My family and I were just recently on vacation. We had a wonderful stay in a rental home, and enjoyed visiting family and sightseeing in Florida. Everything seemed picture perfect. Seriously. But, something happened that could have stollen my peace away.
I received a phone call from the host of our rental home accusing my family of damage done at the home. I listened to the voicemail in utter surprise. I was completely taken off guard. My husband and I looked over the home throughly before we left, and we did not notice anything amiss from the home’s original condition, and I called the host back to tell him exactly that. Well, then he blamed my children…uh oh! Activate mama bear mode! I did my best to keep myself calm and speak clearly (the little angel on my shoulder with my mother’s voice helped), but now my children were being weighed in the balance and that was not okay.
There were multiple things “wrong” with the home when we arrived. But, nothing out of the ordinary: chipped paint, a broken light, loose molding, etc. It was our first time renting, and we thought the owners would be fully aware of the condition of their home.
After hanging up the phone, I corresponded the rest of the time through e-mail. (Another little angel with the voice of a friend told me to keep record of our conversations.) I sent an email inquiring on whether or not we needed to seek legal help, and then the responses stopped coming.
In the meantime, we were at a public pool with my grandparents. I was feeling on edge about the correspondence with the rental home, and I was hyper-sensitive to anything involving judgement or critique. Well, having an uptight lifeguard at the pool seemed to magnify those feelings. Rules. Rules. Rules. I could feel myself getting internally defensive. I mean, we had four children and four adults, but their were still a couple remarks made to me about watching my children.
I was feeling criticized in two directions, and I was becoming fearful—fearful of making a wrong move, saying the wrong thing, breathing the wrong way. And, I wasn’t carrying that fear for just me. I was carrying it for all of my children too. It was then that I realized my inner tension was causing me to disconnect from the moments I was living. I wasn’t fully enjoying the precious gift of time that had been freely given to me. I was too focused on the accusations that I wasn’t seeing all of blessings.
My mind traced back to when my husband and I were first talking through the instance regarding the rental. While we were talking my little one snuck up behind her daddy. But, our focus was on the problem and not in the present. My husband stepped back, unaware of my daughter’s presence, and she tumbled over.
Lyrics from a song my mother wrote flew to my mind as I watched my husband pick her up and whisper goodness into her ear: “The Oppressor wants us down, but Jesus is the lifter of our heads.”
Inhale, Cheyenne. Lift your head. Be attentive to the blessing. Be thankful.
I asked God on the way back from the pool if I was handling everything the right way. Did I need to be apologetic and forgiving, even for something we didn’t do? As I meditated on the life of Christ I was reminded of how Christ took on the sins of the world. He willingly accepted the consequences of things he didn’t do! He paid the price.
As my mind encircled the amazing grace of our God and forgiveness, I could sense the Holy Spirit pulling me into a different direction. Focus.
Heart set. Mind set. Eyes set.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”
Isaiah 26:3 NKJV
There are so many things happening around me, and especially away from me, that are attempting to steal what’s in front of me. God has given me a gift of time—the now and the present. Accusations, judgement, and a list of every wrong thing I’ve ever done (or haven’t done) will fight to steal that gift away from me. But, love keeps no record of wrongs. (1 Corinthians 13:5) And, when I live in the ever present gift of God’s perfect love I can live in His abundant freedom (notice that I didn’t say careless, selfish or irresponsible freedom). Most importantly, my focus can be exactly where it needs to be.
“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
Colossians 3:2 NKJV
The “everythings” that are happening in the world—the accusations, the quarrels, the loveless critiques, the unjust judgements—are all distractions from my focus. And, what is my focus? It’s the “now” of where God has placed me. It’s the people that surround me. It’s the arms width, the next step, the immediate surroundings. It’s what’s directly in front of me.
I’m not supposed to invest the energies of my body, mind, soul, and spirit into every single problem this world has to offer. If I do that I am almost guaranteed to loose my peace. After all, Christ has overcome the tribulations this world has to offer. And, in Him I am made an overcomer.
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NKJV
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
I John 5:4 NKJV
Alignment. Focus. Clarity. Peace. These are all words that connect. They link arms to form a wall (perhaps a shield) of faith that blots out the accusations of demonic voices. It silences the Oppressor.
It’s time for me to focus. It’s time for me to pay attention to what’s right in front of me. It’s time for me to be thankful and aware of the goodness of God that surrounds me. The here and the now.
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9 NKJV
Comments