Sunday nights! Confession time folks…..just do it! Get out of the habit, back up and get her going!

My body aches. Do you know I can’t think of one person at this moment that has a perfect body! Go visit someone in your church who is sick. I’m serious! It’s time we quit complaining and get moving with a better attitude. Complaining is a habit that can only be broken by confession to our Lord and then swapping out the bad complaining spirit with the Words of Jesus Christ flowing from our lips. You know it is the truth. Get out of yourself, back up and get her going!

The list can go on and on and on like the pink bunny, can’t it, but I think you get the picture. We are ALL guilty of slacking off but slackness will infect that sore that may keep you from healing and being used of God. We don’t want to become lukewarm and good for nothing.

Re 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Everything we need is in God’s hands. EVERYTHING! We just may need to get out of neutral, back up, confess, to move forward faster than we ever dreamed we could!

Until next time, Lord willing.
Sharon

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