Here today and gone tomorrow…

I’m sure you have heard this phrase at some time in your life. We apply it to all sorts of things: seasons, gardens, jobs, and various other things.

But the greatest one that we all will have participation in is—death. I went to the memorial service of the father of a friend of mine the other day. I went to show respect and love. I hadn’t met her father, but I was soon to get a vivid picture of who the man was.

She was given the joy of sharing memories about her father; I listened intently as she began to paint a picture of a man who was a father in every aspect of the title. My mind was listening, but my heart was trying to avoid the stirring feelings as I heard her words.

Her father was an incredible person. She started with his early childhood, talking about stories he shared with her and her siblings. Some were humorous, and somehow he wondered how he made it through those years. He suffered more than his share of childhood dings and dents. His lust for life put him in precarious situations that perhaps most boys his age would have avoided. But he made it through and became a young man with new desires and dreams.

One of which was to join the military. It’s one of the often-told stories of being underage and having to have a parent sign for them—which his mother did. His father, as it turned out, wasn’t too happy about the decision.

But the military helped him grow up, and he shuffled through a mixture of jobs. Settling on driving supplies to the soldiers. It was very evident as my friend shared these stories that her father was a dedicated giver.

He found the Lord in mid-life and felt the need to serve even more. It became his lifelong pursuit. What stuck in my mind was how he treated his children. Here was a father who actually loved his children, played with them, laughed with them, and gave of himself to them.

I didn’t have such a father. To this day, whenever I see a man loving his little girl, it amazes me. Yes, most men want a son, but there is something in the eyes of a man who looks at his little girl as a prize he won in life! My friend’s father was such a man.

I came home and was surprised by the lingering feelings that followed me even into my sleep. I kept thinking—this man is gone. Not to sound morose, but he was cremated. So, I guess you could say that he isn’t completely physically gone. That’s not making light of the fact that he will never be gone because of the legacy of his life he left behind in memories with those who loved and knew him.

But what bothered me throughout the night was the fact that one day we are here and the next we are gone physically. I thought about the millions of people that I have no idea even existed.  Of course, some famous individuals did something significant enough in this world that they are still being remembered to this day. We who interacted with those who have passed away are the only ones who remember that that person existed.

Going to a funeral makes you think about who will remember you when it’s your time to leave this world. I wondered how many people lived such a solitary life that there was not a soul who remembered that they even existed. I’m sure there are cases where this happened. They were here today and gone tomorrow without a single person remembering that they too once were a living, breathing human being. I thought that no matter what the lifestyle, whether a loved friend or a lifelong hidden-from-the-world person, there is a void. But voids never last. Something always fills a void-life goes on.

Leaving this world will be the same for all of us. It will be like a door opening; we walk through it, and it closes, and we never come back. It’s the memories we make by interacting with others that, even in the smallest circle, we say we were here.

As a Christian, I know that this life is only a brief one. Whether I’m remembered by even a few, that’s not the end of me. My friend’s father laid aside his earthly housing, walked through that door, and is physically gone.

You and I will do that very same thing one day. If you don’t know the Lord, then there is a big difference between us. I have someone waiting on me to walk through the other side of that door who will welcome me home. It’s where I started, and it’s where I will eventually go back to. The Word says that we were all with Him before the foundation of the world.

You might not believe that you existed with God before you existed here. One way or the other, you will end up standing back before God.

It’s always my prayer that someone who stumbles upon my blog will be convicted of their need for salvation. Maybe today it will be you.

I bless you.

 

 

Harboring an offense…

Have you ever woken up feeling happy and ready to enjoy your day, only to get hit with an unexpected offense out of the blue? One of those things someone says or does that you were not expecting. Wham! It hits you right in that vulnerable spot that you didn’t think you still had.

As a Christian, God has done an incredible work in me. It’s taken 54 years, and there’s more work to do. No one will ever be perfect this side of Heaven. But, when I realize how much God has healed me of in my emotions and attitudes, I am SO grateful!

