I met with a snake.

This morning I got up in need of exercise. My energy level was really low and I decided to fight it off with some good ol' fashion exercise.

My normal run did not appeal to me, but the bike/running path I take was calling to me. In this neighborhood there is a running path about a half mile away. The majority of this path is shaded by tall pines which makes for a nice cool haven while exercising. There are birds and squirrels and other such wooded creatures seen while running and it makes for a nice little nature walk/run.

But today I wanted something more. I wanted some more aerobic exercise. I decided to pull out the roller blades!! *hear the adventure music start.

I have not put these roller blades on in probably 5 years, if not more. So I pulled out my long socks (I only have 1 pair of crew socks and they are kept strictly for the purpose of roller blading), and strapped on my blades and wrist guards and after a shaky start off I went.

I did pretty well on the way there, I only had to run into a tree once to re-catch my balance and there was no one around to see it so maybe it didn't happen! ha!

I get to the path opening and really start moving. The coolness of the shade, the breeze I am creating for myself and the worship song I am singing to God are keeping me moving. About this time, I see it.....the branch looking thing lying across half of the path that can only be A SNAKE!!!

Now, let me 'splain. I HATE snakes. Sorry to those of you who think they are great, or would make good pets, or perhaps are just indifferent to them. I HATE them. I have been told all of their "redeeming" qualities and don't believe a word of it. A snake is bad snake and that is the end of my thought process. I realize I am closed minded about this, but I will accept that characterization and move on with my life, thank you very much!

So at the point I meet this 2 foot long snake in my path I am going down a slight incline. There is no way that I can stop, there is no way I can go off the path; I have to keep going. I pushed off and skirted around this fear of mine which for all I know was a deadly copperhead (I did not turn around to look or stay around to ask). I just pushed past my paralyzing fear and kept going!

For the rest of my time, with my eyes pealed for more snakes in my path (I did not encounter anymore Praise God!)...I began to think about my life. It is very similar to this blading ride.

I am on a pathway...headed in a direction that I want to go...with great things ahead of me. The exercise of life is rewarding though not always easy, but is good for me. Along this path I am going to encounter snakes. Metaphorically, as well as realistically; and in meeting with these snakes/deadly fears in my life I have some choices. I can turn back, go back to where I came from and stay fat and unhealthy, I could stop and become paralyzed and stagnant immobilized and useless, or I could face my fears and cruise on past the snakes in my pathway and reach my goals.

Today I choose to face my fears, to leave that snake in my rearview and not look back. He did not conquer me today, and he won't tomorrow either. I have the ultimate of Snake Killers on my side, and I have no reason to fear.

Philippians 3:12-21 (from the Message)
12-14 I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running and I'm not turning back.

15-16 So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.

17-19 Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I've warned you of them many times; sadly, I'm having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ's Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.

20-21 But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.

Where is my focus?

This morning I spent some time in I Samuel, and it brought to mind the same thoughts that I had when I read it several years ago. The following is something that I wrote a couple of years ago when I was struggling within my singleness and trying to get all of my thoughts out. I had to answer for myself the question of “Where is my focus?” I pick here about the middle of the chapter I wrote.

First of all, if our passion is Christ then our focus should be only on Him. 24-7-365, our focus should be on the upward, focusing on God. That is not to say that we should become so enraptured with the things of the Lord that we lose sight of what is going on around us. To the converse, when our vision is totally and completely fixated on the Lord and does not waver, the rest of what is going on around us falls into place as He would have it too. When my eyes are focused on the Lord, my relationships whether they be with myself, my family, my friends, my acquaintances, my co-workers, or the opposite sex all fall into the place that God wants them to be. I do not have to fret and worry myself sick, keep myself up at night pondering about this situation or another; when my focus is on the Lord the rest of my life will be where it is supposed to be.
This brings an answer then to the question, “What has He called me to do?” He has called me to focus on Him. Period. THE END! My ministry, my calling, my everything will rise out of that simple truth.
In scripture, King David is an amazing example of this. God spoke to David through the prophet Samuel and let him know that He was going to be king of Israel. David at the time was a wee shepherd boy, last in a line of big strong just as qualified if not more qualified older brothers. Not only that, but there was already a king on the throne.
So what did David do, he took his sword and shield, gathered up a band of brothers and a few close friends and began a strategic takeover of King Saul. Um…NEGATIVE!!
David stayed in the fields tending sheep. He acknowledged that God had a direct plan for him and so he set his focus on the Lord and did not let it waver. Later he would become a servant of King Saul and best friend to the king’s son. Still he did not promenade around the king’s court declaring that he had it on good authority that he would one day sit on the throne of his current boss. Instead he humbly ministered to the king with songs that the Lord put in his heart, he went to battle for the king, and even after the king turns against him and tries in vain to kill him, he spares the life of the king two times.
As we read through all of I & II Samuel and through the Psalms we see David’s life; we see happy times and sad, we see struggles and victory, we see him fall into sin and repent. Through it all we see a man whose vision was focused on the Lord, whose passion was the Lord. Because of this, the events of David’s life fell into place as God intended, with God’s perfect timing and guidance. His ministry and callings changed several times starting as a shepherd, becoming a servant and a soldier, and finally becoming a ruler of God’s chosen people, and a direct ancestor to the King of Kings; however, his passion never changed. God not only honored him by making this small shepherd boy a king, he gave him double honor by declaring him a “Man after God’s own Heart.”
So what is your passion? Can you with a pure heart give the answer of “God.”? Or is your passion focused on what you feel you are called to out of some sort of guilt lead duty? Maybe you don’t have a passion? My challenge to you is to spend some time seeking God’s passion. Spend some time alone with Him, ASK Him, and then WAIT for His answer.