Seeking Wisdom

Seeking wisdom to know what is the best path for us to take can take a long time, can be frustrating, can be complex when you get mixed signals or a variety of suggestions, and can take a toll on the body physically and emotionally.  How do we know we are following God’s plan for us?  How do we know we are making the correct decisions?

Since my physical pain hasn’t decreased I have been thinking and praying on what God could possibly be calling me to do.  First, I had to take an assessment of myself, of what I am able and unable to do.  I can no longer do the types of jobs I have worked for the past 18 years since they would involve standing constantly.  Then I had to dig deep down inside me to figure out what I enjoy, love to do, and have a passion for that I would like to have as a career.  Third, I had to make sure my plan is feasible.

After thinking and praying lots and lots I have decided that I want and need to go back to college.  I have decided that I want to major in journalism and theology.  I have a number of credits already so depending on whether I attend school full-time or part-time it should only take me at most 2 years to finish my degree.

Now I have to apply to colleges.  I have two in mind – Duquesne University and Franciscan University.  Duquesne is much closer but I’m not sure how many of my credits they will accept.  Franciscan is about 45 minutes to an hour from where I live but I would only have to commute their 2 or 3 times a week.  Plus, most if not all of my credits would be accepted there. I already have an associate degree and additional credits from Franciscan.  I am going to apply to both and see what happens. It’s in God’s hands.

In praying to the Father, Son, and Holy spirit for guidance God sent me to this scripture passage:

Wisdom 7: 7-12

Therefore I prayed, and prudence was given me;

I pleaded and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.

I preferred her to scepter and throne,

And deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,

nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;

Because all gold, in view of her, is a bit of sand,

and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.

Beyond health and beauty I loved her,

And I chose to have her rather than the light,

because her radiance never ceases.

Yet all good things together came to me with her,

and countless riches at her hands;

I rejoiced in them all, because Wisdom is their leader,

though I had not known that she is their mother.

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Lord, that was close

Job 36: 1-33 (NASB)

Elihu Speaks of God’s Dealings with Men

36 Then Elihu continued and said,

² “Wait for me a little, and I will show you

That there ^[a]is yet more to be said in God’s behalf.

³ “I will fetch my knowledge from afar,

And I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

⁴ “For truly my words are not false;

One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵ “Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any;

He is mighty in strength of understanding.

⁶ “He does not keep the wicked alive,

But gives justice to the afflicted.

⁷ “He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;

But with kings on the throne

He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.

⁸ “And if they are bound in fetters,

And are caught in the cords of affliction,

⁹ Then He declares to them their work

And their transgressions, that they have magnified themselves.

¹⁰ “ He opens their ear to instruction,

And commands that they return from evil.

¹¹ “If they hear and serve Him,

They will end their days in prosperity

And their years in pleasures.

¹² “But if they do not hear, they shall ^[b]perish by the sword

And they will die without knowledge.

¹³ “But the godless in heart lay up anger;

They do not cry for help when He binds them.

¹⁴ “^[c]They die in youth,

And their life perishes among the cult prostitutes.

¹⁵ “He delivers the afflicted in ^[d]their affliction,

And opens their ear ^[e]in time of oppression.

¹⁶ “Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distress,

Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;

And that which was set on your table was full of ^[f]fatness.

¹⁷ “But you were full of judgment on the wicked;

Judgment and justice take hold of you.

¹⁸ “Beware that wrath does not entice you to scoffing;

And do not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.

¹⁹ “Will your ^[g]riches keep you from distress,

Or all the forces of your strength?

²⁰ “Do not long for the night,

When people ^[h]vanish in their place.

²¹ “Be careful, do not turn to evil,

For you have preferred this to affliction.

²² “Behold, God is exalted in His power;

Who is a teacher like Him?

²³ “Who has appointed Him His way,

And who has said, ‘ You have done wrong’?

²⁴ “Remember that you should exalt His work,

Of which men have sung.

²⁵ “All men have seen it;

Man beholds from afar.

²⁶ “Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him;

The number of His years is unsearchable.

²⁷ “For He draws up the drops of water,

They distill rain from ^[i]the ^[j]mist,

²⁸ Which the clouds pour down,

They drip upon man abundantly.

²⁹ “Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds,

The thundering of His ^[k]pavilion?

³⁰ “Behold, He spreads His ^[l]lightning about Him,

And He covers the depths of the sea.

³¹ “For by these He judges peoples;

He gives food in abundance.

³² “He covers His hands with the ^[m]lightning,

And commands it to strike the mark.

³³ “Its noise declares ^[n]His presence;

The cattle also, concerning what is coming up.

I happen to work outside landscaping.  While working today certain events transpired that have gotten me thinking about how life is so precious.  About noon the skies looked dark gray and looked like it could rain any minute.  As soon as I saw lightning and heard the thunder I picked up my metal tool and high tailed it into the upper shop.  Luckily I made it to the shop before it started pouring down raining.  In the midst of the rain my coworker and I went down to the lower shop where our resident manager was.  Well we thought the fireworks were over and that the rain was lightning up a bit.  Boy were we wrong.  I went outside to head home since my manager had declared it a wash for the day due to the rainfall but sure was I in for a surprise.  The thunder and lightning started again and the lightning ended up striking extremely close to where I was standing.  Let’s just say I was shocked to say the least.  In addition to the close call with the lightning bolt there was a loud crack of thunder that I think has affected my hearing in my one ear a bit.

Okay Lord, that was a little too close for my comfort.  As you can see in the scripture passage above Elihu speaks on God’s behalf saying that He covers His hands with the lightning, And commands it to strike the mark.  Well, that mark and me were oh so close to each other. Was God trying to send me some sort of message?  Possibly, that I need to be more vigilant in my life? That life is precious?  I got that message loud and clear.  God is omniscient and omnipotent. He is the Creator of all, including rain, thunder, and lightning.  Could the close call I had with lightning have been a sign from God, Him saying to me “Teresa I am right here listening to you, I am always with you. Always remember this.”  This could have also been a signal from God showing me that I need to be more aware of Him in my daily life. I don’t know… But I do know that I am ever grateful that I didn’t get struck by lightning today.  God Bless. 

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Eggspirational!

After I returned home from work today I experienced what I believe to be a providential moment.  After having relaxed a bit   I meditated for a few moments asking God for His guidance, then as I kept my eyes closed I opened the Bible to a scripture passage in the book of Job.  Then, I found something unexpected. Job had the same feeling for egg whites as I do.  YUCK! BLAH!

1 Then Job answered, 2 “Oh that my grief were actually weighed And laid in the balances together with my calamity ! 3 “For then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas ; Therefore my words have been rash. 4 “For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, Their poison my spirit drinks ; The terrors of God are arrayed against me. 5 “Does the wild donkey bray over his grass,Or does the ox low over his fodder ? 6 “Can something tasteless be eaten without salt, Or is there any taste in the white of an egg ? 7 “My soul refuses to touch them; They are like loathsome food to me.

Job asked, is there any taste in the white of an egg ?  This inspired me. It also had me chuckling since I hadn’t seen this scripture passage before.  The times I have tasted egg whites they tasted so bland to me.  I hardly ever eat eggs, period, but when I do at all I like it when the yoke is runny so I can dip toast into it.  It was almost as if this particular passage was put in the Bible specifically for me. God Bless.

 

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