Success

 If I was to ask you what the meaning of success is to you, what would you say?

Some people tend to see success as the job you hold or the big bank account. They may see it as being famous, or having the perfect family. For some success is defined by our ability to either juggle all the demands of life or control what happens in our lives.

  The true meaning of success comes is in our friendship with God and how deep we trust Him. 

I have learned this firsthand. I’m a very motivated person and I try to give 100% in all that I do. I was raised to strive for perfection and that is what I do.  However, there came a time in my life when I had to let go of trying to make success happen and start being available to what God had for me. That meant setting aside my desires and waiting on his timing. 

I remember wanting a career and wanting things that just never seemed to happen like I wanted and the timing was never right. I was at home taking care of the girls and my family. I loved being with them and I would never take the time I had with them for granted. However , I wanted a career and I wanted to do things for me too. To which God said "Not yet."

I had to wait for God's timing. This meant waiting on God to lead me in the right direction. Once my children grew up God began to open the doors for me. I went back to school and started a career. I finally had the desires of my heart. Now I have a career and I feel so blessed to have the job I do.

When we surrender our hearts to him our cry can then be “Here I am, God. Use me however You choose.”

I don't know about you but for me I would sooner be in control and for me to reach a place of surrender is a challenge.

The good news is once you surrender it takes the pressure off of success. You no longer have to be responsible for it. You can focus on being faithful to God, he will handle the success part.  You will then be able to reap the blessings of everything that he is doing in you and through you.

Jeremiah 29:11 says

"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

He is the one who can be trusted with all of our dreams and desires. When we surrender control it will increase our trust and we can take comfort in knowing that he will work all things for what is best for us. 

Driving in the Fog

 

Have you ever had to drive in the fog?  I had to go into town a couple of weeks ago. It was foggy and I had to drive through fog at times that was so thick that I could only see my headlights a few feet in front of my car. Although I knew where I was going, I still felt a little unsure and fearful because I did not know what was instore for me up ahead. What if there’s an accident that I can’t see? What if the road turns and I miss it? What if there’s a dear or an animal in the road?

When driving in the fog the high beams that are suppose to help you to see far makes the situation worse in the fog. You have to slow to a crawl just so you can feel safe and secure while moving forward. You need to take your time in order to get to your destination safety. Sometime you need to accept that you aren’t going to get to your location on time.

Driving in the fog is a lot like Faith. It’s dangerous at times. It requires us to slow down and pay attention to everything. We don’t always see what’s right in front of us. It gets revealed to us little by little. God wants us to slow down and to make each move with determination. He doesn’t want us to get in a hurry. He has a time and purpose for everything. As we rush through things, that's when accidents happen. We have to trust that we will get to where he wants us to be in his timing. His timing is right. I don't know about you but that’s one of the hardest parts of being in a fog for me. We have our own ideas of when we want to get where he wants us to be and we try to get there as quickly as possible.

I’m learning just how important the journey is. It’s not always about getting to the destination. The fog, the slow times and the detours are all part of God’s purpose for our lives. They build our faith and give us the reason that we need so that we are ready when we finally do arrive. I’ve seen how the slow times and the hard times in my life have prepared me for where I am today. I know that as the time goes on, God will give me a better perspective during the foggy times.

Sometimes God uses foggy and uncertain times in our lives to draw us closer to him. This allows us to trust him more.
When we keep our eyes focused on him in the midst of the fog, He can then be like a good set of fog lights and penetrate  through the darkest parts of our lives.

When I am uncertain and afraid I know that I did not rely on my headlights to see what was ahead. I know that when I do not use God’s lights to light each step of the path as I take them one by one. It is easy to get frustrated. 

When your vision is clouded by the fog of life. It’s hard to slow down and wait. I understand completely. I’m a person who likes to move. I like the sense of accomplishment I feel when I get to my intended destination. That’s what’s comfortable to me. Taking a detour and a route I’m unfamiliar with isn’t comfortable. Slowing down isn’t easy. Taking in the journey isn’t what’s natural for me, but it’s in those times that I trust God the most. It’s on the detours that I learn more about who God is and who He wants me to be. It’s when I slow down and take life one step at a time that my vision really becomes clear. I don’t have to worry about tomorrow or my destination. God wants me to be in the moment.

Maybe you’re like me and you don’t like it when you can’t see very far ahead of you. We can learn a lot when life gets foggy. Don’t panic because you can’t see into the future. Don’t let fear of the unknown consume you. God knows your future better than we ever could. He sees through the fog and will guide us. Trust Him completely with each step. 

This uncertainty that comes from not knowing helps to grow our faith and it also builds our relationship with our heavenly father.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says
"He makes all things beautiful in his time."

So...take your time and don’t rush to get past it.  Trust in him and he will use the foggy moments to get you where you need to be on time and at the right moment.