One of the crazy parts of what happens when we are offended is that it can be by the smallest thing. Satan comes at us and hits us in our most vulnerable spot. That one “word” spoken by someone, whether friend or foe, can turn into a festering boil inside of us.

Such was what happened to me this morning. This is going to sound silly, but it goes to show that no matter what is said or done, it can reach into us, and we find ourselves slipping from joy to mulling over an offense all day if we are not careful.

I recently made a purchase I probably shouldn’t have, on a whim. For that, I take full responsibility. But I decided to right the wrong of my spontaneous purchase and list it in the community Newsletter. Because of my love of writing, I wrote what I thought was a humorous ad that would at least bring a smile to someone’s face, even if they weren’t interested in buying the article.

I submitted it and waited in anticipation for the Newsletter to come as it does every Thursday morning. Well, here is where that sinister dart found its mark. The ad I wrote was NOT what they printed. They took my creative description and boiled it down to three lines. They might as well have said, “Dead cat for sale, call this number.” That was about as exciting, or should I say would have been more exciting.

They simply said what the item was, what I was hoping to sell it for, and a number to call. When I read it all, all I could think was, “Why?” Maybe they thought all the other descriptive additions were just for their information? Maybe they don’t consider the FOR SALE section of the Newsletter a place for anyone to display their sense of humor?

Needless to say, it stung! Now what am I supposed to do? Within a few minutes of waking up with joy and anticipation of my day with the Lord, I have now been offended, and it’s all I can think about.

Do I want to email this person and tell them exactly what they did? YES! Do I think I deserve to have my say in the matter? Yes! Will I send my poison-darted email to this person, thinking that I’ll get closure? NO! Most likely, it will cause me even more pain and humiliation when they repost my ad with their comments.

So I came here, to my safe place. But first went to the Lord asking HIM to help me forgive this person through whom the offense came. I don’t want to carry this in my heart. I rarely run into this person where I live, and don’t want the OLD Sue to rear her ugly head and be rude to them. The sad part is that the people who are doing the offending most of the time have no idea they have wounded someone.

We are told to forgive those who offend us. That’s not easy on your own. I know because for years I could dredge up offenses like a net full of fish! I can’t afford to let this continue today. As I have gotten older, the Holy Spirit has helped me let go of so many things because if I don’t, it breaks my fellowship with the Lord, and NOTHING is worth that!

My heart goes out to anyone reading this post who has been offended and has allowed it to turn into a painful, poisonous boil in their heart and mind. Please, if you know the Lord, ask Him to help you let it go. If you don’t know the Lord, then this is a good time to come to Him, and let His love and forgiveness bring salvation to your life. I can’t think of a better outcome for being offended than being turned into one of the most Glorious decisions in your life.

I bless you!

Do you know that God knits?

I am a crafter. I’ve loved all kinds of crafts, but one day the Lord asked me to narrow down my creativity. Of course, writing was no. 1. When I looked at the boxes full of unfinished crafts, I realized that I started all of them with great intentions of finishing them, but I didn’t.

But writing books has been what I go back to and complete them as God gives me the stories. So I boxed up all the many crafts and donated them to a thrift shop. It was hard to do, I have to admit. But once I decided that writing held my heart, I could give the other things away, hoping that someone would finish them and have great joy in doing so. But God finishes what he creates. He knits. Yes, he actually does knit. Here is proof of it.

Psalms 139: 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. 15 You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! 16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book! 17-18 How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I wake in the morning, you are still thinking of me!

Isn’t that amazing?! When I read this scripture, my creative mind can see God kiting every part of us. He fashioned each one of us to be uniquely perfect. When no one else had laid eyes on us, God saw every detail while He finished us. But that’s not the end of His loving attention to every detail about us.

Read this again.

How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I wake in the morning, you are still thinking of me!

Maybe you are feeling alone in your life right now. Maybe you wonder if anyone even sees you. God does!

