Obedience is better than sacrifice...

So I guess you know what today is?  That's right, it's Wednesday, also known as Hump Day!  Do the Humpty-Hump, do the Humpty-Hump!   I hope the week has been kind to you; it's been a great one for me. Well, why is that?  Let me count the ways:

1) Both kids are enrolled and settled in their new schools - Amen!  The Teen was the last one, because the high school required different documentation than the middle school, go figure.  But we got him finished and settled in on Monday.  Shout out to his counselor, Mrs. Staples for being able to mirror the courses he was taking at his old school;

2) I (finally) got ALL of the internet/cable/phone issues worked out as of yesterday.  This move order turned out to be more than a notion!  Shout out to two very special technicians from AT &T who handled everything for me, including being familiar with my account and the issues BEFORE they arrived and making sure that everything was correct before they left:  Jorge and Kenneth;

3) I went downtown today for an in-person interview with a recruiter, and after a full 5 minutes (seriously, 5, no more than 7 minutes), I was selected for an upcoming project that begins Friday;

4) We are 98.5% finished with moving everything from the old house.  Yeah, I know that we started this move 3 weeks ago, but it has been slow going because we weren't completely ready (clearly) and we really only had about a week and a half to prepare for it on top of everyday schedules and no professional movers this time.  So this move has been one for the record books!  But, it is almost over!!! Now, to figure out where all of this stuff is going...; 

5) I was able to touch base with an old friend that I haven't seen or spoken with in at least 20 years on last night (we just lost touch).  That was kinda neat! 

6) I ordered my first ever December Daily kit; and

7) I have peace and joy in my world!

And not just for me, prayers for my friends have been manifested as well:

1) a friend from college who has had to undergo two hip-replacement surgeries following an accident last year is recovering nicely after both successful surgeries, still praying for you, Torry!

2) my friend who was diagnosed with cancer almost 2 years ago finished her last cycle of chemo today.  Way to go, Lisa!

3) my friend, my sister, my buddy Pam started her first full week of work on Monday!  Woo-hoo!!!

Isn't that awesome???  I think so.  I'm sure you are scratching your head and trying to figure out how this ties in with the topic for today.  And as usual, I'm glad you asked!

The times up until now have been the best of times and the worst of times (meaning the past few years). They were filled with lots of good things.  But they were also characterized by tremendous valleys and insurmountable chasms!  It has been exhausting, frankly.  There have been so many times that I just couldn't fathom why things were going so horribly wrong... 

But, I'm still here.  I've always subscribed to the theory that God hasn't brought me this far to leave me.  It's what comforted and sustained me through college, through law school, through divorce and other just bad times during my life.  But this time it didn't seem to be true, I thought He had left me this time because this time has been so very different.  

You see, this is the first time in my life I have ever endured a continuous assault; it began in December 2012 and I'm still not free of attack yet.  I mean, I prayed, I cried, I prayed some more, I cried some more, I had low-lows, I screamed, I withdrew, I shut down, I bargained, I begged and I've pleaded.  But, nothing.  Until I took action...

Remember about 6 weeks ago I wrote about being able to "hear?" This year I realized that there was so much noise going on in my life:  stuff, events, people, personal commitments and just all around busyness that I couldn't hear.  So I started clearing out the junk so I could hear.  It has definitely been a process this year, and I've lost some "friends" and other associations along the way, but it's ok, I understand that everybody can't go where I'm going.  So I'm good.  I won't lie and say that the backlash hasn't hurt, but I'm ok. That was all part of obedience.  I can hear again and I'm listening.  Listening allows me to be obedient and so I've been doing that as well, even when I don't understand it... That's the most important thing at the moment.  

Let me break it down.  There were these two huge, huge things in my world that have frankly been sucking the life out of me!  And I was giving them so much time and energy that I rarely had time for much else. And I don't mean to say that they weren't good things, in moderation, but they had taken over my life.  One of them was the thing I referred to in that prior post and I can truly say that He made things so uncomfortable for me with that situation that I had no choice but to move my feet and get far away.  I even tried to negotiate away from what He said and let's just say that it's not happening.  Full obedience... The second thing is something that I felt convicted about, but had no means to fix it.  But you know what?  Once I expressed the desire to be obedient and to have it changed, it happened. Just like that.  Now, I was not expecting it to happen so quickly or in the manner that it did, and I was blindsided just a tad, but you know what?  It has all worked out in my favor and for my good.  In letting those two situations go and allowing Him to take care of them, I exercised obedience and have regained peace and a lightness that I haven't experienced in a few years! The other thing I gained is manifestation of what happens when we trust Him.  The lesson?  He has this, so stop worrying and just do what you're told!  Now of course that doesn't mean that everything is peachy keen, of course not!  But, I'm learning not to question and to just move when He says move, no matter what the circumstance and what it looks like on the surface.  

So all of that to say this:  stop fighting what you are being told to do.  Be obedient.  Move ya feet!

I promise you that what is on the other side of obedience is better than whatever it is that you are holding onto!

So how about it - anyone else like me (translation:  a work in progress) on this faith walk thing and learning to be obedient???? Holla @ Darvi!  Be blessed...

P.S. - Friday we will start talking about the transformation of the cozy house - can't wait!!!