I can see I did some interesting “doodles” last year. This one cracked me up then and cracks me up now.  However, it is a wonderful reminder to me right now–it reminds me that I need to keep disciplining my focus to be on spiritual things, on God, and everything will fall into place.  When I don’t do that I become a dried up sour sponge spewing concerns and stinking up the lives of other people. Here are some of the thoughts that inspired this doodle,

Disciplining yourself to dwell on God during your day empowers you to manage the rest of life without a care–besides, you’ll “smell” much better and be more useful to others.

Our spirit hungers for more and more.  It is the way we are built.  We are designed with a great capacity for God, but sin, our own individuality, and wrong thinking keep us from getting to Him.  God delivers us from sin–we have to deliver ourselves from our individuality. . .

. . . We must see to it that we aid and assist God, and not stand against Him by saying, “I can’t do that.”  God will not discipline us; we MUST DISCIPLINE OURSELVES. . . Stop listening to the tyranny of your individual natural life and win freedom into the spiritual life.

“If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed”–free to the very core of your being; free from the inside to the outside. . . . —Oswald Chambers

Dwelling on God seems so contrary to our human nature, after all, there are groceries to get, dogs to walk, jobs to get or keep . . . the list can go on.  It’s impractical to think about God all day–or is it?  You can only take the step that’s right in front of you, right?  If I TRULY believed that God is in the details then I don’t have to worry about all the steps up ahead, I just need to listen to His voice as He guides me through the day . . .”This is the way, walk in it . . .”

As I’ve been trying to discipline my days like this it feels weird to not have frantic thoughts floating through my head.  It all started a few years ago.  I was working on the not so pleasant part of a faux finishing job–the prep work–and having a bad attitude.  I remember a very distinct thought float through my mind, “Enjoy/live in each moment, stop anticipating the end product or the next step all the time”.

I’m sure I don’t have to explain to you what racing thoughts are like and how difficult it is to discipline them.  That can easily be my way of life, but I’m choosing today to be like a child jumping through puddles in the rain of life, disciplining myself to put my cares in God’s hands and sing at the top of my lungs, “Count your many blessings name them one by one . . . “.   Yes, I will be responsible, I will listen for the next step God has for me throughout the day, but I choose to drop my “umbrella of control” and not to be a sour sponge.  I want to be a sweet smelling sponge dripping joy and hope wherever I go.  Want to be a puddle jumper with me?