When we become a Christian, and the Holy Spirit moves into our lives as teacher, guide, and helper, God’s focus becomes even greater. He loves being my friend. He loves spending every moment with me. I think there are times when I don’t see myself as precious or appreciate the fact that I am God's workmanship. But God continues to admire his handiwork, which I am.

Think about that. Have there been times that you made something with your own hands and stepped back and thought how perfect of a job you did? Well, that’s what God does with us. He looks lovingly at us, admiring his handiwork. God doesn’t make anything imperfect. When he fashions each one of us the way he does, he sees us as perfection.

I don’t know if God used knitting needles when He knits us, but He certainly loves what He creates. I hope today that I will look not only at myself but also at everyone I encounter and see us all as God’s handiwork.

I pray today that you will believe that God sees you right now, no matter where you are, and if you have not welcomed Him into your life, would you accept His salvation?

I bless you.

If you love to read, perhaps you would go check out what I have finished of my writing. Each book will open up the door to characters, places, and stories that God wrote through me.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Susan-Todd/author/B0082D161E?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=1ebb91f4-2949-4faf-8904-7635a841bf26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Unbelievable!!

Well, here I am at last posting something new. I’ve had a few things floating around in my mind and spirit, but never could nail any of them down until today.

Recently, I have been reediting all my books. It’s hard to open them and see that there are so many things underlined in red, especially since I thought that I had edited them so well before. I have never been a good speller and admit to not having a handle on grammar either. But that hasn’t kept me from writing.

I always thought how strange that God gave me such a desire to write a book, and yet I am so poor at being good at these two highly needed skills. I guess just admitting to my fault will help any readers to forgive my mistakes.

One of the books that I have just finished reediting again is Living in My God-Given Square.  https://www.amazon.com/stores/SusanTodd/author/B0082D161Eref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=1ebb91f4-2949-4faf-8904-7635a841bf26

It’s about my life and how the Lord has healed so many emotional hurts that I endured because of what other people deposited into my life.

I live in a Christian community, so I guess that I take it for granted that other people living here have a similar relationship with the Lord as I do. Believe me, I am NOT perfect, nor do I think that my relationship with God lacks more work. God will never be through with any of us until we step into Heaven.

I guess when I’ve had the opportunity to share things about my life with someone I’ve met here, I’m amazed at how quizzically they look at me. I realize even more the difference when they say that they have never had any experiences with the Lord, as I have.

I know the real truthful answer to that is maybe they aren’t as NEEDY as I am. I have always needed the Lord. If it wasn’t for Him, I don’t know how I’d have made it this far in life. Reediting this book has been a reminder of just how much God has changed me. I was such an emotional mess. Day after day, the same old records ran around in my head over and over. I could remember every word that person said to me, even down to what they were wearing and where we were at the time. Sometimes I truly believed that I would go crazy and have to be committed somewhere.

All I wanted was to be normal. But what is normal? I don’t think I’ve ever run into a normal person. There have been times when I envied a person’s life just because they weren’t plagued with my problem and never had been. But today, as I have an occasion to meet new people and, within a few minutes of talking to them, I see that their problem might not be the same as mine, but they are still dragging around baggage from their struggles.

God is no respecter of persons. I am not a special case. (Although I am the Apple of God’s eye!) But so are you. How He can make each one of us feel that we are His special child, I don’t know. But I was never anyone’s special person growing up and years into my adult life. Other than God, having the love of my son has made me feel special. I know that he loves me and that I love him beyond words. So many parents are estranged from their children or at least one child, and I can’t even imagine how that feels. I have been so blessed with my relationship with my son. Because of that, the hurt in the eyes of another person who doesn’t even know where their child is, let alone have any communication with them, leaves me saddened.

