Boxed In

This morning I was getting ready to leave for work and I saw something fly by me into the garage.  I waved my hands, thinking it was a moth or butterfly.  When I looked up, I noticed it was a small bird.  The poor bird was frantically trying to get out of the garage, but could not seem to find it's way out!  I tried to "shoo" it in the right direction, with no luck.  I finally, just closed the garage door and prayed that the bird would be ok until I got home.  I thought about the bird off and on all day while I was at work.  I was thinking to myself, how scared this little bird must be in the dark, boxed in with no way out!  When I arrived home this evening and pushed the button to open the garage, I was hoping I would find a bird flying about.  While I didn't see it fly right away, it did eventually come out from it's hiding spot.  I tried once again to "shoo" this helpless bird in the direction of freedom, but I still did not have any luck.  I went inside, but left the garage door opened so maybe, just maybe it would fly out.  My husband came home and was able to get the bird to fly to freedom.

Do you ever feel like you are trapped, boxed in, with no way out!  I know that I have several times.  You feel like giving up.  Everything and everyone seems to fight against you!  You are looking for the easy way out, but instead you find yourself running into "walls".  Do you ever stop and think that maybe that is where God wants you to be at that moment.  Probably not! I know I didn't at first!  I just threw pity parties for myself and acted like the world was coming to an end.  Sometimes, God has to "box us in" to get our attention!  Humans are so stubborn, and we think we know what is best, but really we haven't a clue.  When God is ready for you to get out of the "box" He will guide you and make sure you get out.  God is always there!  He wants what is best for you!  He knows what is best for you!  So, the next time you find yourself "boxed in", think about what God is trying to show you or have you do.  There is a reason why He chose you to be "boxed in".  Just like the bird found his way out of my garage, you will find your way too, with the help of God!

And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life. Don't think I'm being harder on you than on the others. I give this same counsel in all the churches.
1 Corinthians 7:16-18 (in Context)

Love In Christ,

Alicia

The Second Mile

Lately, the media has been focusing on all the natural disasters that have been taking place all over the United States.  You really can't escape it!  In case you haven't heard, I will give you a little recap.  A few weeks ago, the east coast had an earthquake(no, that isn't a typo; it was the EAST coast).  Then a week later got hit by a Cat. 3 hurricane(Irene).  This hurricane was different, because it didn't hit just one state and then die down, it road all the way up the east coast flooding everything in it's path from the Bahamas all the way up past New York!  This storm was mighty, producing tornadoes and flooding streets and homes.  The powerful storm shut down some of the busiest transit systems.  Thousands of lives and homes destroyed! Over labor day weekend, central Texas was fighting off brush fires.  The combination of 100 plus temperatures and no rain for what seems like forever, made a deadly combination.  The major fire started in Bastrop, over 1,000 plus homes gone.  Then fires began to pop up all over the central Texas area.  None of the fires were linked.  They were all miles apart from each other.  You could see smoke from miles away.  Major highways blocked and firefighters stretched thin.  It was horrific to see all of these disasters on the television and Internet.  Everything that has happened in the last month or so, has happened so fast and furious!  It has left me with a feeling of compassion and servitude.

I want to talk a little about going the "second mile".  We have all heard the phrase, going the extra mile, but what if we went the second mile?  Here in central Texas where I live, there have been a number of ways to help the victims, volunteers, and firefighters.  Schools opening up as shelters, churches setting up as donation stations, etc.  I decided I would donate a few bags of nonperishable foods and things.  Dropping it off I felt good about what I had done, but then I began to wonder why do we wait to go the second mile?  It seems that we can choose to go the second mile everyday, but we don't.  We only choose the second mile when a disaster arises.  The second mile is different for everyone.  Your second mile could be inviting a friend to a family get together, instead of just seeing them at school or the coffee shop.  Your second mile could be volunteering once a week at a local food bank or shelter, instead of just donating the food.  Everyone has their own "second mile", but when do you choose to use it?  God served others in so many ways and never once complained about it.  He didn't serve them when he felt like it or when there was a disaster.  He served the people day in and day out.  God created us all to have a servant heart.  He wants us to serve Him day in and day out.  We don't get to pick and choose when we want to serve.  We should always want to go the "second mile" for God!  He is the ultimate one we should serve!  The world needs people like you and me to go the second mile!  So, will you go the second mile today or wait for another disaster?

Matthew 5:41 says, "And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two."


**The events listed in the above post were the ones that have happened in the last month.  I know that there are probably other disasters that have happened in between.  All of them are equally devastating and important.  Please know that these were the ones that impacted me and therefore the ones that got posted.**

Love In Christ,

Alicia