We are told to have long term and short term goals.  It is also wise to have each day planned out.  For some people they have months planned and even the year planned and written down.  What happens when suddenly unexpected changes occur?  Is there any space or allowance for delays or changes?  Perhaps that is where some people lose their control, because they did not allow for anything to change their plans. 

In my life I have found that it is best to be flexible.  The higher responsibility you have on a job, the more you must allow for sudden changes.  Those refuse to accept changes are the ones who look for a bar or fast food place to help them cope with the situation.  Some people take the change so difficultly, they go to extremes of doing harm to someone or taking their own life.

I could write three books easily about the past several months of my life.  I lost count on how many sudden changes I have had.  I was sure that my life was so set in motion where I was and what I was doing, and BOOM! - SUDDEN changes.  Why?  It was because God spoke to me and commanded me to go to the states for a certain purpose.  Was it something that I wanted to do?  No!  The Bible says that His sheep hear His voice.  I find it interesting that it doesn’t say that a lamb hears His voice, but it says that His sheep hear His voice.  Since I got saved at the age of six, I certainly cannot be considered a lamb now. 

There are times when problems are happening in individuals’ lives, then He suddenly directs you to go help them.  You don’t see yourself as someone who can help in their situation, but suddenly He chooses you as the person to go.  At that time you look around you and feel you are more needed where you are, but then you realize that He has told you to go to another land for a specific purpose.

As you leave so quickly from where you are, you begin to feel that you are being turned upside down because you are going where you didn’t plan to go.  You are to do something that you have never done before.  It seems that everything in life is turned upside down, even though you have the assurance that God is in control.

When you begin your journey, not knowing what to do, it is at that time God says to you, “This is not your battle, but it is Mine.  You must wait on My strategy.  You must only speak and do as I direct you.”  As each day progresses with various scenarios and situations arising, you feel yourself being turned inside out.  It is at that time your true character begins to show as the battle gets hotter.  Also, at that time your patience, longsuffering, joy, peace and love are all put through the fiery tests.  You begin to wonder if you can hold on or not.  Joy and peace begin to seem so far away as each day brings new challenges.  It is at that time the reminder comes, “It is not your battle, but Mine.  Trust Me.”

What is so very beautiful in serving the Lord is how He allows us to be stretched, turned upside down and inside out in order to show what is really inside of us.  It is so amazing how He then puts us back together and we are better than ever before.  In cleaning clothes it is sometimes necessary to turn garments inside out in order to get them completely clean.  Some need to be hung upside down in order to have the slacks dry without wrinkles.  Do you suppose that might be the purpose in our being turned upside down and inside out?  It is only in those times when those areas that are untouched, finally show up in order to be gotten rid of.  On the other hand, there may be wrinkles in our lives that we need to be rid of.

I am sure that many people in the Old Testament felt when they were being tested that their lives were being turned upside down and inside out.  You are no exception to how God wants to work in your life.  He will do it His way.

Just take a moment and put on your jacket.  Now take it off and turn it inside out.  How does it look? Would you want to wear it like that?  No, you wouldn’t.  Since the Word says that God looks on our heart and people see our outward appearance, we must realize that God wants us to be free in our daily lives.  We know that He sees everything inside of us, thus He turns us inside out in order for us to be changed.  Sometimes the purpose for us to feel that we have been turned upside down is so we are not so confident in our own standing, but instead we will lean on Him and depend on Him.  It is so easy to gain much knowledge and then have such strong confidence in what we know.  We must have our confidence in Who He is, not in who we are.

We say that we want miracles to happen in our lives, but we must realize that God uses those times that don’t make sense to our intellect.  He suddenly directs you to do something that doesn’t make sense.  It is at that moment He wants to do a miracle.  I am always reminded of who Jesus was on His way to a place when suddenly a woman touched the hem of His garment.  In that moment, she was healed.  Often as He was going to a destination, but people were healed and delivered as He went.

When He commissioned the Church He instructed them to “Go, Preach, Teach and as you go Heal the sick and Cast out the demons.” 

Have you ever been on your way to some place, but suddenly interrupted by someone who needed help?  What did you do?  Whenever Jesus was on His way to a place and was interrupted, He healed the sick, raised the dead, and set the captives free. 

What is God wanting to do in your life that He has turned you upside down and inside out?  It is only at such a vulnerable state in which we find that special place in Him.  When everything that feels comfortable and secure seems turned upside down and inside out, we lean heavier on Jesus our Lord. And Savior.

Join with me singing, “Leaning, leaning safe and secure from all alarm.  Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.”

                                                                                                                                 sDc

11/15/07

The other night our phone rang just before midnight.  I was in the middle of teaching Lori, our daughter-in-law, how to change the special Japanese paper doors called “fusuma”.  We had everything spread out in the middle of the floor to measure the roll of paper and cut it to fit the eight doors.  I just couldn’t imagine who would be calling at that particular time of night.  I finally got up off the floor and into the other room, as the phone seemed to continue ringing.  As I picked it up and said, “Hello”, I heard “Grandma!  I love my bag!”  I was not sure who I was hearing because it surprised me.  Then our almost 4 year old little Jayli said again, “GRANDMA!  This is Jayli.  I love my bag!” Ooooooooooooooooh my!  All the tiredness left my body and new life seemed to flow inside me.  This was my granddaughter from America.

It didn’t matter to Jayli that I had purchased her little things in a 100 Yen store for only 85 cents each.  I had put them in a cute little 85 cent bag.  I hadn’t even mailed them from Japan because of the postage being expensive, but our friends had taken them to the states to mail from their home.  None of those details mattered to her or our other granddaughters.  They were just thrilled that Grandma had sent something.  As each of the girls took turns thanking me and saying how they missed me and loved me, my heart filled up more and more with their love.

 Isn’t it interesting how our love tanks are affected by others?  It is not the cost or even the beauty, but it is just the love with which we do things.  I didn’t need a present from the girls in return, but all I needed was to simply hear their voices saying, “Grandma, I love you!”  As I asked the second one, Julianne, what kinds of things would she like for me to send next, she paused a minute.  She then said, “Grandma, I don’t want anything but for you to come so I can hug you.  I miss you so much.”  After such a phone call, I was ready to work all night.  My love tank had certainly been filled to the brim and felt like it was running over.