And just like that, it’s over.

I was about to sit down and work on one of my books, (yes, I write books. I’ll leave a link below.)

Oh, my, my, my, the Lord sure teaches me so many practical lessons. I just finished writing this post and clicked on another page without saving all that I wrote and—Poof—it's gone—just like that! I think God also has a very rich sense of humor.

I was writing about how later in the day yesterday after the eclipse, it felt as though nothing had happened. There was so much hype around the event then it lasted only a few minutes and it was all over. Everyone went back to their lives I’m sure just as I did.

Later that night it felt strange that the sun had come back out, life went back to normal just as though nothing had happened. I have a very grainy picture in my Gallery but other than that there was not one slight difference in the rest of my day. I knew I’d experienced a phenomenon and could now say that I had witnessed an eclipse but that was it. I’m sure all the scientists in the world would beg to differ. I’m sure they have a whole pack of evidence that they are pouring over today.

My other point that I so carelessly deleted, was that I’m not good at waiting. I’m quite bad at it. Today as I sat down to write I was a bit anxious and even might add, sad. I’m not sure why. I’m waiting for a new part of my life to come but today I'm on the waiting side of it.

Unlike the eclipse, I do have a whole lot of evidence about the things that God has changed in my life. I know that I am not the same person. I know that there are things that I don’t think or do anymore. I know that I waited on the changes and one day I turned the corner, and everything became new.

The same thing is going to happen with what I'm waiting on today. One day I’ll say, “And just like that, it's over.” There is nothing like answers to prayer. The time praying is often long and can even add some sad days, but when that answer comes—Hallelujah!

Just like this post today, I spent time writing it, and then just like that it was gone, and I had to decide if I’d forget it and go write something else or discipline myself to not give up and start over. As you can see I chose the latter. That’s one of those things that’s not easy for me. But I’m growing every day in the Lord. I love when there's evidence that I can see of changes in my life. When some of the things that used to bring my life to a standstill are no longer a part of my life—that’s a reason to rejoice!

I hope that as you read my simple blog posts you will find something encouraging to take with you into your life. And even more importantly anything bothering you right now, know that one day you will also be able to say, “And just like that, it’s over.”

I bless you.

Here is the link on Amazon, I’d appreciate it if you took a look at all my books. I’d appreciate it even more if one of them catches your eye and you purchase it.

https://www.amazon.com/Making-Dexter-Bridgestokes-Bequeath-ebook/dp/B0CSXGMNCZ

 

A need to stop beating a dead horse and the big - BUT.

How often have you had something stuck in your mind? Sometimes I wake up with a word or thought on my mind and it hounds me until I sit down and think about what’s going on with me. That's what I'm doing now.

One of my faults is always thinking that I’m the only one with what I struggle with. I have very little interaction with people daily right now, (I hope that will change soon.) So naturally it's more likely that I deal with myself and myself as confidants.

Let’s start with the phrase, stop beating a dead horse. You’d think that action wouldn’t need any encouragement at all. Who in their right mind would keep beating a dead horse expecting it to get up?

We might not be actually beating a horse, but if you are like me and I’m going to believe that you are, we do this. Sometimes it’s like a broken record. And while I’m at it, they say that doing the same thing over and over expecting different results is insanity. Now most of us are not really insane as the definition of insanity suggests but I think a lot more people than would admit—follow this pattern in their life.

I added in the BUT, because there is always one. My, BUT is, when I keep beating a mental dead horse, I know better. BUT thank the Good Lord that I finally do sit down and deal with whatever it is that is creating all those mental flies in my life. And we all know what draws flies—garbage.

There are so many things that people struggle with, whether of their own making or by others that are completely unnecessary. If it is just my own shortcomings that I’m being convicted about to either start to do better or stop doing altogether, then that’s the easier of two. BUT what is genuinely crazy, is trying to get someone else to change. Yes, dear reader, let’s have a time of confession before we continue. That’s something I do think I’m not the only one who does it.

How many times have you asked someone to stop doing something or to PLEASE do something? If you are like me you walk off more frustrated after encountering these individuals than you were to begin with.

So let’s go back to that picture of someone beating a dead horse. They can beat it until they fall over and join the horse, and NOTHING is going to change; other than both are now dead. That horse is not going to get up. As bystanders, we could all see that the person doing the beating has a problem—not the horse. It’s dead.

So why do we as humans do this? I have to ask myself during one of my self-conversations, “Why am I going over this same ground every day?”

I can give me, myself, and I some grace because I don’t do it as often or as long anymore. Maybe it's getting older and just not having the mental or physical strength to keep beating a dead horse situation. The other thing that I think helps is running out of time.

Boy, oh boy, if I had all the time back that I spent fuming over my own shortcomings or those of someone else, I’d have many more years of life added to me. But sadly we can’t get back those years that we wish we hadn’t given so many of them to beating dead horses.

That good old—hindsight- is another part of this posting. Can’t we all look back to some time in our lives and wish that we had done things differently?

As I write I see this common boat filling up with other people who just might have some of the same issues I struggle with. I am not the only one. Thankfully there is a boat that we can all get into when our Titanic begins to sink.  

Maybe my honesty is a fault, but I’d rather be honest than be the opposite. Some people are so closed off that you never know what they are thinking. What a merry-go-round of emotions we can get caught up in if we are not careful.

BUT, hear is the glorious silver lining, knowing the Lord. I know that there is help for me. I know that I don’t have to struggle with my problems alone. I might never understand the reasons why things happen or what people do that I can’t change, but I do know this—having the Lord in my life is the most important part of my life.

So today, I’m going to walk away from one of my dead horses and get on with something more productive. And I am the only one who can make the changes in my life with God's help. That might be the first dead horse you are beating. If you got up today trying to deal with all your problems alone and God isn't a source you believe in, stop reading right here and give God room to speak to you. 

We are only given one life to deal with. It’s not up to us to try and change another person or ourselves—only God can do that. When I woke up today with my current issues already racing across my mind, I came here to make this post. I know what to do today. I know where to go for the help I need in my life to change these old mental habits. I have no one to blame but me, myself, and I if I continue to get out my whip and beat my dead horse.

I hope my being honest helps any reader in some small way. If nothing else, if the main horse you are beating is that you think that you are the only one, let me assure you that you are not. In assuring you, I’m assuring myself.

We are not the only ones.

I bless you.