I hope that will be one of the first things God does when he brings a renewal and revival to the world one last time before He comes back. When I think about how God must feel right now, being separated from one of his children for whatever reason, and it being compounded over thousands of times—goes beyond my imagination. Not to mention people who have never accepted His love and forgiveness. Having to watch these people every day, knowing that He can help them and change their lives, and they refuse Him over and over.

If you know the Lord and what He has done for you, take a moment to thank Him for all He has done for you.  But if you are still running from Him, thinking that you don’t need God, I pray that today something will cause you to stop, acknowledge God, ask for forgiveness, and step into your New God-Given Square! What a glorious thing will happen to you!

 

I bless you

Step up to my soapbox.

I’ve never considered myself to be one who made resolutions every year, mainly because I knew that I wasn’t going to keep them. My main concern about the New Year was always that my birthday is January 5^th. There have been a few years when turning another year older bothered me, but not many. This year, I did the same thing I always do—I forgot to add a year. I was born on January 5, 1949. So when I start counting up the years, I completely forget to add in that first year. I know, I know, what you think.

Consequently, once again this year, all of a sudden, a whole year flashed past my eyes. I went from thinking I was turning 76, but no, I’m 77. Ugh. It isn’t being 77 that bothers me, it's that mental block that irritates me. How can someone not know how old they are?

Also, while I’m on my soapbox, I need to take my own advice from the last posting. Because I’m not a resolution maker, for some reason this year, I’ve been flooded with thoughts about things I need to change this year. I can’t do any of this. My mind has insisted on keeping the list that I refused to put down on paper; it keeps getting longer.

My health is the biggest—biggie.

Trying to find a good gluten-free lifestyle?

Find a healthy remedy for sleep?

Try to extend my life through better habits all the way around?

Get back to writing more.

BUT HOW???!!!

So, yes, I have become overwhelmed. What is overwhelming me most of all is the mindset that I’m destined to fail in all categories. So, the Lord sweetly told me to go back and read my own last posting and follow my own advice. He’s always right. Instead of beating myself up and running in circles, I need to STOP! There is only ONE thing I need to do, and I can't even do that. Years ago, the Lord spoke this phrase to me during one of my frustrating times of life (of which there have been many). He said,

“Susan, let me let you let me.”

He said this because when I boiled it all down in my head, I had said, “Lord, I can't even do that! I can’t even let you help me.”

When I heard that phrase, I realized that where I needed to start was to hand over my—let-er. So, I’m asking the Lord once again to help me start there, by admitting that I have to depend on Him to even help let me let Him let me. I know it sounds confusing, but if you’re struggling with realizing that to ask God to help you, you can’t even do that without His help.

We humans are so annoying. I don’t know how God stands us. But He does more than that, He LOVES us UNCONDITIONALLY.

I stopped spinning my wheels today, laid it all down, and in prayer told the Lord that He already knew that these struggles would come. I’ll start this journey with my own advice. I’ll seek Him FIRST, and all these things will be added to me.

I even stopped the mental list-making. God knows what and where I need to start after seeking Him first. I felt relieved. Like the self-inflicted burden was lifted off my shoulders.

Now, every morning when I wake up and say, “Good morning, Lord.” I’ll ask Him to direct my path. All my life, since becoming a Christian, He has never failed, not once, to direct my path until I’ve found myself sitting right here in this apartment in Florida. I’m sure along the way, no, let me rephrase that, I’m POSITIVE he had to use some very strong prodding methods to get me back on the path when I had ventured off it.

My heart is so overwhelmed right now with a sense of His love and forgiveness. I don’t know what I’d do without Him.

Once again, I’d encourage you to reconsider seeking God’s salvation message if you are not a believer. One day, and I think it's coming soon, life as we know it will end. You don’t want to be one of those people who will realize that there is a God and you were wrong. That you’ll be staring eternity in the face and hear the most devastating thing any man or woman can hear God say, “Depart from me for I never knew you.”

God does know you, after all, he created you. What He’s saying is you, and He did not have a relationship.

So, please reconsider accepting the Lord.

I bless you.